Treo 800w Reviewed, Impressively Average
Well the results are in and the Treo 800w - Palms newest and most featured-filled device yet- appears to be resoundingly average all around.
So far, several sites have given their review of the device including Mobility Today, Engadget and Palm InfoCenter. In general, all agree that it is nice to see a new Treo with a competitive feature set and improved specs, but the reviews all find a fair number of issues with the device to drag it down a little.
The good news:
+ Great keyboard
+ Improved screen (320×320, instead of 240×240)
+ Easy to use WiFi on/off button
+ Palm’s great software enhancements (threaded messaging, today screen dialer etc.) add a lot of value
+ Nice grippy rubberized finish
+ Speedy 3G over a great network (Spring EVDO Rev-A)
+ Camera better than megapixel count would suggest
The bad news:
- Processor not much better than Treos of past, leading to UI hickups
- Flimsy and cheap stylus (in contrast to the Treo 750’s, which is metal and great to use)
- Screen still not great given competition
- Bad controls and horrible softkey buttons
- Tired design, still thick
- GPS takes a long time to lock on
- Touch screen still buried deep into the device, making finger touching downright annoying
Overall, the 800w received restrained recommendations from all three reviewers. “Despite its periodic performance bottlenecks and lack of attention to multimedia, the Treo 800w easily bests most other Windows Mobile powered devices in overall usability” Palm InfoCenter concluded.
Engadget took a harsher tone saying “At the end of the day, Palm has made a fiercely middle-of-the road device — it’s not attractive, its software isn’t unique, and the phone does little to separate itself from the ever-growing pack.”
Mobility Today thought the device needed more work, giving it a “three out of five stars.”
If you would like to read the reviews, catch them below:
Mobility Today Video Review
Engadget Mobile Review
Palm InfoCenter Review
If you’re a diehard Treo fan or have found enough to love in this device, its available from Sprint for $249.99 on a 2-year contract.
T-Mobile Sidekick: Customized & Reviewed
Anyone interested in the T-Mobile Sidekick (2008) will be able to get their customization thang on with official faceplates offered by T-Moblie. The folks at CellPhoneSignal sneaked a peak at 9 that will be available:
Not too shabby… actually… pretty hot to be honest!
But before you customize your sidekick you’ll need to own a Sidekick. And before you buy a Sidekick you’ll want to make sure its worth it. Can anyone tell that we’re leading up to a review?
MobileBurn has posted their review of the Sidekick (2008) and here are a few notable quotes from the review:
- I think the designers have hit a home run with this new Sidekick design.
- Battery time not that great
- Texting and keyboard is great
- Impressive camera despite unimpressive specs
- Multimedia features pretty extensive, although don’t quite reach feature/smart phone territory
- Conclusion: “Highly Recommended”
They also gave it some video lovin’:
Enjoy!
BlackBerry Bold = Best Screen EVER
While we’ve gotten used to the Boy Genius usually slapping us in the face with accurate rumors, apparently he has the knack for being patient as well. After spending a full month with the BlackBerry Bold, he drops a tremendously comprehensive and down to earth review. calling the BlackBerry Bold Screen, “the best screen we’ve ever seen on a mobile device.”
Wow. The best screen EVER? Not only that but the claim was preceeded by, “We can safely say.” That alone should give you reason to “safely buy” the device. But pack on all the goodies like 3G, GPS, WiFi, QWERTY keyboard, camera, style, etc… and you’ve got yourself one of the ELITE mobile devices on the market.
We’ve summarized some of the highlights from the review below:
- Design: Will be compared to the iPhone but the silver lining is the main reason.
- Screen: A++++++++++++++
- Huge Tip: Device gets scratched easily. If you buy this, make sure the first thing you do is plop on a screen protector and some phone armor.
- Keyboard: Not the best BlackBerry keyboard ever, but well above average
- Connectivity: 3G, Edge and others are A+ and GPS works like a charm
- Browser: renders great 90% of the time, nice job
- Sound & Call Quality: Greatly improved compared to previous BlackBerries
Head over to BGR for the Full Review.
ZN5 Gets Reviewed, Compared With The Best
From Russia with love comes these two extremely thorough reviews. SMAPE and Mobile-Review each found plenty of reasons to love the first MOTOZINE model, citing its large and beautiful display, imaging specific processor (delivering unparalleled speed when taking and viewing photos), extensive and balanced feature list, excellent build quality and good use of materials. Mobile-Review even goes as far as to say “now I can’t stop praising the ZN5, can I?”
But the initial excitement is tempered with the overall conclusion: for Motorola its a step in the right direction… a pretty sweet phone but not all that and a bag of whatever snacks your mom has around the house. For that, we’ll have to wait for the “Motorola Alexander” which some have hinted may be the ZN12.
SMAPE Review - ZN5 Review & Comparison
Mobile-Review.com - Full Review