Palm Treo 650 (GSM)
Average Ratings
Good PDA/Organizer, Text Device; HORRIBLE as a Phone
This is my 2nd PDA/Smartphone. My 1st phone was a Black RAZR V3 (review elsewhere), and my 1st "Smartphone" was a BlackJack 1 (still to be written)
I got this used from a friend thanks to a trade on the Blackjack.
PROS: - Keyboard layout is a lot easier than most expect. Within 15 mins, I found texting to be worlds easier than on the Blackjack (QUERTY keyboards are my only way to text with the exception of my V3xx that is currently on life support).
Unfortunately, with this being a hand-me-down, the keys love to lock up and stick; so for those with well used ones, you've been warned.
- Calendar organizer is extremely helpful for needing to schedule anything if you're running under strict deadlines.
- Included RealAudio player is a nice touch for those looking for a mp3 player/iPod alternative.
- Battery life wasn't too bad for a PDA. Moderate call, heavy text usage usually lasted me about 3 days.
- I found the Palm OS to be very user friendly. Sit down with it in about 30-45 mins and its a breeze to use.
CONS: - RECEPTION!!! I've never had a phone be so horrible when it came to signal. I travel over a GOOD portion of Louisiana, south central Arkansas, and East Texas; and everywhere I'm always running into spots, even with PERFECT signal and I can barely hear anything from the handset.
- Bluetooth is a REAL hassle to setup. Even once your device is paired; I literally had to reconnect the device EVERY TIME I turned the headset on.
- Speakerphone is EXTREMELY muffled and nearly impossible to hear unless you have it right over your ear which I do not recommend.
Overall I was a little disappointed with my experience from the Treo. I can ONLY use this phone in quiet environments, and even with that performance is marginal.
If you need an organizer and/or a HEAVY texter, this is a great choice. But if call quality and overall ease of use is essential, you're better off elsewhere.
Blackjack (i607) and V3xx reviews coming soon...
Cingular Treo 650
Had mine for a week now. I'm an ATTWS subscriber. Recd. the the Treo one the day after I ordered it.
This phone has everything I need. It's my first smartphone. Very thoughtfully designed. Has not hung or reset as yet.
Never wanted a camera, so I don't care about the VGA only resolution.
PROs:
*Display - bright and crisp
*Ease of finding contacts to call
*Keyboard. Surprisingly easy and error free to type on the small keys.
*Removable battery
*Versamail is fantastic. Quickly set up my work IMAP server and personal AOL. It is preconfigured for popular ISPs.
*Speaker phone is best I've used in a mobile phone. Even my wife who hates cellphone audio loves this feature.
*Heavy (but not uncomfortably so)
CONs:
*Case is too smooth. Could easily slip from my hand. Needs rougher texture on the sides.
*Battery life not as good as advertised. One day with moderate to heavy use.
*A thumbwheel would enable much better one-handed operation. I had a Sony Clie, which has now been benched along with my old Ericsson T520, once I got this phone.
TREO-RRIFIC!
I actually have to say I was a bit apprehensive to get this phone based on some of the reviews I'd read. But to my surprise--IT'S COOL AS HELL!!
Maybe one has to just have a clue as to how to appreciate this type of smartphone--maybe the "smart" in smartphone is an indication of the types of individuals who should purchase it. Things that make you go hmmmm?
Regardless-It sounds great-feels great-looks great-speakerphone is perfect-camera is sufficient(wish it was 1+ megapixel) but I hear Cingular is going to be releasing the Treo 700 which is 1+ megapixel.
I have had no dropped calls-no restart issues-NO screen freezing-no synching issues-no calander issues-EVERY SINGLE FUNCTION WORKED FINE--and there is an alarm feature. Its amazing how people don't realize that MAYBE IT WAS JUST THAT PARTICULAR PHONE-OR THE USER!!
Some individuals may not be gadget savvy, so BE CAREFUL when reading reviews.
GREAT PURCHASE!!!
I like this phone!
I have tried the Motorola MPX 220 , the Blackberry and others and this phone is the one that I stayed with.
Pro. Great big screen,nice phone feel and much more.
Cons. Expensive, it does freeze every now and then, but the good out weights the bad.
I do like this phone.
Treo 650 GSM a bust
The Treo 650 could be everything it is billed to be. Unfortunately, PalmOne did not fully engineer the device before unloading on the public.
The Treo 650 unlocked GSM constantly locks up, resets, over uses the battery, and the bluetooth implementation is worthless. Further, PalmOne support is a time hole of uselessness. I've been sent 4 Treo 650s and each one exhibits the same problem. However, PalmOne insists on sending me another unit everytime (definition of insanity: continuing to do the same thing expecting a different result!)
I have tried all the known solutions such as getting a new sim card, uninstalling all applications, upgrading the firmware, etc.
I am a long time Palm owner and this Treo 650 experience has pushed me to leave Palm devices.
Can't judge a book by it's cover
Looks great and has a lot of amazing features, but drops calls, doesn't synch up properly and shuts down for no reason.
The best thing about this phone is potential.
Spend less time: throw $400 out your window on the freeway
I want SO BADLY to love this device... but after no less than SIX exchanges, Treo number seven is still showing a few signs of the poorly designed software Palm has created to run this unreliable PDA/phone.
The most unsettling part about this flawed electronic wonder is that each one has a new quirk. But one seems consistent. If you have one, try this for a quick and easy reset (why take off the back cover and hit the actual reset button when you can try this??):
-Go into the Calendar screen
-Click on any existing event
-Click on Details
-Click on the drop-downs under "Category"
-Choose "Edit Categories" at the bottom
-Try changing the colors for various categories until your screen blanks out and you see that familiar PalmOne logo!
The Cingular store is finally starting to admit that they have a HUGE number of returns and exchanges of this device.
Bottom line: DON'T BOTHER.
More Like a Try-o 650
Cons:
This phone was the biggest waste of time and money. I had it for about 24 hours until I took it back. The first 12 hours it was fine but then it locked up to where I had to take the battery out and reboot it. Incoming calls were like the lottery. Sometimes you get them, but most of the time you donât.
Pros:
The color and camera were really good. Most of the programs even worked.
Why are you even reading this.. Go buy it! NOW!
This phone is without a doubt the best phone I have ever used. I'm a college student and this phone is perfect for keeping track of homework assignments, looking up information on the net before class, and keeping me awake in class with all the games that are available! I have owned a Nokia 3650, Nokia 6620, Mpx200, and a Mpx220. This phone is my favorite out of all of them. If you want a phone that does it all pick this one up. The reception is great, I always have full bars here in Orlando, FL on Cingular. At first I was thinking about going with the SX66 because of its Wifi capability but it turns out a person by the name of Shadowmite has hacked the drivers on the treo 650 to work with a Wifi SD-Card. So edge AND wifi... i just couldn't pass it up. Web browsing on this phone is the best! The phone is not to big and fits nicely in my pocket.
- Pros -
- Very crisp and bright screen.
- Camera is great (For VGA)
- Speaker volume is great
- Edge makes web browsing FAST
- Ability to add WiFi card.
- Lots of 3rd party Palm software
- Keyboard makes life so much EASYER!
- Cons -
- A few bugs in OS (should be patch soon)
- Some older software will cause phone to reboot and get stuck in loop. (I.E AOL 3.2)
Treo 650+Cingular? Be Very Afraid
I am a long-time Treo user (owned the 270 and the 650 before this).
I have owned my 650 since 2-13-05.
I must give the Treo 650 a below-satisfactory rating for the following reason:
There is apparently a manufacturing defect that makes the new screen VERY breakable. I have cracked the screen (causing internal "bleeding") two times in less than two months. This ***never*** happened with my Treo 270 or 600. And they did get dropped and scratched/dinged a bit.
I have ordered a Vaja case, but it hasn't yet arrived. Maybe you're more careful and will never drop your Treo, but both breaks shouldn't have happened. The first was a fall from my headboard (thanks to my two-year-old daughter, who was reaching for a book) onto our wood floor. The second was a fall from no higher than 2 feet. I was picking some crayons off the floor this morning in a restaurant (thanks again to my daughter) while sitting in a booth and the phone fell from my shirt pocked onto the tile floor.
Both drops were clearly due to carelessness, but the break shouldn't have happened. Two times with different ohones shows that the 650 screen is far too fragile. (Interesting note: both cracks in the screen are mainly in the same portion of the screen.... most in the bottom right quadrant.)
It gets worse: The evil company that is Cingular will **not** insure any PalmOne PDA phone. Their insurance brochure does not say mention this exclusion. It is arguably consumer fraud that their writte material makes customers believe they can get insurance on the Treo. Call customer service if you doubt me on this.
Worse still, PalmOne does not offer any type of repair-exchange program. So if and when your screen breaks, you will be out $179... and you will be without a PDA from the time it takes to send yours, until the time they return it.
