Palm Treo 800w Released on Sprint

Posted By: Ryan Kairer Monday, July 14, 2008 8:20:02 AM

Palm Treo 800w on SprintPalm today formally announced the Treo 800w smartphone running Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional Edition. The device is available now at Sprint stores and online at Palm.com starting at $249. The Treo 800w is the first Palm smartphone to include a number of new advanced features such as integrated Wi-Fi, EvDO Rev A high speed data and GPS technology.

The Treo 800w is squarely aimed at business professionals. Featuring the latest version of Windows Mobile, the device offers out of the box Exchange support with Outlook email with Microsoft Direct Push Technology and HTML support, native Microsoft Office documents, PowerPoint and PDF and zip file attachment support. The device is also 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.

Treo 800w Specifications and Features

The Palm Treo 800w debuts on Sprint with a slate blue color with a soft touch exterior finish. It is outfitted with a 320x320 pixel TFT color touchscreen, a decently sized QWERTY thumb keyboard and the usual navigational pad and application buttons. A 2.0 megapixel camera is on the back that features 2x digital zoom and video capture. Also situated around back, is the removable 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery good for an imaginary 4 hours talk/200 hours standby rating. A new micro USB 2.0 port is used for power and data transfer and is the sole means for audio out via an included stereo headset.

The device is powered by a Qualcomm MSM6800A chipset running at 333 MHz. 256MB user memory is on board (approximately 170MB available user memory), with 128MB program memory. For memory expansion a microSD/microSDHC card slot is along the side of the device which can support cards up to 8 GB.

The Treo 800w has dimensions of 2.28" (W) x 4.41" (L) x 0.73" (D); (58 x 112 x 18.5 mm) and weights in at 5.0 oz (142 g).

EvDO Rev A
The device is also notable for being Sprint's first smartphone to debut with EvDO Rev A support. EvDO Rev A technology provides even faster wireless data speeds and Sprint says a "vast majority" of its network has been upgraded to Rev A. According to Sprint data, average download speeds now range from 600 kbps to 1.4 mbps (up from 400 - 700kbps) and uploads speeds in the range of 350 - 500 kbps (verses 50 - 70 kbps with EvDO Rev 0).

Wi-Fi
A major highlight for any long time Palm/Treo follower is the inclusion of Wi-Fi. The 800w supports both 802.11 b/g networks as well as 802.1x (EAP-PEAP, EAP-TLS and EAP-TTLS). Palm has made it simple to setup and manage Wi-Fi connections via a dedicated Wi-Fi button on the top of the device with can connect to open or known networks and power down the Wi-Fi radio via the touch of a button.

GPS
Treo 800wWith integrated GPS, the Treo 800w smartphone offers maps, 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 and is integrated with contacts. The Treo 800w also supports Sprint Navigation for turn-by-turn directions as well as other popular third-party location-based services applications.

The device also includes Palm's Windows Mobile customizations including:

  • 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 - 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 - 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 - 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.

Sprint also includes a number of extras including Sprint TV, with more than 50 live television channels and special programming, Sprint IM, Pocket Express and Sprint Navigation for turn-by-turn voice-guided and on-screen driving directions.

"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."

Pricing and Availability

The Treo 800w is available today for consumers and businesses at Sprint Stores, online at Palm.com 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. Its regularly sells for $599 without a 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.

Be sure to also read our Treo 800w first impressions review.

Article Comments

 (32 comments)

The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. PalmInfocenter is not responsible for them in any way.
Please Login or register here to add your comments.

Start a new Comment Down

The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'

SeldomVisitor @ 7/14/2008 9:02:54 AM # Q
http://tinyurl.com/5bwjon

What's a smartphone again?

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
grubber @ 7/14/2008 9:17:50 AM # Q
It certainly isn't a dumb phone, but I would classify it more as a feature phone, like the iPhone. The restrictions are all there.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
SeldomVisitor @ 7/14/2008 9:29:30 AM # Q
Please point me via URL to the hard definitions of "dumb-", "feature-", and "smart-" phones.

Thanks.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
joad @ 7/14/2008 11:38:40 AM # Q
It was DUMB- of Palm to FEATURE- the amenities of this 800w in a WinceMob device, SMART- move would have been to get the bugs out of their next generation OS and put it on this hardware.

Stock up on 755's and TX's kids.... it's apparently gonna be a long wait for a usable device again from Palm...

|
**Another vote for a >100MB RAM Treo**

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
TooMuch @ 7/14/2008 2:32:28 PM # Q
"Stock up on 755's and TX's kids.... it's apparently gonna be a long wait for a usable device again from Palm..."

Yeah, at least six months. We might even have to take our Spring Break. Imagine that...Spring Break and just then getting to use a Nova device. That's a long time. :)

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
PacManFoo @ 7/14/2008 3:16:06 PM # Q
it's apparently gonna be a long wait for a usable device again from Palm

You're implying that even those devices are usable. I rarely use the TX anymore due to it's freezing up because of the DBcache. It's just a joy to use a device that I have to use a third party app that says FLUSHING. The last usable device Palm put out was the T3 and possibly the Treo 680.

Six months may not seem like a long time but any devices Palm puts out have been in the development stages for some time now. Add another 6 months and exactly how far behind will they be? Not to mention the fact that NO ONE knows if and what Nova will be. It's just as safe a bet right now that it will be a Turd as that it would be a decent OP. Those like TooMuch either have TooMuch blind faith in Palm or are planted here from Palm. All we really have to go on is Palms track record. Cobalt ring a bell???

The last known classic PDA user.
I've recently upgraded from a Palm TX to a Newton MP2000!

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
mikecane @ 7/14/2008 4:26:01 PM # Q
1M iPhone 3G sold in *three days*.

And there are still plenty of days left to go - just in *this* year.

Nova? Palm? Relics. Soon to exist only as wikipedia entries. Then only as wikipedia foonotes.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
joad @ 7/14/2008 4:53:09 PM # Q
Apple was able to recover nicely from the Newton's issues and have come full circle with the touch/iphone. Of course, they are better financed, diversified a bit and tend to think creatively, too.

Palm on the other seems to be putting all their energy into expanding the "me too" Windows Mobile platform. "WiFi?" whoa!! "GPS?" amazingggzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZ.

If Palm can't even get their own operating system up and running soon, it'll be like Steve Jobs deciding to ship Macs with Windows 95. It's where Palm is right now - nothing unique about them except the nice keyboard and design Handspring handed them years ago... And Blackberry's nearly cloned that by now - 1 touchscreen and some OS improvements away from putting Palm into oblivion.

|
**Another vote for a >100MB RAM Treo**

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
TooMuch @ 7/14/2008 5:09:52 PM # Q
"All we really have to go on is Palms track record. Cobalt ring a bell???"

That is if you ignore Centro & 800w brought to market in the last year during the "death day's of Palm". I thought they were supposed to dead and gone by now. Why don't they just die like they are supposed to so that everyone can move on to another platform that still doesn't do things as easy as the ancient Palm OS? Somebody needs to help Palm follow the plan better.

And yes, I still hold out hope for Palm. But it's OK with me if you want to move on. I understand. If Nova fails, then, and only then, will I be ready to move on.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
TooMuch @ 7/14/2008 5:11:05 PM # Q
"Apple was able to recover nicely from the Newton's issues and have come full circle with the touch/iphone. Of course, they are better financed, diversified a bit and tend to think creatively, too."

EIGHT YEARS LATER.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
SeldomVisitor @ 7/14/2008 6:29:51 PM # Q
Who designed and built the 800w? Asus? Htc?

Who programmed it? Microsoft?

Gosh.

Go Palm go!

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
mikecane @ 7/14/2008 7:15:56 PM # Q
SV: You are sooo unfair. Palm brought their genius to bear by PICKING THE COLOR!

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
hkklife @ 7/14/2008 7:33:29 PM # Q
In a nutshell, Palm basically took their 700w/wx improvements (aided in large part by VZW & Microsoft), tweaked 'em a bit for WM 6.x and put them on here.

Aside from the tradition Treo "smile" keyboard & ring/vibrate switch, Palm doesn't appear to have done much heavy lifting at all on this one.

The 800w (and to a lesser extent the Centro) seems like a return to the 2002-2004 "bad ol' days of Palm that actually weren't so bad in hindsight". Back when they were being playing an amusing cat & mouse game with Sony, Compaq etc., they released a handful of decently spec'd PDAs that were usually crippled not by lame specs but by quality control bugs or weak battery life or some major design blunder (Treo 650 (NVFS bugs & too little RAM), T|T3 (undersized battery & wobbly slider), T|T (poor audio output and weak screen), T|C (mono audio output) etc).

I'd love to see an 800wx on Verizon in 6 months' time with a juiced up CPU, a brighter/whiter LCD, and a 1500mAh battery standard. Yee haw!

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
PacManFoo @ 7/14/2008 8:42:11 PM # Q
last year during the "death day's of Palm"

See I thought we currently were in the death days of Palm.

Palm may not be dead but it sure is emitting a stench.

The last known classic PDA user.
I've recently upgraded from a Palm TX to a Newton MP2000!

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
hkklife @ 7/14/2008 8:48:33 PM # Q
Had the Centro not been the surprise hit that it was and, say, appeared only on Sprint...Palm might be facing an altogether different reality right now or in the next few months.

I think a lot of Palm pessimists were earmarking the 800w as THE make or break product for Palm, at least for this year. Since it fulfilled most of its initial promises, all that's left (and the biggest key IMO) is to see how 800w sell-through goes and how quickly they can get it onto Verizon, Alltel, Telus etc.

Pilot 1000->Pilot 5000->PalmPilot Pro->IIIe->Vx->m505->T|T->T|T2->T|C->T|T3->T|T5->Zodiac 2->TX->Verizon Treo 700P->Verizon Treo 755p

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
TooMuch @ 7/14/2008 9:00:15 PM # Q
Watch this performance comparison with other WM 6.1 products if you are concerned about the CPU speed or functional operating time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XApljwMCUPU Pretty vs. Pretty Fast & Functional?


RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
TooMuch @ 7/14/2008 9:06:04 PM # Q
"Who designed and built the 800w? Asus? Htc? Who programmed it? Microsoft? Gosh. Go Palm go!"

If HTC built it and Microsoft programmed why is it faster than HTC's own competition, which has double processor speeds that eat more battery? HTC built there own products that Microsoft programmed. Go Palm go!

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
SeldomVisitor @ 7/15/2008 7:21:12 AM # Q
You DO realize, right?, that Palm outright said their Windows devices were outsourced.

So Asus, HTC, Inventec, or whomever is the one for the kudos.

And Palm for stamping their logo on them.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
PacManFoo @ 7/15/2008 8:14:44 AM # Q
But PALM DOES have to decide on the color and WHERE to stamp the logo. Give credit to where credits due.

The last known classic PDA user.
I've recently upgraded from a Palm TX to a Newton MP2000!
RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
LiveFaith @ 7/15/2008 10:52:44 AM # Q
** I'd love to see an 800wx on Verizon in 6 months' time with a juiced up CPU, a brighter/whiter LCD, and a 1500mAh battery standard. Yee haw!**

Only at a Palm site do we long for what "could be" in 6 months ... on the DAY OF RELEASE of the latest device. I think I've heard this about 12 times in a row now. Cannot remember real excitement without too many groans since the TT3.

Pat Horne

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
joad @ 7/15/2008 2:10:11 PM # Q
Sorry, I buy my Palm devices by colors now, as that seems to be the most important thing to them the past few years.

This one clashes with my socks. I'll spend $700 on a different phone.

|
**Another vote for a >100MB RAM Treo**

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
BaalthazaaR @ 7/15/2008 2:15:52 PM # Q
Yeah I want one in Bengals' stripes
RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
AdamaDBrown @ 7/15/2008 6:06:53 PM # Q
SeldomVisitor wrote:

Who designed and built the 800w? Asus? Htc?

I'm not absolutely certain, but I strongly suspect it's HTC. The styling and feel of the device reminds me of their recent models.

TooMuch wrote:

If HTC built it and Microsoft programmed why is it faster than HTC's own competition, which has double processor speeds that eat more battery?

It's not. Performance is about what you'd expect for a ~300 MHz CPU.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
TooMuch @ 7/15/2008 7:22:37 PM # Q
"You DO realize, right?, that Palm outright said their Windows devices were outsourced."
Yep. I didn't say otherwise. I was simply pointing out that in the YouTube video the Treo 800w was functionally faster to operate than HTC's self branded Diamond. The Diamond (like many others) is cool but not a functionally fast unit. It takes too many taps and swipes to do things. That makes it function slower. Further, the Treo 800w apparently processes simple web scrolling more than twice the speed of HTC's own Titan. So, apparently Palm DID some engineering with HTC (or whoever) that made it a better machine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XApljwMCUPU

"It's not. Performance is about what you'd expect for a ~300 MHz CPU."
Yes. Again, my point is that in the YouTube video it is out performing (Titan 2) a 500 MHz CPU. This again points out that MHz is not always the answer to speed and efficiency.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
TooMuch @ 7/15/2008 7:29:11 PM # Q
"Cannot remember real excitement without too many groans since the TT3."

Agreed. Palm has under performed in the last 5 years. I am holding out for the impact of Rubenstein and Co. though. I have a renewed expectancy for Nova, etc. We'll see. At this point I have optimism over pessimism.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
AdamaDBrown @ 7/15/2008 8:56:07 PM # Q
I don't believe that a YouTube video of a guy talking about how "instant" the device feels constitutes proof of superior performance, particularly when there's no way for the viewer to really judge any kind of objective measurement. Not only can you barely see the things, but you have no idea what programs each one may be running simultaneously. The narrator is just telling the viewer to take their word for it.

I actually did benchmarks on the device and compared it to other competing devices. It's slower-1.06 versus 1.3 Mflops-than the HTC Mogul, which shares the same processor as the TyTN II. This is to be expected, since the Mogul and the TyTN II run at 400 MHz and the 800w runs around ~333.

You just can't magically produce more performance out of a slower processor running the same OS. It has to come out of somewhere, either less software running or making the processor faster.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
jkirvin @ 7/16/2008 8:24:56 AM # Q
Or the same software, but much more highly optimized. Why is everyone so surprised that Palm managed to coax better performance out of less horsepower? This is what they do, it's what makes them Palm.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
joad @ 7/16/2008 1:05:44 PM # Q
"Why is everyone so surprised that Palm managed to coax better performance out of less horsepower? This is what they do, it's what makes them Palm."

You're new here, eh?

|
**Another vote for a >100MB RAM Treo**

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
mikecane @ 7/16/2008 5:30:32 PM # Q
I've got a LifeDrive with a 400MHz CPU that is consistently SLOWER than my old monochrome Sony CLIE S320.

For god's sake, how can I turn back the file clock to get my data from the LifeDrive back onto the S320?! REALLY!

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
AdamaDBrown @ 7/17/2008 1:02:32 AM # Q
Or the same software, but much more highly optimized.

Microsoft isn't in the habit of letting other companies rewrite their OS, and I doubt Palm would have the time either way.

A good ROM image can do wonders for a device's speed, but I've seen nothing to indicate that the 800w stock ROM is a good one.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
BaalthazaaR @ 7/17/2008 9:57:34 AM # Q
Microsoft isn't in the habit of letting other companies rewrite their OS

Actually not true... They just make sure to own the new code. WindohsNT (4.0 IIRC) kernel was re-written by DEC engineers before the company collapsed. All the rest of the windos releases through XP used that kernel.

RE: The Samsung Instinct obviously is not a 'smartphone'
jkirvin @ 7/17/2008 12:17:14 PM # Q
As it turns out, the Treo uses hardware-accelerated Direct3D drivers, and that makes all the difference.

http://www.wmexperts.com/articles/treo_800w_direct3d_hardware_ac.html

Reply to this comment
Start a New Comment Thread Top

Account

Register Register | Login Log in
user:
pass:

Latest Comments

  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST((SELECT/**/CASE/**/IS_SRVROLEMEM
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000
  • My comments --1' OR UNICODE(SUBSTRING((SELECT/**/ISNULL(CAST(db_name()/**/AS/**/NVARCHAR(4000