Palm Centro 690 (CDMA)
Average Ratings
A better version of the treo
I was a big fan of the Palm Treo 700, but traded it in because t was just too big to use as an everyday phone. Since then I have used the Krzr k1m, several blackberry the Motorola Q.
I buy them used from zendoo.com (I am not affiliated)and I tend to switch phones often.
I think I finally found the phone for me.
This phone has all of the features that made the treo 700 great:
tons of features
Excellent call quality
Decent internet connection
- - -
The only fault I can find is that I occasionally hit the speaker phone button with my ear and the sudden volume shift startles me.
I love it!
I have had several diffrent phones, some power vision several that were not and i have to say the only con about this phone is that the keyboard is a little bit smaller but once you get use to it, there are no problems! and there are so many pros to this phone i think that once you play with it you will see that there realy isnt nothing out there that you would rather have. ENJOY
Great phone
Pros:
Small size
Clear calls
Clear sounding speakerphone
Great resolution screen
Easy to use
QWERY keypad is small, but easy to use (even if you got fat fingers)
Cons:
Don't like that the port at the bottom doesn't have a cover
Great phone if you don't want to lug around a huge BlackBerry or other smartphone
Great ph, OS is an oldie but a goodie
I was going to write a novel but im not. Heres the skinny:
instead of doing Pros and Cons im just going to touch a few main things.
Camera is good but would be nice to have a flash. without good light the pictures will look dark.
web browser is surprisingly good. i enjoy watching youtube videos with it.
screen is smaller than ones on the Treo's, but the Centro makes up for teh smaller screen with A LOT better quality picture.
keypad is closer together but still usable with one thumb texting.
i just dig the sound kill switch on top.
i like the pre-instaled apps (Documents To Go, Pocket Tunes, Google Maps, IM clients.
Dig how it logs SMS messages like your in a chat window. SWEET!
i like the menu system, reminds me of my Sharp Zaurus SL-5500.
seems to get a really good signal, better than verizon and alltel. (could be better than others but i had phones from those venders with me).
speaker is very loud, especially when using ringer
speakerphone isnt the best, but that could be my case choice. speakerphone does work well though.
free apps at mytreo.net
MP3 RINGTONES!!!! (get MusicTones from mytreo.net)
phone is kinda slick, you might drop it. i installed the Invisible Shield (google it) and now slippage is no issue!
for the most part, phone is very easy to use.
if your kids have phones, get them this phone (dont suggest it if your not going to get them unlimited text and powervision)
bottom line is i LOVE this phone. i hear so much about this OS being old but it works and works well. the menus are customizable and the phone part works very well. its small and feels more like a bar phone. i did notice though that the buttons with phone and home on it are slightly raised. could snag on something and mess it up.
if your interested in this phone, get it. right now its one of the best PDA phones sprint has.
BATTERY IS AN ISSUE
The battery of this phone is unreliable if you don't have time to charge it during the day.
I have to get a car charger so I can charge it in the car while driving between destinations.
The phone can send and receive songs, pictures and videos.
Steady Palm Product
So I've been with Sprint for 6 yrs. I've had many phones! I about 2 months ago upgraded to the Centro from a Samsung A920.
I have owned Palm Pilots but never a Palm Phone, they were always way to big and clunky! The Centro is A Very Nice Package.
Pros:
Smaller Palm Package
EVDO and stock web browser is fast!!!
Up to 4Gb memory card
Very loud ringtones
Trusted Palm OS
Comes with the full version of "Documents to Go" Suite
Comes with full version of "Pocket Tunes Deluxe" not the "Light" version
Google Maps
Versa Mail support and Push and Web Based Email
Sprint TV is Good quality
Infra red port still there
Bluetooth seems very clear
Speakerphone is loud and clear
Cons:
Have to pay for Voice Activated Dialing for Bluetooth
Can not download Music from the Sprint Music Store directly to phone because Palm no Longer Supports JAVA!!!!
No GPS built-in
The headset volume is very low even set to high!
The memory card port well not so bad just not in a easy spot to get to.
All software is fairly expensive for the Palm OS even silly games that would be $6 on a normal phone are $20 on a Palm.
Palm OS is outdated even though it is solid, Come on give us the ability to customize it without a 3rd party hack Palm.....Really!
Overall I say the Palm Centro is a GOOD phone. I have never dropped a call the reception is very good. I have dropped the phone a couple times already and it has withstood that and some kids beating on it, so even though it feels cheap, its not that bad. However I think Palm lost sight of some of the simple things that people want in a phone now. Being able to get all data to a phone like this should be key, so lacking GPS functions, while Google Maps is great what if your in an area without Data access? WiFi anyone? And Java or Flash? Key Internet components. Voice Dialing?
If you want a beginner Smart Phone, Centro is a Great choice, If you want more get the HTC Touch!
ample substitution
from sanyo m1 to razr2 v9m to Palm Centro Black.....
pros- 1.this is my first pda, and ive never had my text messages look like an AIM conversation! super awesome especially for girlfriend fights. 2. blazer browser is effin fast i couldn't believe the difference between my RAZR2 and this incredible. 3. stream youtube videos (okay quality) 4. ptunes is cool because it comes with free internet radio stations as long as you have a data plan.5. sprint music manager software. i just installed this but sprint digital lounge is down right now so im still not sure if all 400 of my sprint downloaded mp3s are gone forever or not 6. 1.3mp camera threw me off but seriously this is not a FUSIC or some bs like that, the lense is very very nice, crisp clean pictures every time. 7. 4gb support flawless. 8. sprint mobile email i have my 2 gmail accounts, and my aol, and my work email all in one big fun bunch. sudoku is easy and fun to play for free.9. reception and volume has been great for me 10. external button for silent/vib and for keyboard lock 11. my battery can be charged from dead to full in 30 min.
cons
1. buttons kinda small. 2. alarm clock took me forever to figure out *hint its in WORLD CLOCK 3. this is also a pro i just dont know yet if my phone will play my Sprint Music Store mp3's and if not then this is a major con on sprints part, because i dropped over 400 dollars on their songs yo. 4. i wish that the web button in the applications wasn't all the way at the bottom. its the one thing i want to be at the top as well as tv and mobile email. 5. palm freeware is hard to understand when you are trying to download it from your phones browser. 6. most of my cons are from ignorance so please get this phone and figure it out for me...post on the forum....you'll seriously love this phone it changed my life
Hit or Miss
My wife is on her second Centro. The first one she had had terrible call quality. When she called me from it, she sounded like she was talking into a tin can. The reception was the same on her end. So we did a 30-day exchange for another Centro.
About two months later, the battery in the second Centro stopped holding a charge. Because it was over 30 days and thus too late to swap the phone again through Sprint, I called Palm to get it replaced through the one year manufacturer warranty. Palm politely informed me that they have no batteries available to send to me and suggested I buy one online or demand one from Sprint. Sprint could only sell me one for around $50. After calling Palm several times and getting the same answer, I ended up having to pay for a new battery myself. Since we got the new battery, the phone has worked great and my wife is really pleased with it.
Favorite so far
I am a self confessed electronic shopper. This is my best cell phone yet. It does more than any phone I have had and my only con is the small keypad, but the touch screen dial pad is a great consolation. I think my pro list is the fact that i could setup my yahoo to download to my phone, I am able to use the voice control to setup appts while driving, and to customize my phone screen to only have my short cuts.
Hope this helps anyone
Owner / Retailer Review
Credentials:
I am a Palm Centro owner, and also sell Sprint phones on a regular basis so I am well acquainted with this device.
Review:
Simply put, the Palm Centro delivers the best quality for your dollar. The device itself is very compact, avoiding the annoyance of carrying around a palm pilot or similar handheld unit. I have heard some criticisms regarding the Palm OS. Through my customer and personal experience I consider it to be an incredibly reliable and well-tested system. Just because something is a bit older, does not mean it is of poor quality or cannot keep up.
The Palm Centro is very customizable, allowing for single button access to instant / text messages, email, telephone, date book, etc. Its ability to be utilized as a modem is a must have for anyone who travels. The camera / video camera is comparable to similar models, and having the ability for high capacity data cards (over 4 gb) allows the user to listen to music, watch videos, and otherwise exploit the incredible multimedia potential for the phone.
----OVERVIEW----
Pros:
-Lightweight and small design
-Reliable operating system
-Easy to use
-Instant sync with computer
-Battery life (charge every other night)
-Inexpensive
Cons:
-Small keyboard
-No turn by turn GPS with Sprint
