Sprint Treo 800w Now Available!

Palm and Sprint Introduce the Treo 800w Smartphone – the first Windows Mobile 6.1 Treo smartphone offering a slimmer and lighter body, fast 3G EvDO Rev. A data speeds, built-in WiFi and GPS, 2.0 Megapixel Camera, Bluetooth 2.0, high resolution 320x320 touchscreen, 256MB user memory as well as unique Palm software enhancements.

After months of rumours and anticipation, Palm today finally introduced the Sprint Treo 800w – Sprint’s newest smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional which provides a very powerful device for new Treonauts as well as a significant upgrade (understatement) for previous Treo 700w|wx owners.

Designed principally for high-end business users who depend on their smartphones for high-speed productivity on the go, the Palm Treo 800w operates on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network and comes out of the box with support for EV-DO Rev. A data speeds (capable of average download speed of 600 kbps to 1.4 Mbps) as well as WiFi (with dedicated Instant On/Off button) for data and full GPS capabilities.

According to Palm, The Treo 800w is the company’s most business-friendly phone yet.  IT departments can simplify infrastructure and lower costs (always welcome) with a direct connection to Microsoft Exchange Server, giving users up-to-date email, contacts, calendars and access to other productivity applications while on the move.  Palm designed the Treo 800w for easy-to-use mobility with a full QWERTY keyboard, five-way navigation and one-touch buttons to the most-used applications (including two new dedicated Calendar and Messaging buttons) – making it not only a smartphone people want to use but one that they can use easily.

EV-DO Rev. A, WiFi for Data and GPS

As Sprint’s first smartphone to ship immediately with EV-DO Rev. A network support, the Treo 800w offers customers the ability to quickly browse the web and send and receive emails – even those with large attachments – at broadband speeds.  The vast majority of Sprint’s Mobile Broadband Network has been upgraded to EV-DO Rev. A technology, providing Treo 800w users blazing-fast speeds on the nation’s largest mobile broadband network (based on covered square miles).  According to Sprint, its Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming) reaches more than 246 million people, 16,022 cities and 1,506 airports and brings customers instant gratification so they can work fast and on the go.  With EV-DO Rev. A, peak network download data rates increase to 3.1 Mbps and peak upload data rates increase to 1.8 Mbps; average download speeds improve to 600 kbps to 1.4 mbps and average uplink speeds increase to 350-500 kbps.

Palm’s WiFi hardware and software innovations make it easy to get online fast and manage network connections and power usage.  The one-touch WiFi button provides a clean, uncluttered WiFi experience that gets Treo 800w users rapidly connected at home, in the office or in WiFi hotspots.  It includes 802.11b/g WiFi and built-in Internet Explorer Mobile, which means faster, more secure access to web-based data.

With integrated GPS and Palm software enhancements, the Treo 800w smartphone offers maps (above right), point-to-point directions and point-of-interest (POI) searches for locations such as restaurants or stores.  POI search is available directly from the Today Screen (above left) and is integrated with contacts, giving customers one-touch access to the places they want to go.  Treo 800w also supports Sprint Navigation for turn-by-turn directions as well as other popular third-party location-based services applications.

Robust Business Productivity Features

Companies looking for more control, centralization and security will find the Treo 800w an attractive choice. It connects directly with Exchange Server 2003 SP2 or 2007 and works within a company’s existing Microsoft infrastructure, eliminating costly middleware or the maintenance of additional servers. The Treo 800w extends business capabilities by providing a familiar Microsoft Windows experience while on the go to keep employees productive. With thousands of applications available for Windows Mobile, businesses can extend mobility beyond email to optimize business processes whether in sales or out in field.

The Treo 800w comes fully equipped with easy-to-use professional email. Microsoft Direct Push Technology is available out of the box and gives users connected to a Microsoft Exchange Server fast, automatic wireless updates from their email, calendar, contacts and tasks.  Users can download email attachments to view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel files, view PowerPoint and PDF files, and open ZIP files.

The Treo 800w is compatible with Microsoft’s System Center Mobile Device Manager 2008, which delivers increased security and easier smartphone management as well as access to information on the corporate network via mobile VPN. IT professionals can confidently manage large Treo 800w deployments the same way they would expect to manage PCs with a low-cost, reliable solution that fits seamlessly with their existing IT infrastructures.

The Palm Experience on Windows Mobile 6.1

“Palm is adding a unique stamp to the Windows Mobile experience with the Treo 800w,” said Stephane Maes, vice president, product marketing, Palm, Inc. “It’s an easy-to-use feature-packed smartphone that will keep users happy, empowered and productive.”

In addition to Palm’s WiFi and GPS enhancements, Palm innovations on top of Windows Mobile include:

• Today Screen enhancements – call, text, email, perform a web search and map a contact’s address, all directly from the Today Screen;
• Dial from the Today Screen – (my favourite Palm enhancement by far above right) enter the contact name, select the number and dial. Add text or picture speed dials for one-touch calls to family and friends, or use the physical or touch screen number keys to dial the number directly;
• Voicemail controls (image above left) – VCR-like icons, such as rewind, delete and fast-forward, for easy navigation;
• Ignore with text – ignore a call quickly by sending a text message, such as “In a meeting” or “Can’t talk right now”;
• Superior phone and call management (image below)– dedicated mute, speakerphone, conference calling icons, or dial any number in an email or webpage, all with just one touch; and
• Palm ease-of-use features – hard buttons for email and calendar, a five-way navigation button and on/off ringer switch.

Exclusive Sprint Content and Services

“Sprint recognizes that businesses must stay productive and competitive with quick, always-accessible information and assistance for their own customers,” said Michael Hahn, vice president of device operations for Sprint. “With instant access to email, messaging services and the web on the nation’s largest Mobile Broadband Network, Sprint provides its customers the mobile tools they need to increase productivity and improve competitiveness now.”

In addition to the valuable business-friendly features delivered through Palm and Windows Mobile 6.1, new business applications are being created through Sprint’s newly launched Professional Developer Program and with tools such as the Titan platform for Windows Mobile 6.1 devices.  A growing community of application developers who may previously have focused on desktop services are now finding it easier to generate services that can perform on both the desktop and mobile devices.
 
Treo 800w customers can leverage the speed of the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network to access Sprint content, including:

• Sprint TV allowing users to watch live TV or video-on-demand with full-motion video or catch the latest news, sports, weather, entertainment and movie trailers on the go. Choose from more than 50 live television channels and watch programs such as CNN mobile, FOX sports and E! Entertainment; access NFL Network and special programming via Sprint Exclusive Entertainment.
• Sprint Navigation delivers turn-by-turn voice-guided and on-screen driving directions, 3-D moving maps similar to an in-car navigation system or personal navigation device, as well as local search, intelligent traffic alerts and one-click rerouting.
• Pocket Express to retrieve customized, up-to-date web content such as sports, weather, news, money and movie information with the push of a button.
• Sprint IM extends instant messaging to the Treo 800w with access to Yahoo! Messenger, AOL’s AIM service and MSN Messenger.

Pricing and Availability

The Treo 800w is available today for consumers and businesses at Sprint Stores and Palm online and through Sprint or Palm’s B2B sales organizations.  It will be available for $249.99 after discounts and rebates with a two-year contract.

To receive the best value and experience the full capabilities of the device, customers must subscribe to a pricing plan offering unlimited data.  Customers can choose from Everything plans for individuals ranging from $69.99 per month for 450 voice minutes and unlimited data or the Talk/Message/Data Share plans for families starting at $129.99 per month for 1,500 voice minutes (shared between two lines) and unlimited data. Sprint also offers its signature Simply Everything plan offering both unlimited nationwide voice and data services for just $99.99 per month. Customers may also choose one of Sprint’s Individual Talk Plans and add on the $30 per month Pro Pack to take advantage of data capabilities.

Treo 800w Review (Coming Soon!)

Thanks to a rather messy and frustratingly late shipment of my Treo 800w review unit from Palm I have unfortunately barely had this smartphone in my hands for an hour…  I will naturally write a full review within the next 24 hours but for now at least I can tell you that my first impressions are very good!

The Treo 800w is _much_ slimmer and lighter (you can barely feel the weight difference with a Palm Centro) than any previous Windows Mobile smartphone from Palm and is without a doubt a _huge_ improvement over the Treo 700w|wx on pretty much all fronts (pictured below).

Based on looks alone, the Treo 800w may not immediately appear to be an object of beauty but after holding it in your hands you will soon realise that its comfortable form factor is certainly not ugly either.  This smartphone just appears to have been designed with the practical and pragmatic user in mind – one who cares more for actual performance than flashy effects.

While I prepare my full Treo 800w review you may want to have a look at Dieter’s very good video overview below:

You may also also want to read up on these other Treo 800w posts below and naturally if you’re lucky enough to already have one of these terrific new Palm smartphones in your hands I look forward to reading any comments and first impressions that you might have!

Sprint Treo 800w Preview
Treo 800w Specifications
Verizon Treo 800w

Treonauts are alway ready to launch…