FunContact is a finger-friendly contact manager for Windows Mobile Professional devices that allows users to manage contacts with a flick of a finger. It provides very convenient finger scrolling of the list of contacts together with useful features like creating separate lists of favourite contacts with one tap, detailed calls history with missed calls indication.
O2 and Carphone Warehouse are both now selling the iPhone 3G as a Pay and Go handset. If you don’t want to commit to an 18 month contract you now don’t have to although the upfront prices for the handset are a bit on the high side. £349.99 for the 8 Gig and £399.99 for the 16 Gig and remember this phone will still be Sim locked to the O2 network and there is still no unlocking solution yet. Full details after the break.
Palm are arguably the pioneer of the PDA right from the original Palm Pilot in the mid-90’s through to today’s Treo Pro. What started off as a modest 512kB PDA has today morphed into a sophisticated multimedia device. No longer a simple PDA, no longer a simple phone.
I am the owner of quite a few PDA’s of various flavours including Palms, Windows Mobile, Symbian and Psion. I was keen to see how the Treo Pro compared as it represents current state of art .
The Palm Treo Pro
Introduction
I’ve long been a quiet fan of Palm’s simple, but elegant and effective operating system. It’s never been sophisticated or particularly powerful, but it has always been very good at getting things done as a personal organiser. However, it’s been getting a bit long-in-the-tooth of late and hasn’t received much in the way of development over the last few years. As PDAs and mobile phones has converged into single devices I think it would be fairly accurate to say that it has just about reached the limit of its capabilities so, it’s no surprise to see that Palm now offers its latest devices with the more sophisticated Windows Mobile operating system instead. This might be a bitter pill for Palm diehards, but the truth is that Palm’s o/s is end of life when it comes to sophisticated media rich applications and multi-tasking.
Myself, I’m not sure of the merits of convergence. I prefer a phone to be very good at phone functions i.e. texting and calling. I like phones to be compact and easy to use. In my experience few converged devices fulfil these requirements well as there’s too many compromises in the design to accommodate all the diverse demands placed upon them.
What’s in the box?
- Treo Pro
- Battery
- Stylus
- Headphones
- Quick-start guide
- USB cable
- Mains charger with international plugs
See Matt’s Palm Treo Pro unboxing video for a more detailed look at what comes with it.
General
The Treo Pro’s packaging and contents are commendably lightweight and modest – useless leaflets and software CD’s have been discarded – the packaging is simple, clean and elegant. Software is already preloaded and Activesync used for synching the device to a Windows pc already comes preloaded on many PCs although, it’s necessary to upgrade to the latest version of Activesync.
In the hand the Treo Pro feels like a quality device which, is pleasing as it’s not inexpensive. Alas, like other machines I’ve reviewed recently, the glossy black finish is a greasy fingerprint magnet and my liking for greasy chips has yet to diminish. I would want to put a case on it very quickly to stop it looking grubby. The form factor is slim, but quite wide. Overall it is about the same size as a Treo 680 but noticeably thinner and it feels lighter.
Controls:
Bottom side: USB micro-connector, 3.5mm headphone socket
Palm Treo Pro bottom view
Top side: Ringer silence switch, radio mode select (wi-fi, bluetooth, phone etc)
Palm Treo Pro top view
Left side: Volume up/down, customisable button (pre-configured for camera)
Palm Treo Pro left side
Front face: Keypad; 5-way navigator key, 4 configurable softkeys for applications, phone/send key, END key
Palm Treo Pro front view
Back: Camera lens
Palm Treo Pro back view
Palm Treo Pro Specification:
- Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional Edition
- Qualcomm® MSM7201 400MHz
- 320×320 transflective colour TFT flush touchscreen
- HSDPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM radio
- Tri-band UMTS – 850MHz, 1900MHz, 2100MHz Quad-band GSM – 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz
- 802.11b/g with WPA, WPA2, and 801.1x authentication
- Built-in GPS
- Bluetooth® 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate; Infrared (IR)
- 256MB (100MB user available), 128MB RAM
- 2.0 megapixels with up to 8x digital zoom and video capture
- Removable, rechargeable 1500mAh lithium-ion; Up to 5.0 hours talk time and up to 250 hours standby
- microSDHC cards (up to 32GB supported)1
- MicroUSB™ 2.0 for synchronization and charging
- 3.5mm stereo headset jack
- Length: 4.49", Width: 2.36", Depth: 0.53", Weight: 4.69 oz
Software on device
ActiveSync®; Adobe Reader LE; Bluetooth®; Bubble Breaker; Calculator; Calendar; Communications Manager; Contacts; File Explorer; Get WorldMate; GoogleMaps; Internet Explorer® Mobile; Messaging; Microsoft® Office Mobile including Excel® Mobile, OneNote Mobile, PowerPoint® Mobile, and Word Mobile; My Treo; Notes; Pics & Videos; QuickGPS; Quick Tour; SIM Manager; Solitaire; Sprite Backup; Streaming Media; Tasks; Telenav; Voice Command; Windows Live™; Windows Live™ Messenger; Windows Media® Player Mobile
Highlights:
- Clear and reliable phone calls
- Quality feel
- Bright and sharp screen
- Battery life
- Good connectivity.
- Good hardware specification.
Lowlights:
- Fiddly keypad
- Glossy finish attracts dust and fingerprints
- Windows Mobile 6 (it’s a Palm!)
Review
Although smaller than many dedicated PDAs, the 320 x 320 pixel screen is sharp and clear. It’s a shame then that Windows Mobile’s clumsy interface waste lots of screen estate and makes the screen feel small at times. The screen is flush with the main chassis and therefore at risk of picking up scratches and marks very quickly, however, putting a screen protector on it would really look like a kludge. Only time will tell how it stands up to daily use. As Matt has previously mentioned, the screen is an odd size which, may cause problems with some 3rd party software so, it’s best you check with authors for compatibility before loading it up.
I was pleased to note that behind the fiddly-to-remove cover there lurked a separate user-replaceable battery. I absolutely loathe devices with batteries that cannot be readily changed by the user i.e. iPods – when they die as they inevitably do then the user is faced with an expensive return to factory job. For this reason alone I will not buy them.
For a weird left-handed person like myself the stylus was very awkward to access from its location in the bottom right corner of the device. Holding it in my right hand prevented any access to the stylus whereas, with the Treo 680, I can still get to the stylus easily because it’s located in the top right corner.
The keyboard is similar to the Treo 680’s. It’s about as easy/difficult to use as the Treo 680 albeit slightly more spongy in feel – it’s fine for texting and short e-mails but for anything longer you would need to be a masochist or very patient. The 5 way navigator key is more fiddly though and I found I repeatedly miskeyed – no doubt things would improve with practice. I did find it a bit difficult to select shift characters on the keyboard in subdued light because the keyboard backlighting was not very strong. This could be overcome to some extent by increasing the screen brightness, but this only increased the keyboard backlighting by a small amount.
As with many similar devices, the camera lens has no sliding cover so, it won’t be long before it’s covered in muck and dust thus rendering photo quality useless. The 2mp camera will suffice for occasional use, but that is all it’s good for. That’s no great criticism of the Palm though – let’s not fool ourselves, if you want to take decent photos then you buy a proper camera for the job.
Call quality was good with plenty of volume and the phone didn’t seem to have any trouble holding onto a signal. It did feel a bit odd holding it to my ear though in the same way as holding a normal PDA would – this is because the form factor is not what you would associate with a normal phone. Geek or not, I’d feel a bit of a berk walking down the street with it held to my ear! When trying to dial a number I found that the numbers on the keypad didn’t stand out well enough, in comparison dialling from my Ipaq 514 was easier.
The level of connectivity is what you would expect of a leading edge device. It has bluetooth and wi-fi. It also supports audio by A2DP allowing the use of bluetooth headphones for wireless playback which is handy for those of us who like to use our phones as mp3 players. Establishing a bluetooth or wi-fi connection is about as easy as it can be given the quirks of the o/s. Extended use of wi-fi sucks the battery dry in no-time at all, but otherwise battery life is very impressive and I managed 7 days in general use – this is much better than my Treo 680. I think Windows Mobile has improved massively in this area of late compared to previous incarnations as my HP Ipaq514 also has an excellent battery life.
I won’t go into any great detail about the o/s other than to say it’s Windows Mobile Pro 6.1 designed for touchscreen devices. As you might gather, I’m not really a fan of it as it’s neither particularly stable in the incarnations I have used, easy to use or elegant and tight as a mobile o/s should be. Although it’s a powerful and flexible o/s, I feel that the GUI is clumsy and operations require far too many clicks/taps to achieve things. However, until a pocket Linux becomes available (Nokia N800 and Google’s Android notwithstanding) or Palm delivers a completely new o/s then it’s pretty much all we have these days. These observations about the o/s are no fault of the machine itself. Now having said all that, I will confess that the Treo Pro it didn’t crash once which, is a significant improvement over previous versions. Resets on my Axim x50v are a way of life.
The Palm Treo Pro
Conclusion:
The Treo’s hardware itself is very lovely and feels good to hold. It’s not too bulky and looks trick. As a phone the Treo Pro is just about ok given the limitations placed upon it by being a converged device – it’s no worse than many other similar devices. As a multimedia device/communicator it’s excellent with all the functionality and whistles you could want. Whether or not you can put up with the foibles of Windows Mobile is up to you. In terms of cost it is significantly cheaper than much of the Windows Mobile competition and therefore is quite good value.
Myself? I am still looking for the perfect converged device, but the Treo Pro is about as good as you will get at the moment.
Review by: Nigel
Our latest podcast is now available to download, in episode 6 we discuss the Skyfire and Opera browsers with flash support, iPhone 3G charge converters and some App talk , HTC Touch 3G, some info on O2 and Vodafone UK Networks and loads more. You can subscribe via iTunes, RSS or download the mp3 file here. Full show notes after the break.
Steve Trotto over at Mobile Tech Moment has taken a detailed look at iBlogger for the iPhone. This application lets you post to your Blog from your iPhone. With support for many of the most popular Blogs you can’t go wrong with this application if your a keen blogger. Check out the video after the break.
At the Flash On The Beach (FOTB) conference in Brighton, Sr. Director of Engineering at Adobe Systems Paul Betlem, confirmed that Adobe is indeed developing a Flash Player for the iPhone. However, Apple calls the shots as to when it’ll be available. In other words Apple could just say no, but at least we have some hope now.
Sony Ericsson announced earlier this week a concept phone named GreenHeart. This project was set to focus on making a phone that will be environmentally sustainable throughout its entire life cycle.
The phone is built entirely from recycled plastic and bio-plastic, and uses a Zero Charger. You might well ask how did they do it? Well, the housings are made out of bio-plastic, the keys of recycled plastic and the manual is an HTML based e-manual, instead of coming in printed form. The packaging is, of course, also environmentally friendly.
There’s also the green Zero Charger, which was developed along with the phone. As we all know, most, if not all, the chargers on the market also consume power if left in the outlet without a phone connected to them. This Zero Charger is an experimental model that has a built-in switch that makes sure that, when you unplug your phone, the charger will go out and will consume only 1% of the electricity that a normal plugged-in phone charger would normally consume when not used. Im sure you will all agree that this is the way forward but surely SE could come up with a a design that more appealed to the mass market than one that, most likely, will only be bought by the more eco friendly folk.
Here is what Sony Ericsson had to say in their Press Release:
Sony Ericsson expands its sustainability credentials with the launch of its environmental warranty and the GreenHeart™ phone
24 September 2008
Lund, Sweden – September 24, 2008 – Today marked the launch of Sony Ericsson’s environmental warranty, and the concept of Sony Ericsson GreenHeart™ phones, just two initiatives the company is taking to further its commitment to a sustainable future and continually reducing its impact on the environment.
Environmental warranty
The launch of Sony Ericsson’s environmental warranty means that now, when any Sony Ericsson product is taken to a designated collection point, Sony Ericsson will recycle this product in an environmentally sound way. This warranty is valid globally, regardless of where the product was originally purchased, as Sony Ericsson strives to show its support for ‘individual producer responsibility’ (IPR).
Sony Ericsson has long-since participated in and supported the development of common industry systems that relate to the collection and recycling of old mobile phones and accessories. Launching its own collection points and system means that Sony Ericsson will be able to further strengthen its commitment to taking responsibility for the products it sold to consumers.
This new initiative has now been initiated in India, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Singapore USA and Mexico. To date, more than 500 collection points are already in operation. Sony Ericsson intends to complete this rollout by 2009 in all the countries in which it operates. The company’s solely-owned collection points will be primarily made available in those countries where the current industry-standard system of phone recycling have been judged to be too limited.
Sony Ericsson also plans to develop the way in which it spreads information about this new initiative through its customer help desks and over the internet. The aim is to give consumers easy access to information on their nearest recycling drop off point.
GreenHeart™ phones
As a company that puts environmental sustainability at the heart of its product development, Sony Ericsson wanted to explore new ideas in this area through a concept design study.
The GreenHeart™ is a full concept with all life cycle in mind it includes features such as bio-plastic housings, recycled plastic keypads, zero charger with 3.5mW standby power, HTML based e-manuals, a game style educational application ‘Ecomate’ and environmentally conscious packaging.
This concept has been shared with a few selected partners in the industry, whose response has been extremely positive. Sony Ericsson will therefore take this concept and initiate a two-way conversation with customers on what features they believe should be implemented in future phones and in what priority.
Environmentally, all of Sony Ericsson products live up to the extremely high standards that are expected by the industry. Pursuing policies such as the global phase out of unwanted substances, and being a leader in charger performance, is included in all our current product offerings. This is also recognised by external organisations worldwide, with Greenpeace, for example, naming Sony Ericsson as the ‘greenest electronics company’ for 2008. With the GreenHeart™ concept however, Sony Ericsson is looking to the future, to ensure the full life cycle of a mobile phone can be made more environmentally friendly. Once the technology reaches maturity, new techniques and materials will then be included in the portfolio and a market wide launch. One ‘eco’ product by itself will not make a difference but by learning through this concept study we are ensuring the entire portfolio in future will be more sustainable.
Sustainability
Sony Ericsson takes its role in creating a sustainable future very seriously. The company continually works to improve people’s lives by following best business practices, conserving resources and protecting the environment.
Mats Pellbäck-Scharp, head of corporate sustainability for Sony Ericsson commented: ‘Building on Sony Ericsson’s existing sustainability efforts, we’re proud to have taken the next step in making our products and process more sustainable. The global take back scheme and the GreenHeart project bring us closer to our vision of being a leader in sustainability in the mobile phone industry’.
For Sony Ericsson, our approach to sustainability is based on the following principles:
- Safeguarding future profitability in an environmentally conscious world
- Improving our influence on the living and working conditions of all those involved in the making of our products
- Making a positive impact on those who use our products
- Improving how our products and activities impact on the environment
Other areas that the company are committed to improve include:
- Supply chain social responsibility
- CO2 emissions from transport and other activities
- Reporting of impact on the environment
- Projects to improve global social conditions in the developing world by improving communications
- Community engagement where we operate
- Employee empowerment and engagement
Sony Ericsson is a top global industry player with sales of over 100 million phones in 2007. Diversity is one of the core strengths of the company, with operations in over 80 countries including manufacturing in China and R&D sites in China, Europe, India, Japan and North America. Sony Ericsson was established as a 50:50 joint venture by Sony and Ericsson in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London.
Greenpeace’s ‘Greener Electronics Guide’ is aimed to get the electronics industry to address the problem of e-waste and removing harmful chemicals in electronic products. www.greenpeace.org/international
Posted by: John
SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash memory products, today announced it is bringing to market its 16GB* microSDHC™ and Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™) mobile memory cards – the world’s largest removable storage capacity for mobile phones. The fingernail-sized 16GB memory cards allow consumers to “wake up” the many storage-intensive features offered by today’s portable handsets such as music and video playback, high-definition digital camera functions, gaming and GPS applications.
IBM has released a way to get Lotus Notes e-mail on your iPhone that stops short of full support, but gets the job done. IBM’s iNotes Ultralite will be formally released Tuesday for Notes administrators and iPhone users. The software is a Web application that allows you to access Notes mail through the Safari mobile browser on the iPhone. Administrators need to install IBM Lotus Domino Web Access 8.0.2 in order to make the whole thing work.
Today is the official launch date for the Xperia X1 and I just wanted to confirm to everyone that it has launched as planned. Units have left the factory and are on their way to the shops in the UK and Nordic markets where they should be available in the next week or so.
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