Centro Extended Battery Review
Palm has for the first time now released its own Centro Extended Battery – one which adds a very welcome 60% more power to your Centro smartphone as it offers 1850mAh compared to the 1150mAh available from the standard Centro battery.
While it would evidently have been nice to get all this extra power in exactly the same size, weight and form factor as the standard battery the fact is nonetheless that the additional cells simply cannot fit so the Palm Centro Extended Battery is actually about twice the thickness (below) and requires a larger battery door (above) to be fitted.
Having said this, if you can make it past the fact that you’ll be carrying a slightly chunkier Centro in your pocket with the Extended Battery you will have the benefit of 5.6 hours of Talk Time instead of the 3.5 hours that the standard battery offers.
Although some people will automatically scream “ugly” at the sight of a Centro with the larger battery door I personally actually found it to be perfectly well designed and very comfortable to hold. Also, while looks are undoubtedly important the fact remains that I am more than willing to make this compromise for the benefit of the extra power and Talk Time that the Extended Battery offers.
For those occasions where I want to keep my Centro “slim” I can simply continue using my standard battery and for those occasions when I need the additional power (a long trip, conference, at work, etc.) I’ll quite happily switch to my new Centro Extended Battery.
The only downside at the moment is that Palm has only made this extended battery package available with a white battery door for the AT&T Centro but the black, red and pink models for the Sprint Centro should be released very shortly as well.
Separately, if you own a Treo instead of a Centro smartphone there are also plenty of extended battery options available for you:
2600mAh Extended Battery for Treo 700p, 700w|wx, 650 (Standard Size)
2200mAh Extended Battery for Treo 755p (Standard Size)
1600mAh Extended Battery for Treo 680, 750 (Standard Size)
3200mAh Extended Battery for Treo 755p (w/Door)
2400mAh Extended Battery for Treo 680 (w/Door)
Treonauts are always full of power… 
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Comments
I purchased the extended battery and the BLACK cover from Palm 3 or 4 weeks ago. In my case a great back up!
It would be great if we could get a battery charger/carrier for this one as we got for the Standard 650 Battery. Great to transport and charge.
That... looks... absolutely hideous. I will take to more frequent recharges or carrying an extra battery that having to pull THAT out. Thanks, but no thanks.
WOW ! There is no words to describe how ugly is that extended battery & door. It looks terrible . . . Palm need to get some new young engeniers to do a better job. I am sad to say Palm is losing ground fast on the smartphone race. I already replaced one of my new Treo with a Moto Q9h. I hate Windows but Palm OS is so far behind. I am already 50% out of the Treo family. Soon I may have to unsubscribe to Treonauts all together.
Well, I'm not going to agree fully that is the ugliest thing ever, but I do agree it's not the prettiest either. Depending on needs I may pick one up sometime.
But, I'm wondering if down the pipe they are possibly coming up with something that will be form fitting in the Centro, that gives at least a bit more boost of power without the addition of a new and less desirable cover? All knowing Andrew?
Dick - I'm not sure where you purchased your Centro Extended Battery but the Palm Store does not even offer it yet (not in black nor any other color)...
Charles - as new technology becomes available I reckon that it is still possible that someone will release a high-capacity Centro battery that will fit to the original size.
Cheers, A.
BTW: I can _really_ promise that the oversize battery door looks a LOT uglier in these pictures than in reality... It certainly doesn't win beauty contests but it does the job well in a practical package.
Cheers, A.
Unbelievably hideous isn't it? How about actually designing the Centro correctly in the first place? Ah, hold on - I get it. This is an early April Fool joke isn't it? No? Aw, c'mon you guys at Palm - battery life has got to be up there with form factor and useability surely? Andrew - you state: "Although some people will automatically scream “ugly” at the sight of a Centro with the larger battery door I personally actually found it to be perfectly well designed and very comfortable to hold." Sorry mate, I don't believe you. The extended battery and 'fat' door make the phone look ... completely crap.
It is more the fact that palm could have done better. Take the Treos for example, they have extended batteries up to about 2600mAh that can use the OEM doors. Why can't the Centro?
I will wait for Seidio's and SPE's answer to this mess.
as new technology becomes available I reckon that it is still possible that someone will release...
a better product than anything Palm has done in the last five years
I wonder why you get more talk time (7 hours) by having two original batteries than by having one large twice the size (only 5.6 hours).
Perhaps this new larger battery is simply older technology.
- David
That is the dumb thing I have ever seen. Palm should have been shamed to make this extended battery. I have to charge my centro twice a day. My next phone will not be Palm...
To all those who don't actually own a Centro you shouldn't be making remarks. If you did own a centro you would know that the battery is like half the size of the older treo's already. You want plam to squeeze an extended battery into a size that just can't be done as of yet. Well it can be but not at a price anyone would want to pay. That is why they offer a slightly larger battery, which happens to be the same size as the extended batter for the older treos. It may not look as sleek as you want it to but it does fit really well in your hand. Most people who buy the extended battery isn't the average plam user but probably a business worker who could care less how sleek his phone is but just wants to keep it alive longer.
WILL SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN IN A SATISFACTORY WAY: WHY WITH THE TREO 680 AND CENTRO HAS PALM DESTROYED BATTERY LIFE??????????????????????????
My treo 600 and 650 lasted for DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and that was with the 650 using bluetooth!!!! A feel that after 10 years, palm has really screwed me. On the phone I was actually told (re: treo 680) "just because it is a newer product, why did you assume it would be as good!"
I was hoping for a Centro because I need to replace my treo 680 after replacing the extended battery twice over 8 months (because it crashes after about 4 months of use). But I see from this forum that Centro is no better than Treo 680. It is clear from this that Palm so desparately needed to expand its base having given over the business community to blackberry that it doesn't care if its products work for business - its all about twinkie users now (no offense to those of you under 25 intendeed).
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