A leaked AT&T presentation has been posted in the TreoCentral forums. The document appears to be an internal briefing on the upcoming Palm ROM updates for the Treo 750 and Treo 680. The plan details the procedure for the imminent Windows Mobile 6 upgrade for the Treo 750, and a comprehensive OS update for the Treo 680 as well.

The document basically confirms the flurry of WM6 update rumors that have circled the 750 since its release in 2006. As expected, the WM6 update will be free and will also be pre-installed on new 750s supposedly beginning this month. The HSDPA 1.8 upgrade will be contained within the update as well “improved phone controls” and new AT&T Entertainment applications (CV, AT&T Mall, AT&T Music). The AT&T promotional materials do specify an October 15th date which has unfortunately come and passed but hopefully the delay will not be as long as what Treo 700p owners were plagued with throughout 2006 and 2007.

Palm’s most recent Garnet-powered GSM Treo, the 680, has already received one comprehensive AT&T update and another major update looks to be in the works. According to the same leaked document, Push To Talk (PTT) functionality will be added to the 680, something that was rumored last year but had not been mentioned in recent months. In addition, new applications will be loaded into the 680’s ROM, consisting of “IM clients” for Yahoo, AIM, Windows Live, TeleNav, and MobiTV. No word as far as version numbers or if these apps are altered from the commercially available versions or from the IM client included with Sprint’s Treo 755p and Centro.

MobiTV has historically performed far better on EVDO and wi-fi enabled devices than the slower EDGE GSM handsets such as the Treo 680. It’s possible that after the network optimizations resulting from the iPhone release and/or MobiTV server tweaks, AT&T feels that MobiTV is now a more viable experience on the 680.

The leaked info goes on to say that both OS updates will be free and available at dedicated download sites directly from Palm. SMS notifications will be sent to current device owners and the updates will of course require a desktop PC to load, as the amount of data involved is far too large for OTA installation.

Factory-updated 750 handsets are scheduled to arrive in AT&T stores by the week of October 22nd and updated 680s are scheduled to arrive the week of October 29th. AT&T corporate stores will receive a “launch kit” consisting of revised product data sheets, updated sales cards, OS install memory cards, and a variety of additional supplemental material.

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The Steve has listened to our incessant whining and now he’s writing something I’ve been waiting to read for many months: “Let me just say it: We want native third party applications on the iPhone, and we plan to have an SDK in developers’ hands in February.” That’s the lead-in from his letter on Apple.com saying the third-party app SDK for native iPhone programs is coming in early ‘08. It’ll also do iPod touch programs. Jobs also explains the delay: Making the iPhone more open while keeping it secure from viruses has been a challenge. They’re taking their time, and doing it right. Arn from Macrumors points out that the piece includes hints that Apple might pick up a digital signature system for app verification. P.S. Kudos for Businessweek on scooping this ahead of time, but Fake Steve called it first, bluffing or not. P.P.S We’ll really have to wait awhile to find out the exact details of app development to fully celebrate, but right now, I gotta admit, I feel like a born-again fanboy. [Apple. BTW, that Digg badge links to the apple.com website, so keep it floating.]

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Is it safe yet to declare that carriers are looking at finger-friendly touchscreens as The Next Big Thing in wireless? Sprint today has officially announced its HTC Touch, a device codenamed “Vogue” that brings all of the original’s unique personality to the world of CDMA (and, thankfully, EV-DO). Besides the touted support for 3G data, features include a 2 megapixel cam, microSD slot with support for up to 4GB of expansion, Windows Mobile 6 Professional with HTC’s TouchFLO interface, and comprehensive support for Sprint’s media features including Sprint TV and the Sprint Music Store, all packed into a shell measuring 4 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches and weighing in at 4 ounces (trust us, it looks and feels pretty flippin’ small). Interested parties don’t have terribly long to wait, either — look for it to start showing up in retail channels November 4 for a penny under $250 on contract with rebates.

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