Available in burgundy and blue is the replacement of the older Palm Treo 700p, the Palm Treo 755p. This smartphone is an enhancement of its predecessor packed in a more compact unit and minus the antenna. Among the add-ons are the Google Maps for Mobile, Direct Push Technology for e-mails and instant messaging. However, like the other Treo units, it isn’t equipped with the Wi-Fi still but nevertheless; the 755p is a very promising phone that anyone can consider.

The design of the Treo 755p is similar to Treo 680′s measurements: 4.4 x 2.3 x 0.8 inches; and almost the same weight, 5.6 ounces, 0.1 greater than the 680′s. It features a thicker and bulkier facade than most smartphones. Much of the bulk is attributed to 2.5-inch TFT touch screen with a 65,000-color output and 320×320-pixel resolution. It displays bright and vibrant texts and images and the touch screen is surely a work of convenience.

The 755p’s navigation buttons are well-placed below the screen. It is composed of Talk and End keys, a four-way toggle with central select button, and shortcut keys to the phone app, calendar, messages, and home page. Using the full QWERTY keyboard can be tough for some users with its cramped appearance and tight spacing between buttons.

The left spine is where the volume rocker and customizable launch key are located while the right side holds the infrared port and miniSD expansion slot. On the back side are the camera lens, speaker and the stylus holder. On the top edge are the silent ringer and one the bottom is the 2.5mm headset jack and multi-connector port.

Treo 755p doesn’t introduce monumental features although there are enhancements. E-mail setup is easy with the 755p. The VersaMail application supports Microsoft’s Direct Push Technology and a wide range of POP and IMAP e-mail accounts, including like Gmail, and Yahoo Plus. The Blazer Web browser allows access to web-based e-mail accounts. Instant messaging is also made possible in 755p with its an application that brings AIM, Yahoo and MSN to the device. Simultaneous conversations with multiple clients are also possible.

The 755p runs Palm OS 5.4.9 Preloaded productivity tools in the 755p included Documents to Go 8.0 for opening, creating, and editing Microsoft Word and Excel documents and viewing PowerPoint presentations and PDFs. Google Maps for mobile that allows users to receive text-based driving directions are also preloaded. It also offers an expansion slot that allows up to 4GB miniSD cards. Other tools include Calendar, to-do list, memo pad, calculator, a world clock, and a voice recorder, and a game.

Phone features remain the same. The contact book is limited only by the available memory. It has caller ID, speakerphone, a vibrate mode, three-way calling, speed dial, and the “Ignore with text” feature. Connectivity features include support for Sprint’s EV-DO networks, 3G and Bluetooth. It also plays music and videos as well, and the 1.3-megapixel camera without flash is commendable despite the not that great picture quality.

Presenting, a Windows Mobile-based Treo, the Palm Treo 700wx. This smartphone, which has Sprint and Verizon variants, boasts an improved memory and performance. The Treo 700wx has been compared with the its predecessor, the 700w, especially because there are great similarities in design.

Palm Treo 700wx shares 700w’s dimensions, 5.1 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches, and weight, 6.4 ounces. A full QWERTY keyboard is also included, which appeared to be very big in this much modern period. The 700wx also retained the 220 x 240-pixel resolution touch screen, but this showed to be a liability since most of the applications of Windows Mobile applications are meant for 320 x 240 screens. Going back on the bright side, text and images in Palm Treo remains sharp and vibrant, even in direct sunlight. To continue 700wx’s resemblance to 700w, both have the same ringer/silent switch located on top and shortcut keys below the screen.

Features of the 700wx fared better as compared to the 700w. Treo 700wx’s memory is 36.25MB, much more than 700w’s 11MB. This means that performance and response time in 700wx is much faster. Another factor is the advancement of e-mail technology in 700wx.

It runs Microsoft’s Messaging and Security Feature Pack that enables direct push technology and wireless synchronization of e-mail, calendar, contacts, and tasks. There is also a support for GoodLink and POP3 or IMAP e-mail accounts. As the 700wx already runs with Windows Mobile 5, a new productivity application, the full Microsoft Office Mobile Suite and Windows Media Player 10 Mobile for music and video are also introduced to Treo.

Wi-Fi is still absent in Palm Treo 700wx, but connecting to the Internet is possible with Sprint’s 3G EV-DO network. Connectivity features also include an integrated Bluetooth for wireless headsets and car kits and wireless synchronization with Bluetooth-enabled computers. To transform the smartphone into a wireless modem, a USB cable is needed. Remember though that such services require a monthly fee.

Basically, 700wx retained the other features such as the Ignore With Text that will automatically send a message to a caller if the user can’t answer the call. It also includes a photo speed dial and the 1.3-megapixel camera. The 700wx is a dual-band phone and call quality has been consistently good. The speakerphone isn’t consistent though, with the audio quality diminishing at some point. Entertainment features such as the music and video playback are also great. In terms of battery life, Treo 700wx has five hours of talk time and 15 days of standby time.

What’s impressive about the Palm Treo 700p is that it managed to step away from palm’s camera phone conundrum, and it learned to step up with its major weakness in smartphone. Aside from the major improvements in the camera, the changes in the 700p isn’t that big although there are a number of commendable improvements. To start with, Palm Treo 700p threw away the VGA camera that its predecessor, the Palm Treo 650, acquired and replaced it with 1.3-megapixel camera with 2X zoom. It can also record videos with sound. Image quality is a big improvement compared to earlier models.

The Palm Treo 700p has a dimension of 4.4 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches and weight of 6.4 ounces with silver and gray color schemes. The QWERTY keyboard is also retained, but there is a slight improvement this time with the replacement of the oval buttons with more spacious, brightly backlit rectangular keys this time. Typing texts is much easier with the 700p. It remains comfortable to hold up to the ear and to keep in the pants pocket. The 2.5-inch display runs 65,536-colors at a 240×240-pixel resolution.

Texts and images are displayed bright and more vibrant and can be seen even in direct sunlight. Navigation controls with 700p included the Talk and End keys and below that are the quick-launch buttons for phone, calendar, messages, and home page which are split into two groups by the toggle. The volume-up and -down keys and a customizable shortcut key are in the left spine. The SD/MMC expansion slot, infrared port and a ringer/silent switch are on top. The multi-connector port and 2.5mm headset jack are on the bottom edge while the camera lens is on the back.

Connectivity options in the 700p marks a number of firsts for Palm. It is the first Palm-based Treo to support 3G EV-DO networks that employs broadband speeds (300Kbps to 600Kbps) which make e-mail, messaging, and downloads faster. It is also the first Treo to offer built-in dial-up networking capabilities, transforming itself into a wireless modem for laptops. It also include USB, infrared, and a built-in Bluetooth 1.2 that supports headsets, car kits, printers, and GPS receivers. However, the 700p doesn’t include Wi-Fi on its offerings.

While the available internal memory of the Treo 700p is obviously meager for users, it’s delightful to learn that it includes a SDIO/MMC expansion slot that supports up to 2GB media. Productivity tools with 700p includes the Documents to Go 8 suite for editing Microsoft Word and Excel documents and viewing PowerPoint presentations and PDFs. E-mail capabilities with 700p supports push e-mail capabilities through Verizon’s VZEmail Wireless Sync, and there’s out-of-the-box support for Yahoo, AOL, and Gmail accounts.

Aside from the improvement of the camera phone as mentioned above, the Treo 700p retained its entertainment features. An application called the PocketTunes 3.1 is preinstalled and can play MP3s and WMA.

Compared to the Palm Treo, the Palm Centro is thinner and lighter, meaning it’s more comfortable to the pocket and the grip without losing important features. The Centro is the first smartphone under Palm which doesn’t bear the Treo brand name, and it is the lightest and smallest smartphone from Palm. The move of Palm to revert away from the aesthetics of the Treo is a good decision as Centro promised ease of use.

As stated above, the Palm Centro cuts of the bulk of the Palm Treo. It measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches and weighs 4.2 ounces, although it is still considered bulky as compared to smartphones released by Nokia and LG. It comes in ruby red and black onyx, with the former envisioned targeting female users, however some critics have noted that such logic made the phone looked like a toy.

The screen measures 2.25 inches and runs 65,000 colors at a 320 x 320 pixel resolution. Text and graphics are displayed crisp and bright and navigating and entering data has been very convenient with Centro.

Although it is already a touch screen, controls such as Talk and End keys, five-way toggle and shortcuts (to phone application, home screen, calendar and inbox) are also located below the display. A QWERTY keyboard is also included, but it looked very cramped and small, and typing messages with it proved to be dubious. Atop the Centro is a 2.5mm headset jack while a multi-connector port is located on the bottom. On the left side are the volume rocker and launch button while on the right side are the infrared port and microSD expansion slot. On the back side are the camera lens, speaker, stylus and the self-portrait mirror.

The good thing about the Centro is that it packed all the features of the Palm Treo in a smaller unit. It runs Palm OS 5.4.9 and comes with 128MB ROM and 64MB RAM. Productivity tools include the calendar, a to-do list, a memo pad, a calculator, a world clock, and a voice recorder. An application that can be used for opening, writing and editing Microsoft Word, Excel and Power Point documents as well as PDF documents – the Documents to Go version 10 – is also included.

E-mail is among the important features of the Centro, offering various option for access. Among the applications include the VersaMail e-mail app for real-time synchronization with Microsoft Exchange, and Sprint Mobile eMail. Instant messaging applications (Yahoo, AIM and Windows Live) are also included. Of course, like other smart phones, Centro continues to support SMS and MMS.

Connectivity features in Centro include EV-DO support and Bluetooth 1.2 for wireless headsets, hands-free kits, object exchange, and dial-up networking. However, the model doesn’t support A2DP and that a built-in radio isn’t included. It has 3G but no Wi-Fi. It also works with Sprint TV and live streaming music and talk radio. Access to YouTube is also possible with the Centro Blazer Web Browser. Listening to music is also more fun with the PocketTunes Deluxe Edition that can play MP3s. Last, the images produced in the 1.3-Megapixel camera are surprisingly sharp and decent for a camera phone.