Palm Centro 690 (CDMA)
Average Ratings
Excellent PDA
I am a business class user and also have two personal lines for family use. In the last few months, I've tried the Touch and latest Motorola Q9, and now the Centro. Here's why I'll be sticking with Palm and have sent the others back:
PRO
**Excellent reception.
This is key for me!
**GREAT sound quality!
**Solid OS!
I know Palm is outdated, but it just works. I don't have time to mess with reboots and resets. Palm works out-of-the-box and no matter what I've installed, I've yet to have a single lock up or malfunction.
**Great keyboard.
I worried originally about the small size of the keyboard, but I actually prefer it to the Motorola or even the on screen Touch keyboard. Works great, no matter how big your fingers.
The only cons I'd list or those that I knew about before I bought this phone: Lack of WiFi, smaller battery, and thicker device.
I'm really pleased this phone and plan to hang on to it!
Very Good
This is my first palm device and I really really like it. I have had a pocket pc for the past few years and this is going to replace it. I didn't think this would be good enough to replace my pocket pc, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Pros:
- rubberized keys are easy enough for my man hands to use
- rings very loud
- good speakerphone
- very easy to use
- strong signal
- seems sturdy
- small/pocket-friendly
- affordable
Cons:
- flimsy stylus (bought a new one at seidio)
- volume buttons are too small or too flat or something
- micro sd slot is hard to get to
- so-so battery life
I would tell anyone that wants one to go buy one. I am very impressed.
Loving It!
I loved the phone the second I got in the palm of my hand. Yeah a few people who left reviews do not like how you have to remove the battery COVER to get into the MICRO SD but that doesn't bother, taking the cover out was difficult the first cause I was just being careful but after that it's no big deal. It fits my needs into my daily usage so here goes:
PROs:
-Internet is unbelievably fast (THANKS SPRINT)
-Messaging: Chat window comes in handy to read what messages you have send previously (in case u forgot what u did sent, I am one of those people)
-Instant Messaging better than those cheesey flip phones where you have to wait for the browser to load, this one kind of lags but I can tolerate with it.
-The look is sleek and nice, I'm too afraid to drop it so I'd def recommend getting a case which you can find good ones on Amazon.com
-The Shortcut buttons are very conveniant to my use if you just feel like jumping from one app to the other, then this SMARTphone is what youre looking for.
-Reception is clear. Normally my previous ones don't pick up reception when I'm on the road or in the mountain but this one definitely tops em all.
-you can customize your menu which is great for those who don't want to keep scrollin all the way down to the application they want to use
I can go on and on about this
CONs:
- There's absolutely nothing to complain! I love it!!
LOVE IT!
I love this phone! It has soo many features and applications.The phone itself looks good, I can access multiple emails or sign in to multiple im's at the same time.With my data plan, I watch tv, music videos, get the latest news and a whole lot more. I thought I was going to have a problem with the keyboard but not at all!The keys are raised and make it perfect for typing. Battery life is pretty good. It doesnt have wifi but the sprint network speed is great so y need wifi if i already have a great data plan. The only draw back for me is that it doesnt work with the sprint navigation ( voice turn by turn), however with google maps I am still able to get directions..just no voice. I called Telenav and they say this phone might be compatible soon. Overall this is a great phone and I have no regrets. Its cheaper than most smartphones out there and the sprint service is great. If you are a skeptic, just try it out for the 30 days...trust me, you will not return it.This phone packs alot and the palm os is great. I wish I could go on and on but hey you will have to try it for yourself!
LOVE IT
I was going to buy the HTC Touch but as I was trying it out it crashed right in my hands , so I went with the centro and couldn't be happier, I had the treo 650 a few years back so I knew palm makes a solid product , I threw a 2gb card in it and installed Ultimate Phone so I could have Photo dialer and change the skins . Also check out Treoweather . I ordered a silicone case for it and a great screen protector off of eBay and it looks great
a few review state that the keyboard stinks I am a big guy 6ft 295 with big old meat hands and I have yet to have a problem with both the keyboard or touch screen (with the corner of my thumb)
and the door for the battery fells a little cheap and kind of hard to get off and on , but how often will you really need to remove it
pros=
screen
call quality
speed (way faster than the treo 650 I had)
looks great (everyone loves it)
price
cons=
the camera could be better
no sprint nav till sprint does there update early 2008
Double impressed
Well, my wife saw the add for the Centro and for the first time ever wanted it because she wanted a keyboard for texting. I purchased the Centro for her from Sprint and set it up for her. The more I worked with the unit, the more impressed I became about it's size, it's performance, it's camera, and all its features. Although the camera is a 1.3 megapixel, it is a much better quality camera than the Moto 2.0 camera.
Second, the palm OS is easy to use whether you are using it for the first time or are an avid PDA user, like I am. I love the Blackberry, and Enjoy the media features of WM6. But there's something to be said about the simplicity of the palm OS and its reliability.
Now, here's the kicker. I thought the size and the form factor would be a little feminine for me. But the more I played with her Centro, the more I liked everything about it. So, I got myself one too!
Pros: size, form factor, Palm OS, Size of screen, speaker phone quality and super data speeds( mostly to Sprint's credit of course).
Negative: Stylus is too delicate, should have had a slightly larger form factor and slightly thinner.
But as far as getting big big bang for your buck, this is the phone for 99.00 on a new contract, you are not going to get a better phone/pda or a better deal.
Excellent Phone
I have been using the Centro for 3 days now and am loving it. I have had many other PDA's on different networks and I will say this one is my favorite.
Pro's:
Excellent Reception
Excellent Speakerphone
Nice small size
Blazer Browser & Sprint is very fast
UI is easy to learn (for me at least)
Con's:
Keys are a little small; If you have large fingers this may be an issue for you;
Camera should be at least 2mp (but I am not marking off for this since it is decent)
Games . . . are pretty pricey
I haven't had Sprint service for at least 4 years now & I am very impressed with the broadband speeds I get on this phone. Also am enjoying the great sound quality and reception I have been receiving. Good job Sprint & Palm!!
Palm Centro Smartphone
Lord knows I've owned numerous phones in my life including the I-phone and other PDA type phones. IMO this is one of the best out there! The feel in your hand is perfect. The weight and size even fro me is great! I have Big hands and the much talked about "small" keyboard is a non factor. The OS even though dated works very well. I like it better than Blackberry (I owned the Pearl) and can't think of any negative remarks to post.
Now, the battery life could be better. The battery door can be tricky to operate and the finish though it looks good also shows fingerprints and smudges. Other than those few minor issues if your looking for a loaded featured smartphone, even if you've had other I don't think you'll be dissapointed by the Centro. I was not
the best i've had
This phone is the next best thing to happen to PDA and sprint. Making a treo that has almost all the features of its bigger brothers but half the size is the best. I've had sprint for 4 years and i think this is a great phone for sprint does everything i need it to do and then some. People are talking about it freezing periodically i have yet to have that problem. I recommend this phone to any high school students and college students.
Overall, great deal
for 99$ this little thing easily replaces an old phone and my old palm pilot. It has everything the average user would like and then some.
Pros:
+ Palm OS = tons of available games, software, etc made for palm available online
+ Decent Battery, online usage doesn't seem to drastically drain it
+ Streaming TV and Radio, cool additions... but an FM tuner would've been equally appreciated
+ Easy web-browsing, large screen, formats pages well and loads fairly quickly, plays most streaming media
+ Good price
+ Camera / Camcorder works well
Cons:
- The back seems a bit shoddy, and is a pain to take on and off.
- no reset button (sometimes downloaded software freezes up and the only way to turn it off is to take the battery out.)
- Stylus is bothersome, why include it if you can't even write on the screen like you can with real palms? Plus i lose it really easily...
