• centro,  verizon

    Rumor: Verizon Centro on June 13th

    EngadgetMobile has posted a rumor that the Verizon edition of the Palm Centro will go on sale on June 13th. That should be good news for Verizon customers who want to jump on the Centro bandwagon.

    However, everyone seems to be scratching their head about the rumored price of the Verizon Centro with a two-year commitment: 269.99!

    I hope that the $269 price is incorrect. Palm has stated on several occasions now that the two reasons why the Centro has been popular on Sprint and AT&T was due in part of the ease of use of the Palm OS and the low $99 price point.

    Read the full EngadgetMobile article

    [Thanks to miles4000 for the tip.]

  • centro

    Get a Palm Centro for $49

    Palm has begun selling their wildly popular Centro smartphone for $49 when customers purchase a qualifying service agreement and with a mail in rebate. The special pricing on Palm’s Centro runs until July 6, 2008.

    For more details and the download link for the rebate form, visit the Palm website.

  • centro,  rumors,  verizon

    Rumor: Centro Coming To Verizon “Soon”?

    While reading the Brighthand forums, I stumbled across the following post by member dwb1:

    “I was in a Verizon store Saturday (5/31) upgrading my sons phone and looking at the Touch and there was a dummy version of the Centro on the counter. I was told they should have it in the store soon (1-2 wks). They said it was unusual to have the dummy and not have it in the system. It looks really nice, dark blue case. They guessed the price point to be a little lower than the Touch, maybe $100 after NE2.”

    Could the Centro finally be coming to Verizon? I hope so. Otherwise Verizon will see some defections to AT&T when the Apple iPhone 2.0 is released later this month.

    Read the full Brighthand thread here

  • centro

    Palm Centro Coming to Telstra

    SYDNEY, Australia, May 20, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — After recently announcing the sale of its one-millionth Palm(R) Centro(TM), Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM) today confirmed its popular Palm(R) Centro(TM) smartphone will be available to Telstra Pre-Paid customers in Australia beginning May 26.

    “Palm Centro is the perfect choice for those thinking about stepping up to a smartphone,” said Brodie Keast, senior vice president of marketing for Palm, Inc. “The combination of keyboard, touch screen and Palm’s trademark ease of use makes Centro ideal for staying in touch.”

    Centro is Palm’s smallest and lightest smartphone. Designed for individuals and traditional mobile phone users looking for a better way to manage their professional and social lives, it has a modern, stylish look that feels comfortable in the hand, and discreetly fits in a pocket or clutch. Centro helps users manage email and text messaging, keep track of their schedules, stay up-to-date on the latest news, capture and share pictures, and get online map directions — all in one small phone. Its full keyboard also makes it easy to quickly type text messages and emails with complete thoughts and ideas.

    Ross Fielding, executive director, Telstra Product Management, said, “As the first provider of this unique smartphone in Australia, Telstra is demonstrating its commitment to giving customers the best choice of Pre-Paid products and services.”

    Tim Copper, executive director, Telstra Consumer and Marketing, said, “Pre-Paid mobile phone users now have access to a number of features not available on standard mobile handsets with the addition of the Palm Centro to the Telstra Pre-Paid range. The Palm Centro will allow customers to stay on top of email and text messages, as well as access the Internet, manage appointments, view documents or make use of a multitude of other productivity-boosting and entertaining features.”

    Read the full Palm press release here

  • centro,  palm os,  rumors,  treo

    Rumor: A New Palm Smartphone Before Year’s End?

    We know that Palm is working on a new Linux-based operating system, often referred to as “Palm OS II” or “Palm OS Nova.” We also know that Palm is working on new hardware form factors for their Treo smartphone line. It has also become generally accepted that we will have to wait until this time next year before we will be able to get our hands on Palm’s new products running the new operating system until 2009. Or will we?

    While reading an article on AppleInsider about the impact to both Research In Motion and Palm, there is a short statement from an industry analyst that may hint at a new device from Palm, possibly a new Treo, before the end of 2008. Ya, I said before the end of 2008. The following is a quote from the AppleInsider article:

    “Palm’s new Centro smartphone is also characterized as a stopgap measure to tide users over until a real, Linux-based Treo replacement is available near the end of 2008. It sells for as little as $99 but isn’t seen as capable of holding its own against either the iPhone or other rivals for the next few quarters. Most customers are attracted to the Centro for its price rather than its feature set, a situation the Needham researcher says is likely to change once prices drop.”

    This is the second time in as many months that I’ve seen mention of a new Palm product becoming available before the end of the year that is not one of the rumored devices I’ve been following.

    It is important that we not get ahead of ourselves here. Before smartphones can go on sale in the US, the wireless carrier needs to certify each device before they will allow it to be connected to their network. It is also widely expected that Palm will need to deliver new smartphones to the networks up to six months in advance of it going on sale. Could this analyst simply be confused by what will happen by year’s end? Did he really mean that the carriers will get new Palm devices for testing, or did he really mean that new devices running the new OS be on sale by the end of 2008? It is hard to tell, but it would sure be some welcomed news for the Palm OS user community if a new device and operating system became available in time for the holidays. And I’m sure Palm wouldn’t mind a little sales boost in December either.

    Fact or fiction? I’ll leave that for you to decide.

  • centro,  rumors,  treo

    Palm Rumor Round Up

    The first quarter of 2008 has come and gone, so I figured it is time that I review the current status of all of the Palm rumors floating around on the Internet.

    Treo 800w

    I expect this device to show up in July 2008 on the Sprint network if the leaked slide on WMEXperts.com is real. The Treo 800w will replace the Treo 700wx in the carrier’s network. The latest rumors seem to indicate that this new Windows Mobile Treo will ship with Windows Mobile 6.1 and not 6.0 as indicated on the slide. (I should also point out that Sprint never carried the 700w, but rather the 700wx. The slide may not 100% accurate.)

    I’m looking forward to seeing this Treo ship with EVDO Rev A, a built in Wi-Fi radio, and an operating system accessable GPS receiver that can work with third-party GPS applications from Garmin and TomTom.

    Adding to the validity of this information, some websites that posted the slide are being asked to remove the slide and comments in a recent Palm conference call appear to be in alignment with the rumors. I’ll put this rumor at 90% likely to be true.

    Verizon Centro

    Rumors around the Verzion Centro are still a little bit spotty on the actual timing with rumored launch dates confined to the second quarter of 2008. Over the weekend, a leaked rebate form showed up on TreoCentral.com that clearly shows the Centro as being offered with a $70 mail-in rebate. Also clearly visible on the rebate form are the dates 3/30/08 – 6/15/08, the dates the rebate offer runs from and to.

    As far as I am aware, this is the best evidence to date that the Palm Centro is coming to Verizon. EngadgetMobile recently posted that the device was coming to Verizon, but had the release dates later in the year (May-June).

    The Centro is the best thing going for the Palm OS platform this year, so I’m expecting that Palm will continue to rollout the Centro is as many markets on as many carriers as they can. With Palm OS II/Nova still months away, the Centro is the only new device Palm will ship all year running the Palm OS 5.4 (Garnet) platform. I expect the Centro to be the last device from Palm to run Palm OS 5.x; next stop will be Palm OS II/Nova. My best guess will be a late April launch of the Centro on Verizon. I’m not sure what colors the Verzion Centro will be available in, but my guess is it will be the midnight blue version recently rolled out in Mexico.

    I’m putting the validity for a Verizon Centro at 100%.

    “Drucker”
    Back in January, a leaked Vodafone slide showed a device called “Drucker” from Palm arriving in July 2008. I have not read any new information on this rumored device. After reviewing the device stats listed on a slided posted on Gizmodo, the Drucker looks to be the GSM version of the Treo 800w due out on Sprint here in the United States as it is expected to replace the Treo 750 in the Vodaphone smartphone line up. This of course, opens the door to a launch later in the year on AT&T and/or an unlocked version becoming available directly from Palm’s online store.

    At this point, I am going out on limb and saying that this rumor is probably 80% true. The lack of any new details on Drucker could be a sign that things have changed since January.

    “Wanda”
    January also brought us news of another European device, “Wanda”. Based on the information posted in another leaked Vodafone slide over on Engadget, Wanda appears to be a GSM Windows Mobile version of the EVDO Palm OS Centro. (Palm did admit in a recent conference call that the Treo 500v wasn’t selling as well as they had initially hoped.)

    Of the specs on the slide, this device will also be a Windows Mobile 6.1 device (just like the Treo 800w and Drucker are rumored to be) and will include a 2.0MP camera.

    Wanda is suppose to be launched in September of this year, which is still quite a bit away at this point. While I’m sure that Palm will be looking to capture more marketshare in Europe, the Treo 500v may not be the vehicle Palm wanted it to be. Wanda may be just what the doctor ordered. I’ll put this rumor at 60% of being accurate.

    “What Else?”
    The big question on the minds of fans of the Palm OS is whether or not Palm will be able to make good on their promise to release a successor to the Palm OS 5 platform. The current version of Palm OS 5 is functional, however, it is clearly holding Palm back from delivering the innovative products that they were known for in the late 1990s. I believe, as do the managers at Palm, it is essential to complete Palm OS II/Nova no later than the end of 2008.

    To that end, one has to wonder if Palm is under promising and surprise us by over delivering. Many people still remember the disaster the pre-announcment of the m500-series devices had on sales of the Palm Vx and Palm’s bottom line. (We won’t talk about the gold suit.) More recently, Palm took an embarrassing hit after having pre-announced the Palm Foleo and then later failing to deliver the product.

    If Palm has any chance of delivering either a Centro or Treo smartphone, or even a refreshed Palm TX handheld for that matter, before the start of calendar year 2009, I’d expect that those details are on a “need to know” basis only. So what how about it? Do you think that Palm can pull a rabbit out of their hat in December to the wild cheers of the Palm OS user community? I expect any delivery of any device from Palm running Palm OS II/Nova before March of 2009 a long shot at best, I’ll say that there is, at best, a 25% chance of this happening.

  • centro

    Palm Sells One-Millionth Centro


    Palm announced today that they have shipped their one-millionth Centro consumer-oriented smartphone.

    “SUNNYVALE, Calif., Mar 31, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM) today announced that it has sold its one-millionth Palm(R) Centro(TM) smartphone, demonstrating the $99 product’s mass appeal to customers ready to get all the power of a smartphone at the price of a traditional mobile phone.(1) Palm is now shipping Centro in 10 countries worldwide, including Hong Kong, Singapore, India, the UK, Germany, Spain, Ireland, France and Italy, and its already-rapid momentum is set to grow as Palm debuts the product in additional countries around the globe.

    “The Palm Centro is flying off the shelves because users who want to step up to a smartphone see it as the perfect first choice,” said Brodie Keast, senior vice president of marketing for Palm, Inc. “It has everything a person needs to stay organized and connected with everyone who is important to them. We’re very excited about the Centro’s near-instant popularity in the U.S. and think it’s going to be a huge hit as it continues to make its way across the globe.”

    “Smartphones are certainly not new to business professionals; however, now more than ever we are seeing consumers migrate toward these types of devices as form factors have become more appealing and price points are now competing with traditional mobile phones,” said Ryan Reith, senior research analyst with IDC. “Palm’s Centro plays right into the hands of the consumer looking for a more robust experience on their mobile phone. We definitely expect to see this trend continue worldwide.””

    By comparison, Palm sold their one-millionth Treo smartphone back in April of 2005, (the Treo 600, under the Handspring brand, began shipping in 2003) according to CNN Money.com.

    Read the complete Palm press release

  • centro,  rumors,  treo

    Rumor: Treo 800w and Verizon Centro (Updated)

    After this week’s 1SRC editorial, I really wasn’t expecting to hear about two new Palm rumors. Never the less, two new rumors have appeared.

    Treo 800w Coming to Sprint

    A member of the SprintUser’s website forums has posted what appears to be a leaked slide from a Sprint product roadmap cor PDA Device Launches. The last device on the slide shows that Palm’s Treo 800w will be launching this July.

    The image of the device that appears on the slide is very much like the one that was seen in January during CES. Adding further validation to a new Windows Mobile device launching this summer are recent comments from Palm CEO Ed Colligan during the Q3FY08 conference call held earlier this month.

    Read more at WMExperts

    Centro Coming to Verizon

    A member of the Palm Community Help Forums (Note: Alan is a moderator on that discussion forum) has posted the following information in regards to the as yet announced Verizon Centro:

    “hi i work for a verizon agent and we just got the new rebate form for 03/30/08 to 06/15/08 and there is a $50 rebate on the new Verizon Centro so we will be seeing it in the next 3 months.”

    While far from solid evidence, it is widely expected that Verizon will carry the Centro along with Sprint, and AT&T. Previously on the Palm Self-Paced Learning site, a midnight blue Centro was displayed, and after the picture started making the rounds on the Internet, Palm’s site was quickly changed. I wonder if the midnight blue Centro is coming to Verizon. If the rebate data is correct, I’d start looking for the Verizon Centro to start showing up anytime between now and Tuesday. If the rumor is true.

    Update:

    Engadget has run an article on Verizon indicating that they have received word about upcoming device launches.

    “Centro fans will be happy to hear that the diminutive Garnet phone will finally hit Verizon following Sprint and AT&T launches in the tail end of May or the beginning of June, followed shortly by the Nokia 6205, which apparently isn’t either the 2505 or 7205 unless one of those flips have been renumbered.”

    If Engadget’s information is correct, Verizon customers are still in for a bit of a wait for the Centro to arrive on their wireless network.

    Read the entire Engadget article

  • att,  centro

    Palm Introduces the AT&T Centro


    Palm has officially taken the wraps off of the rumored white AT&T Palm Centro consumer-oriented smartphone.

    With the exception of the new GSM cellular radio and AT&T specific software, such as Push To Talk, the new GSM AT&T Centro is expected to be very similar in product specifications as the previously release Centro smartphones from rival wireless carrier Sprint and the recently announced unlocked GSM Centro that will begin selling across Europe shortly.

    “Centro offers customers more choices to stay in touch with friends, family and co-workers by using voice, text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail or the Web. Featuring a color touch-screen and full QWERTY keyboard, Centro is the first Palm OSĀ® product to launch with AT&T services, such as XM Radio Mobile, Push to Talk and MusicID.”

    “The demand for crossover devices is skyrocketing, and the Centro hits a sweet spot for many customers looking for a QWERTY device with a solid suite of messaging and multimedia features,” said Michael Woodward, vice president, Business Mobility Products for AT&T’s wireless unit. “At a great price that can be coupled with a variety of AT&T’s messaging and data options, we are thrilled to offer Centro to our 70.1 million customers.”

    “Centro offers a simple way for customers to stay connected to the people who are important to them while better managing their increasingly hectic lifestyles, all at the price of a traditional mobile phone,” said Brodie Keast, senior vice president of Marketing for Palm, Inc.”

    The AT&T Centro will sell for $99 with a new two-year service agreement. It is expected to sell for $399 without a service agreement. According to today’s press release, there will be an obsidian black edition of the AT&T Centro which is expected to begin shipping in about four weeks. The glacial white Centro goes on sale today at AT&T retail outlets and online at www.att.com and the Palm online store. AT&T’s unlimited data plan has been priced at $30 a month in addition to their standard voice and messaging plans.

    Read the full Palm press release

    Update:

    The Palm Centro website has been updated to include the AT&T Centro product specifications along side the Sprint Centro specifications.