Palm Treo 650 (Verizon Wireless) review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: John Morris

Reviewed on: 18 April 2006

Tags: Palm, Palm Treo 650 (Verizon Wireless), San Francisco, security, QWERTY keyboard

We like:

Improved display and keyboard; integrated Bluetooth; speakerphone; 312MHz processor; Palm OS 5.4; multimedia e-mail support; world phone.

We don't like:

Meager integrated memory; no built-in Wi-Fi; cumbersome Bluetooth setup; average audio quality; low-resolution camera; headphone jack isn't standard size; no analog roaming.

You might also need:

Case; belt clip; USB cable; cradle kit; travel kit; memory cards; Wi-Fi card; Bluetooth headset; device protector; software.

CNET UK judgement:

Though it has its shortcomings, the PalmOne Treo 650 offers solid performance and adds some key features to maintain its reign as smart-phone leader.

Full review:

When we made our wish list for the successor to the well-received Treo 600, it was to keep the great design but add several missing features. Fortunately, that's precisely what PalmOne did with its new Treo 650. This model offers a high-resolution display, a faster processor, Bluetooth wireless, Palm OS 5.4, and a removable battery--all notable additions. But the honeymoon ends with some shortcomings, specifically the stingy memory, the complicated Bluetooth implementation, and the lack of Wi-Fi. How you feel about these issues depends on your needs, but for our money, the Treo remains the best all-in-one communicator available. Though it's currently offered by Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless, PalmOne plans to introduce versions for most major carriers in 2005. (A GSM model is available through Cingular.) At around $600, the price is hefty, but you can already find it for less with service.The PalmOne Treo 650 looks virtually identical to its predecessor. It is the same shape and size (4.4 by 2.3 by 0.9 inches, not including the stubby antenna) and only a hair heavier at 6.3 ounces. In fact, it looks so similar that during testing bystanders often did a double take and even then had to ask, "Is that the Treo 650?" No wonder--why tinker with a design that has stood the test of time? Of course, the Treo 650 is not the most compact smart phone on the market; models including the RIM BlackBerry 7100t and Windows Mobile 2003 smart phones such as the Audiovox SMT5600 and the Motorola MPx220 are all significantly smaller, though they don't have a full QWERTY keyboard. Continue Reading...