Palm Treo 680
Average Ratings
Palm is showing its age
Cons:
The battery life on this phone is absolutely awful. My 680 would not last 24 hours without requiring a charge.
The Palm OS is very buggy and would crash at least once a week.
I live in an area where I do not get coverage. If my Treo went without data coverage for an extended period of time (e.g. over a weekend), once in a coverage area I would have to reset the device to get a GPRS connection again.
Pros:
Nothing beats a touch screen.
Call sound quality was good.
After week one, no comlaints!
Pros: Good reception, clear calls, easy to use, clear screen.
cons: small keys, battery could be better.
I have now had this unit for a week and so far find it a great unit over all. I travel extensivly and so far I have not had any place that I did not have a good signal in regards to the phone or the internet functions. The calls have been clear and volume quality has been very good. No dropped calls yet and my old Moto phone dropped calls almost every time I used it. The screen is bright and clear and as a windows user a little worried about the Palm O/S I have to say it took me all of about a day to get very comfortable with navigation tasks. Bluetooth setup was a snap works very well. I have just played a little with the camera and although it is not all that quality for pictures for my use it seems to do what I need ok. I know that many talk about battery life and I would agree that in the area of the battery it could be better. I do charge every night and have not run out but it is getting pretty low by the day's end. I would think that their ought to be a battery that should last a couple of days at least. The keys are a little cramped for sure. I did pretty much see that up front though and accepted the fact that I would just have to get used to that fact. I had considered the Blackberry Pearl but after trying out those keys I figured the Treo had it beat hands down. The touch screen is a certain plus and works very well. Over all after a week of use I have to say I am pleased with the unit. It sure is nice to not have to carry a PDA and a Cell Phone as well now and just do it all with the Treo! AT this point I certainly figure it is a keeper and hope that continues to be my opinion.
all i can say is...WOW
this is my first smart phone and i must say I'm not even out of school and i just wanted a smart phone for the fun of saying "i have a smart phone so ha" but i was surprised about how easy and how much i use all the features in this phone!! completely amazing would recommend to anyone for first smart phone.
Rushed to Market?
Well, I have 680. It is a very nice phone. Elegant design. Best keyboard among all PDA's I've tried. nice speaker phone and sound quality.
However, it resets itself when I answer calls. It does it a few times a week. Apparently, it is a known defect and a major one too. The phone application is very slow. when you answer a call, there is a delay where I am not sure if I need to press the answer button again or what?
Treo doesn't seem to care. Cingular replaced it once and probably again if I press my case. However, no fix is promised or foreseeable. I am shopping for another PDA.
Syncing with outlook is challenging. Windows-based PDA's, Nokia, and SE blow this phone when it comes for the ease and accuracy of syncing with Outlook.
Treo 680 - Two Lemons in 10 Days
I am about to return my second Cingular Treo 680 in 10 days. I decided to purchase the Treo 680 when I lost my Treo 650 several weeks ago. I had my 650 for several years, so I have a good idea of how they should work.
In the case of the first Treo 680 I purchased from Cingular, the touch screen worked inconsistenly. Some of the "boxes" on the touch screen worked and some didn't. I took it back the next day.
In the case of the second Treo 680, the screen kept locking so that it would have to be reset (soft-by removing the battery) every day or so - but in the meantime the phone would have been "off" for who knows how long. Then yesterday, when it locked up again and I tried to do a soft reset, the Treo got "stuck" at the date/time screen. So I did a hard reset, and now it is stuck at the first "tap your stylus here" screen. So I will be returning the 680 today and purchasing a 650 online.
Otherwise, I really like the Treo 680 and wish that I could get one that worked.
BB Connect
I've had the phone 3 weeks now, everything has been great.
Note on battery: Despite what you've read, you do not need to condition the battery. After a couple of days, battery life will be longer. After 14 hours of use with BB Conect on (works great), 35% life left.
You have to charge it every day.
I also use TeleNav- love it. Get a mobile charger/cradle on Ebay for $25.
A new larger battery will be available in a couple of weeks, it comes with a battery cover, it'll make the phone fatter. 1/3 longer life.
New Treo user - 680
Let me start by saying that I am a compulsive phone user. This is my first Treo though, and I guess I picked the right time to jump in because this phone is great! Slim form factor with a clear bright screen makes this a joy to use. The keys are small, but even with having large hands I have made very few typos. I am getting more and more used to it and am enjoying the ability to type without sliding a keyboard out as with my 8125. There are the obvious battery issues which is why this one isn't a 5 yet. I'm holding out hope that they will come out with an extended battery soon.
** PROS **
Slim form factor
Bright, clear screen
Very usable keyboard
One touch buttons for contacts, calendar, etc.
Good camera
EXCELLENT call quality
MOST IMPORTANTLY, EXCELLENT RF quality. I have yet to drop a call with this thing.
** CONS **
Battery is AWFUL
Problems with my Bluetooth headset maintaining a clear connection. Could be my headset, not sure yet.
If you're in the market for a smart phone and are considering a Windows device, PLEASE do yourself a favor and check out this phone. There is virtually no lag going from program to program and no need to reboot which was common with my 8125.
Don't be scared by a Palm OS
I needed a PDA for work and first thought Windows Mobile v5.0 was the way to go so I bought a XV6700 from verizon. After 2 week the phone died.
Treo's are very durable, but I didn't want to go to the Palm OS thinking it would be better to have WM. Boy was I wrong. I've had the 680 for about a week now and I can say right away this is absolutely the best option out there.
Pros:
Excellent reception, better coverage than what I got with Verizon and my Motorola.
Sound is excellent.
Easy one handed use. (Don't understimate the value in this, the 6700, 8125, etc are very difficult to use one handed)
Cingular's express email client is great. As long as my laptop is logged on to the internet I get all my corporate email. Very easy to set up.
Cons:
Documentation could be a little better
Battery life is average.
Overall this is absolutely the best phone for the price. Once you get it download Google Maps and you will be blown away.
Reliable Smartphone
I had this phone for over 3 weeks now. As mentioned by others the battery has almost no life; however I found a couple of suggestions on http://www.treonauts.com/ to increase the over-all life.
PROS:
Crystal clear speaker (bye bye hissing noise)
Loud speaker phone and ringer
Great signal quality
Great integration with the PDA
Excellent Palm OS
OK camera
Nice keyboard
CONS:
Battery life
Short battery life
Very short battery life
IF NOT FOR THE BATTERY I WOULD HAVE GIVEN IT A "5"
Love the phone
I went from an MPX 220 :(
to a Palm Cingular branded Treo 650 :I
to a CinguLAR 8125 :(
TO THIS 680 :)
ITS LIKE LIGHTENING COMPARED TO THE 8125.
It seems smoother to operate when compared to the 650.
I've only had this for 2 days, but I m pleased with the software. I ran into no issues when syncing, and getting started. I plan to use bluetooth syncing with my Dell Inspiron, I'll let you know how that works out.
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