TreoCentral Reviews The Palm Centro
The Centro is quite possibly the most important smartphone release from Palm since their foray into Windows Mobile with the Treo 700w. This seems like a strange thing to say given that, except for its form factor, the Centro doesn’t represent anything especially new in the smartphone field. In fact, it is so nearly identical in function and use to the Treo 755p that in our testing we have yet to find any significant differences. No, the Centro is important because it represents a two “firsts” for Palm:
- Their first smartphone to retail at $99 (after rebates, it’s a hefty $399 before)
- Their first smartphone with genuine mass-market appeal
The Centro is also one very important “last” (we believe): the last platform that Palm will release featuring the original “Garnet” PalmOS. While it’s highly likely we’ll see further Centros on GSM as well as the Treo 755p getting released to other carriers, the Centro will likely be the last PalmOS platform until Palm releases their new Linux-based PalmOS in late 2008 or early 2009. The Centro is currently exclusive to Sprint.
In short, the Centro has its work cut out for it. But rather than take on the high-end iPhone (read sister-site Phone different’s iPhone review here), the Centro is instead taking on the RAZR and the Sidekick. Like the Treo 680 before it, the Centro is designed to broaden the market for smartphones by bringing in users who would previously have never considered themselves “smartphone users.”
So does the Centro have what it takes to appeal to the general consumer? Does it have what it takes to appeal to current Treo owners? Read on to find out!