Treo 600 Now Available with AT&T

Posted By: Ryan Monday, November 24, 2003 9:08:42 AM

AT&T Wireless and palmOne today announced the immediate availability of the Treo 600 smartphone. It is available to AT&T customers starting at a $499.99 and existing Treo owners are eligible for a $399 limited time upgrade price.

The Treo 600 smartphone is available from AT&T Wireless for $499.99, after a $50 instant rebate, when customers purchase qualified service plans starting at $12.99 per month. The Treo 600 smartphone is available through AT&T Wireless' various sales channels and online from Handspring.com. For a limited time, palmOne is also offering all Treo communicator owners the ability to upgrade to a Treo 600 smartphone for only $399 exclusively at Handspring.com.

"We are delighted to be working with AT&T Wireless to deliver this world-class smartphone to their customer base nationwide," said Joe Sipher, vice president of product and carrier marketing for palmOne. "Treo 600 represents a breakthrough in the design and functionality of a smartphone device, and we are working closely with AT&T Wireless to make sure our applications are seamlessly integrated into their network services, giving customers the best possible voice and data application experience."

"In today's competitive environment, business customers with the ability to stay connected to their information while mobile have a clear advantage over those who don't," said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of business data solutions at AT&T Wireless. "With the Treo 600, mobile professionals now have access to one of the most advanced smartphones available -- and a simple and powerful solution to access corporate information throughout North America and across the globe. We're very pleased to add this device to our portfolio, especially ahead of this year's holiday shopping season."

The Treo 600 smartphone is one of the first quad-band smartphones (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) that allows customers to make and receive calls and use data services on GSM/GPRS networks worldwide. The Palm OS allows customers to take advantage of thousands of existing applications, including games, office document readers, multimedia applications, and valuable utilities for both personal and business needs.

Email Options
The Treo 600 smartphone provides a robust and easy-to-use POP3 email solution and comes preconfigured with settings for several popular ISPs, or users can set up the Treo 600 smartphone to access their own POP3 accounts. The Treo 600 smartphone supports attachment handling, including access to Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel compatible documents. In addition, through agreements with Good Technology and Visto Corporation, AT&T Wireless is now offering corporate email solutions that provide businesses with access to Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes email behind their corporate firewalls. Customers can also send and receive text messages in a powerful new way that allows users to see the "chain" of previous text content -- similar to an instant messaging experience.

About the Treo 600
The Treo 600 smartphone provides access to a variety of advanced multimedia features. An integrated VGA camera works with AT&T Wireless Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS), which allows customers to send/receive images, annotate messages and add system sounds such as ringtones to their notes. The Treo smartphone includes MP3 playback functionality.

It operates on the enhanced GSM/GPRS AT&T Wireless network, enabling customers to download games, ringtones and applications directly to the device. AT&T Wireless is the second-largest wireless carrier, based on revenues, in the United States. With 21.855 million subscribers as of September 30, 2003, and revenues of more than $16.5 billion over the past four quarters.

The Treo 600 runs Palm OS 5.2.1 with a 144 MHz Texas Instruments OMAP processor. It will have a 160x160 pixel CSTN color screen, 32MB of RAM and a SD/MMC/SDIO expansion slot. There is also a five-way navigation dial for one handed operation. The Treo 600 has a built-in digital camera (640 x 480 VGA), so you can take and send pictures or connect a face to a phone number with picture caller ID. It will also feature a dual speaker architecture for high-quality phone and system audio. It will have a large capacity 1800 mAh rechargeable Lithium Ion battery for up to six hours talk time (GSM); or up to five hours talk time (CDMA); and about two weeks organizer use for both versions.

PalmInfocenter attended the Treo 600 launch party in New York City a short while ago, and have our report of the kickoff here.

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Nice, but...

Gekko @ 11/24/2003 10:08:23 AM #

1. AT&T's GSM coverage sucks.
2. I don't want a thumboard.
3. I don't want an external antenna.
4. I don't want low-res 160x160.
5. Size is still a little big.

Fix these things, and I'll bite.

RE: Nice, but...

Strider_mt2k @ 11/24/2003 10:19:08 AM #

I'm just not going back to a 160x160 screen.
Gah!

RE: Nice, but...

Foo Fighter @ 11/24/2003 10:19:58 AM #

That's why I didn't choose them. In my area, there is only one small sector running along a major highway that offers me GSM coverage. Unless I decide to live under an overpass, AT&T Wireless won't do me much good. Although I hate the fact that Verizon uses CDMA, their coverage is EXCELLENT, and they are expanding and updating the infrastructure all the time. They're just slow as hell in adopting new phones.

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My blog: www.pocketfactory.com

RE: Nice, but...

alanh @ 11/24/2003 11:41:40 AM #

However, there aren't and CDMA phones available that have Bluetooth. I won't get Verizon or Sprint until that changes.

-alan

RE: Nice, but...

Foo Fighter @ 11/24/2003 11:45:17 AM #

Did you mean "any" instead of "and", because that didn't quite make sense. CDMA phones with BT may not exist, but the Treo 600 doesn't have BT either. So it's of little consequence to me.

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My blog: www.pocketfactory.com

RE: Nice, but...

alanh @ 11/24/2003 1:59:40 PM #

Yes, I meant to say "any" instead of "and."

-alan

RE: Nice, but...

treo007 @ 11/24/2003 4:54:55 PM #

It's not that AT&T's coverage sucks in my area (although it's not as good as Sprint or Verizon), it's that GPRS' data transfer rates pale in comparison to those of its CDMA brethren. GPRS feels only marginally better than the old GSM (making it practically useless), whereas say Sprint's Vision feels faster than my old desktop 56k dialup connection.

That having been said, I agree with the original poster that the phone is just too big. I still don't get why Handspring couldn't have:

1) come up with a way to hide the thumboard?

2) shrunk the size so that it doesn't look like I'm holding a PDA up to my head?

I use my Treo 300 as simply a wireless PDA and carry a separate, smaller cell phone as well. The Treo stays home when I go out at night.

Due to its size, this is no doubt how I'd use a 600 if I purchased one. Thing is, I'm not going to spend another $400 for the same resolution, faster processor, and an SD slot. I still haven't figured out why the 600 has gotten such good press??

Nokia 6560 TDMA

Gekko @ 11/24/2003 6:54:12 PM #

I bought the Nokia 6560 from AT&T a couple weeks ago and love it. It's the smallest, color TDMA phone on the market. Brilliant Color screen, Voice-Dialing, Speakerphone, and TINY size. AT&T's TDMA network coverage area is awesome, but no good for data users. I'm sticking with TDMA until the GPRS network gets much better.

http://www.attwireless.com/personal/products/phonedetails.jhtml?id=12800001&titleNumber=1

RE: Nice, but...

RhinoSteve @ 11/25/2003 1:34:24 AM #

Well you should have bought Handspring instead of Palm SG and you'll have it now. Too bad you bought that pizza last night. The cost was about the same.

data plans

southbound747 @ 1/28/2004 9:15:36 PM #

att data plans are pretty bad. their best used to be $20.00 for 8 mb. does anyone know if with the rollout of the treo 600 if they will have a better data plan?

ie...some sort of unlimited plan?

555-VERIZON

Foo Fighter @ 11/24/2003 10:14:05 AM #

Does Verizon have a suicide hotline for its customers? I swear if I see another carrier announce Treo 600 support, while Verizon sits idly by...I will go mad. Quite mad indeed.

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My blog: www.pocketfactory.com

RE: 555-VERIZON

nrosser @ 11/24/2003 11:46:54 AM #

that's why I switched to Sprint last yr when the 300 came out, and I couldn't be any happier with their service and coverage.
Ironically, I had gone to VZW from ATTWS, for the sole purpose of getting the Kyo6035 - to illustrate how things end up going full circle, had I not left AT&T almost 3 yrs ago, I could now have the 600 with AT&T.
But - Sprint has been belly belly good to me, and I'm LOVin' the 600.

RE: 555-VERIZON

Foo Fighter @ 11/24/2003 12:26:52 PM #

With the new number portability system in place, I may jump ship. For now I intend to wait a while longer and see what Verizon does...or doesn't do.

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My blog: www.pocketfactory.com

RE: 555-VERIZON

ganoe @ 11/24/2003 1:27:11 PM #

> With the new number portability system in place, I may jump ship.

Yeah, except that supposedly Verizon is going to have the best number portablitiy of the bunch. Meaning that it'll be much easier to move your number to Verizon than away from them.

Verizon has about the best everything in wireless service in the USA (EXCEPT THEIR PHONE SELECTION).

Sprint's coverage in my area is poor. Forget GSM period, what's the point of a mobile phone if you can't use it at home or on the road.

RE: 555-VERIZON

hkklife @ 11/24/2003 3:46:19 PM #

Best coverage and poorest everything else....now including customer service. I actually used to have good experiences on a consistent basis with them when they were Bell Atlantic but ever since then it's been going downhill.

If the Kyocera smartphone hangs around any longer, it'll have to be put into a museum as a historical relic. AFAIK, it's about the only currently shipping Palm-powered device that still runs G1. Collectors, take note! Of course, at Verizon's prices, I doubt they are going anywhere any time soon...

RE: 555-VERIZON

Marshall Flinkman @ 11/26/2003 5:37:02 PM #

I read today that there's a patch with Graffiti 2 for the 7135...

A review in the way??

alexito @ 11/24/2003 11:47:35 AM #

Would Palminfo do a nice review some day?

I think it's really good for what it is, a great palm+phone combo, and I supouse the thumboard is awesome for SMS.

Technology moves faster than you can afford... at least for me.

RE: A review in the way??

ganoe @ 11/24/2003 1:47:25 PM #

If you read the "More on the way..." story, you would see that a review of the Treo 600 is in the works.

http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=6251

AT&T GSM sucks

tthiel @ 11/25/2003 12:00:13 AM #

AT&T signs up tons of people who don't know any better to their GSM network and don't tell them how limited it is. Must be alot of pissed of people who now have the freedom to switch to another company.

RE: AT&T GSM sucks

TooMuch @ 11/25/2003 12:10:42 AM #

All the GSM coverage bashing will subside markedly in about six months when the GSM networks are virtually completed in the US and the roaming agreements between Cingular, ATT, and T-Mobile are enacted. This will make GSM as broad as any 3G network in the US plus give you (by far) the largest worldwide coverage of any cellular network (quad-band).

Also, GSM uses a lighter radio and lower power consumption which means a lighter handheld and longer battery life than CDMA.

RE: AT&T GSM sucks

seichert @ 11/25/2003 1:34:40 AM #

I ordered a Treo 600 from AT&T today. The representative at the AT&T Wireless corporate store was very honest and up front and told me where in my town I would have poor reception. He also told me about their rollout of 850 Mhz service as oppossed to t heir current 1900 Mhz service. Apparently 850 Mhz will have much better coverage and penetration. I am anxious to get my new Treo 600.

RE: AT&T GSM sucks

Foo Fighter @ 11/25/2003 9:21:49 AM #

Ack! CDMA is the bane of my existance. I wish Verizon and Sprint went GSM.

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My blog: www.pocketfactory.com

RE: AT&T GSM sucks

hkklife @ 11/25/2003 9:57:19 AM #

I wish there were more dual-mode "stopgap" phones out there--TDMA and GSM, like that Siemens AT&T offered last year (don't recall the model # offhand).

I travel a great deal throughout the southeastern US and you'd be surprised how often I still have to fallback to analog with my Verizon phone-there are still civilized places with very, very spotty coverage. This is the primary reason I continue to put up with Verizon's lame phone offerings and poor rate plans.

RE: AT&T GSM sucks

lemketron @ 11/25/2003 11:18:44 PM #

I'm not sure I see how a TDMA/GSM combo would help. Yes, AT&T has both networks, but they told me they are TOTALLY separate (including their billing systems). I suppose it might help if they had a roaming agreement with themselves, but if they don't offer any TDMA/GSM phones then why would they bother?

The lack of analog (AMPS) in the Treo bothers me a bit, but to be honest I don't know how much that is an issue these days. Anyone with a GSM-only phone care to comment on how often you end up with no coverage where an AMPS phone would've worked?

I would agree that once the GSM roaming agreements are completed (in six months, huh? we'll see, I guess) things should be much better.

I'd like to stick with AT&T (I'm on TDMA now) but I have three gripes with AT&T GSM:
- Coverage (as I've heard GSM doesn't cover as well as TDMA and they're presumably using the same tower sites at least initially).
- Shared voice plans (which cost more on GSM than TDMA and have smaller home areas, and they force you to move ALL shared phones to GSM in order to move any at all).
- Data plan rates ($30/month extra for 10MB? Give me a break! Sprint is unlimited for $15/month, and Cingular is $25 for 10MB. When will AT&T offer more reasonably priced data plans? Number portability means I don't HAVE to stick with AT&T! I suspect others who are personally paying for their service will also find $30/month extra for data to be too much.)

@ 4/4/2005 #