Verizon Wireless Announces Palm OS Based Treo 755p

The Palm operating system may be losing ground, but it's not dead yet. Today Verizon Wireless updated its lineup of Treo cell phone-PDAs with the Treo 755p, an EVDO smartphone based on version 5.4.9 of the Palm operating system. Sprint has had the 755p in metallic red and blue since last spring; Verizon's version is a metallic dark bluish-green. Here are a few images from Palm's press kit:

The 755p is the thinnest and, at 5.6 ounces, most lightweight version of the business-oriented Treo line, but it's still larger (and more expensive) than the sporty, 4.2-ounce Palm Centro, another EVDO smartphone that Sprint introduced two months ago. (EVDO, the 3G technology that both Sprint and Verizon use, moves data at 400-700 kilobits per second.)

However Sprint still has an exclusive on the Centro, and Verizon Wireless' only Palm-based EVDO Treos--the 700p, available with and without a camera--are relatively heavy (6.4 ounces) and look rather clunky with their stubby antennas.

Verizon apparently felt it needed a more up-to-date Palm-based smartphone, and the 755p does come with a full complement of features, including a 1.3-megapixel camera; a mini-SD card slot that supports up to 4GB of storage; Pocket Tunes for music playback; Bluetooth support for both wireless headsets and use of the phone as a modem; support for voice dialing (an extra-cost Verizon service); and Documents to Go for viewing and editing Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint files.

What's somewhat puzzling is Verizon's pricing: Even after an instant online rebate for signing the usual two-year contract, the 755p will set you back $400 (or $350 after a mail-in rebate). On Sprint's site, however, it looks like I can get the 755p for $250 if I sign the two-year agreement--no mail-in rebate required. (The Centro, with all rebates, comes to $100--but it definitely feels less sturdy than a Treo.)

I did notice one small difference in the specs for the Sprint and Verizon versions: Sprint's site says its 755p models have a 1500mAh battery, while Verizon's 755p specs list the battery as a slightly more powerful 1600mAh. Note, however, that the older, fatter 700p uses a more powerful 1800mAh battery. Note also that Verizon at this writing still charges $400 for the older model, although a mail-in rebate brings that down to $250.

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