More Palm Centro Information Leaked

Posted By: Kris Keilhack Tuesday, September 11, 2007 8:38:54 AM

Palm CentroEngadget has posted a number of leaked high-resolution spec sheets from Sprint revealing the source of the recent flurry of Palm Centro photographs and information. Another set of leaked images also depicts the Centro in person, next to the Treo 755p and other upcoming Sprint devices.

The marketing document confirms all of the recently rumored specs about the device and the device unfortunately appears to have EVDO Rev. 0 and not the newer Rev. A spec as previous rumors had indicated. The Sprint promotional materials do not specify a "youth" target audience for this device but instead play on the large software bundle and "Palm's familiar world-class ease of use with new added applications…".

Palm’s latest Garnet-powered device happens to be its first smartphone devoid of the “Treo” branding. The Palm Centro is low-end device running the Garnet OS for CDMA networks and Sprint as the exclusive launch partner. Palm’s semi-announcement last month indicated that an entry-level EVDO device would exclusively debut on Sprint sometime this fall. The Centro is essentially a smaller Palm OS version of the Treo 500 expected to be released tomorrow for GSM carriers. The release date of the Centro for Sprint is expected to be October 14th with an estimated price of $99 with contract.

These latest Sprint documents also make no mention of the rumored Treo 800w, previously thought to be Palm’s flagship release for this fall. The Treo 800w is anticipated to run Windows Mobile 6 Professional with EVDO Rev. A for both Sprint and Verizon networks.

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Size?

caban04 @ 9/11/2007 12:04:20 PM # Q
In these photos the Centro does not look much smaller then the new Treos

RE: Size?
StatCoder.com @ 9/11/2007 12:20:10 PM # Q
Well the screen is definitely a lot smaller. I'm trying to figure out what got bigger if the screen got smaller and the unit itself didn't get much smaller.
RE: Size?
hkklife @ 9/11/2007 12:20:25 PM # Q
The scren on the Centro is noticably smaller! Remember, when you're already as small as the 755p's scren is, any reduction in size can and will be noticed--and I have 20/20 vision!

I'd personally rather have seen Palm keep the standard Treo screen and cut the keyboard down even more..or drop the QWERTY board entirely and try to make do with Graffiti and a regular dumbphone numeric pad. But that'd likely break compatibility with a LOT of Treo apps so Palm probably made the best compromise they could and basically just scaled the 755p's innards/OS down to the smallest possible size and decided to live with reduced margins.

Really, the 755p might be easier to live with from size standpoint and have a few niceties such as a higher-capacity removable battery, alert LED, and Documents To Go, but the huge question is if it's worth 3x or more what Sprint is charging for the Centro w/ contract.

I personally think that the Centro is going to steal the majority of whatever sales the 755p would have had this fall and going into '08. Palm should have aimed higher with the 755p (Treo 680's phone app, 2.0mp camera, 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, fullsize SDHC slot) when it was released so the Centro wouldn't be as likely to steal so much of its thunder.

Palm continues their policy of sideways and backwards "upgrades" and punishing loyal customers & early adopters.



Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: Size?
TreoAnon @ 9/11/2007 2:03:48 PM # Q
It appears Palm is going down the dual product route they used for Zire/Tungsten, with reasonable success. You can choose the device that best fits your palm and your pocket book.
Please excuse the intentional pun.

RE: Size?
hkklife @ 9/11/2007 2:43:29 PM # Q
If that's the case then we need the "Veld" line as a high-end line of solidly build PDA/data/media-centric devices with 320x480 screens and no keyboards ASAP! Palm's version of the iPhone, if you will, but with all of the "Palm special sauce" we've come to (mostly) love and expect.

Seriously, going with an automotive metaphor here, I could see tremendous value in keeping the Treo line as the Palm's Chevrolet, with Centro as Palm's Saturn line and something along the lines of a higher-end "Veld" line as their Buick. This is assuming that Palm doesn't want to offer a Cadillac model to compete with Apple's & HTC offerings at the highest end of the market.

P.S. If TVoR was still here he could give us a clue as to exactly WHAT that "special sauce" is comprised of....

Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

RE: Size?
kevinbgood @ 9/11/2007 4:42:15 PM # Q
Egads! A smaller screen? Some of us who are getting older don't need it to get smaller. It's bad enough having to leave a magnifying glass on my desk, only now to carry one in my pocket to read small screens.

Addicted to Palm
RE: Size?
Packerbrett @ 9/12/2007 1:22:55 PM # Q
I agree. I actually would like the treo screen to be bigger, not smaller. When using the screen for gps naviation in a car, the Centro screen looks like it would be impossible to read. Bad move.

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So where does it fit?

drbuzz0 @ 9/11/2007 2:15:35 PM # Q
Is this the "new Treo" form factor or a seperate device? A "value priced" device?

Thin is good, but otherwise I like the treo 680 form factor better

RE: So where does it fit?
LiveFaith @ 9/11/2007 2:54:40 PM # Q
I duuunt get it. Just take the 680 and EVDO it, slap the 1.3mpx shooter in, refresh the SW and sell it as a better device for $99 and save all the dev costs for what got blown on the Foldeo. have Nevertheless, it does not look quite as micro as the orig shots, but this keyboard and screen are infintile. I have no interest in reducing screen real estate below the already wimpy Treo standards.

Pat Horne
RE: So where does it fit?
hkklife @ 9/11/2007 3:14:45 PM # Q
Pat, that'd make too much sense, in which case Palm would want nothing to do with it.

Instead of two similar but differently lame candybar Treos/Centros offered in available sizes of small and too small, Palm should have tried to do something with 320x4890 or a clamshell design similar to the classis Samsung i500.

Barring that, Palm should (and easily could) have just stuck with the tired but tried and true Treo 755p FF (w/ its bigger battery compartment), stick with fullsizse SDHC, and spread it across their entire line. They could have POS GSM, POS CDMA, WM6 GSM, and WM6 CDMA versions. Then, if desired, they could add low-end and high-end variants building upon that common design.



Pilot 1000-->Pilot 5000-->PalmPilot Pro-->IIIe-->Vx-->m505-->T|T-->T|T2-->T|C-->T|T3-->T|T5-->TX-->Treo 700P

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Economics?

analogue wings @ 9/11/2007 6:36:16 PM # Q
So how does this work with the carriers?

Presumably the carriers have to carry quite a few of these in stock from day one.

Presumably they stock higher numbers of the more affordable models, like the T500 and the Centro.

Does this add up to Palm being "advanced" a buttload of money?

If it does, then these guys are clearly being launched ahead of the "mercedes" and PalmOS II because they are paying for same.

IIIc -> M105 -> Zire 21 -> Tungsten T2 -> Treo 650

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