Sprint Treo 800w

The latest smartphone from Palm, the Treo 800w has a lot going for it, except of course for the unfortunate timing of its launch. Released around the same time as the Apple iPhone 3G, it did not get half the attention that most Treo smartphones normally get. There are a few reviews out for the Treo 800w — we highlight three of those reviews here.

The Treo 800w runs on Sprint’s CDMA/EVDO network. It is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1. It’s the first Windows Mobile Treo with an integrated WiFi alongside the usual Bluetooth and cellular wireless.

Engadget Mobile says that “overall the look is clunky, dated and underwhelming”. I have to agree. Compared to previous Treo smartphones, the 800w does look better, however we have to look at the competition out there : Sony Ericsson Experia X1, Nokia E71, Blackberry Bold, and of course the iPhone. Engadget’s summary : While the Treo 800w “does all of its jobs reasonably well”, this is a “fiercely middle-of-the road device — it’s not attractive, its software isn’t unique, and the phone does little to separate itself from the ever-growing pack.”

Our friends at Treocentral chime in with a video unboxing and first look.

They are fairly positive about the Treo 800w : “The Treo 800w is the best Treo ever,” and “the most productive Windows Mobile Pro device I’ve ever used”. Conclusion : it’s a great phone, albeit a year late in replacing the Treo 700wx.

Finally, Andrew of Treonauts also has very positive impressions of the Treo 800w, giving it high marks for the hardware. “I have been extremely impressed (somewhat surprisingly) with the capabilities of the Treo 800w”.

Personally, I have never been a fan of Windows Mobile devices. Now that I have an iPhone, I hardly even look at them. It’s great that Palm is continuing with a line of solid Windows Mobile smartphones until the new Nova devices come out next year — but will it be enough to sustain the company?

Filed under: Windows Mobile

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