Palm's Treo 500v gets official

Well folks, you can't say we didn't warn you. Palm's European wing announced today that the Treo 500v was really real, and headed onto the monolithic Vodafone network in October. As expected, the new model will be coming in two colors, a bright white and gray finish (called Glacier White), as well as a muted charcoal tone (known as, surprise, Charcoal Grey), and will be running Windows Mobile 6. The phone will not have a touchscreen, as we reported, but will rock 3G / UMTS data (not HSDPA), have a 2-megapixel camera (so at least we know Palm isn't completely recycling older phones' guts), 256MB of onboard memory (150MB for users), plus a microSD slot and Bluetooth 2.0. Everything else about the phone should feel like standard territory, as Palm doesn't seem to be offering anything in the way of software that's different, though this phone could (and should) find some fans with those looking in the direction of BlackJacks, Qs, and Dashes. Still, we can't say we're not a little deflated... maybe the rumored "800" will blow our collective minds.

[Via Pocket-lint]

Gallery: Palm's Treo 500v gets official

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[MeAndOnlyMe @ Sep 12th 2007 9:24AM]

The UI has something the Blackjacks etc don't have - and that's the Vodafone TPP carousel launcher thingy do-dad... it's actually very cool, and hides a lot of the sheer ugliness inherent in Windows Mobile. Yes, I've used it and I like it a lot.

[andy @ Sep 12th 2007 9:26AM]

Since it's not touchscreen, I understand the crazy big navigation buttons...... but why does palm still have navigation buttons on the 750? Come on guys:

one piece construction; no mechanical flip, slide or otherwise

standard 680/750 keyboard

touchscreen occupying the entire rest of the face

wifi and 3G

winmo 6



You're already practically there with the 750. Really now, how hard is it to tweak what you're already making for a nice solid interim product that no one else is manufacturing.


Interim that is until we get the linux OS on the same device.

[Jonathan Keim @ Sep 12th 2007 9:27AM]

Just get in iPhone and be done with it

[Jonathan Keim @ Sep 12th 2007 9:31AM]

Just get an iPhone and be done with it

[Rich @ Sep 12th 2007 9:36AM]

Palm + Europe + ugly = low sales.

[Rich @ Sep 12th 2007 9:37AM]

Palm + Europe + ugly = low sales.

[yavin @ Sep 12th 2007 9:43AM]

this is as ugly as it gets

hey.. lets make a phone where the keyboard and screen are small... those are useless. we just need to have big fat soft keys and uh oh nearly forgot.. remember the space we gained by squeezing the screen and keyboard.. LET USE IT TO FLASH THE OPERATOR LOGO. Oh YEAH BABY!!!


tooooooooooooooooo ugly for me, sorry, i can't - really

[bruckwine @ Sep 12th 2007 9:44AM]

Hmmm...not a bad effort for the low end market imo. Touchscreen are overrated anyway ;)

[joe @ Sep 12th 2007 9:59AM]

I am totally underwhelmed. I love my touch screen functionality, and the positioning of the hotkeys on previous versions of the treo. I think there is a market for this phone, but why call it a treo.

It reminds me of when Ford wanted to sell the probe as a mustang and mustang enthusiats went crazy because it was a front wheel drive vehicle.

Well put me on the crazy enthusiast group.

[shaliron @ Sep 12th 2007 10:06AM]

I personally find it more attractive than the hideous Samsung Blackjack and co.

[Brian K @ Sep 12th 2007 10:08AM]

For Palm's sake, I hope they have an 800w up their sleeves.

[Eric M @ Sep 12th 2007 10:12AM]

Hey, look Tic-Tacs!

Palm is not bringing sexy back, those others guys know where it's at.

[Bevon Findley @ Sep 12th 2007 10:23AM]

Wake me when they show the palm treo 800

[Xzavier @ Sep 12th 2007 10:31AM]

I give up... I don't know what Palm is doing or thinking these days. I really want to purchase a Palm device NOT running Windows, however with all of the kick a$$ competition out their with nice hardware design and features the choice is getting clearer.

Seeing this device makes me just lower my head and purchase some other really awesome device without the Palm name on it or inside it... snif, snif,

Thanks Palm...

[Mrmean @ Sep 12th 2007 10:32AM]

LOL @ Palm

[lanejasper69 @ Sep 12th 2007 10:34AM]

Palm...if the 800 isn't anything remakable, I'd fire R&D, Marketing and Design and start fresh, cause you need it more then ever and you know it!

Faslane

[clement @ Sep 12th 2007 10:43AM]

while the specs are still not pretty, at least they are trying to change

-Mini USB connector
-2MP camera
-a little thinner

and i think they took away the 'silent' button :-(
triband :-(

[resource @ Sep 12th 2007 10:59AM]

I'd say nail in the coffin but I don't think the coffin has any room left for new nails.

Only Palm comes out with new products with LOWER product numbers.
Can't wait for that Treo 499 to come out...

[Paul @ Sep 12th 2007 11:00AM]

NA.Na....Na.Na.NA.Na....Hey.Hey.Hey....

[Andrew @ Sep 12th 2007 11:26AM]

I was actually lucky enough to hold the new Treo 500 in my hands at the Palm press event today in London and I can tell you that I was VERY impressed by it... Trust me when I say that these images just don't do it proper justice - the device is beautiful, very slick and extremely well built.

http://blog.treonauts.com/2007/09/treo-500-unveil.html

Cheers, A.

[Dagon @ Sep 12th 2007 11:33AM]

So... they cancelled the Foleo for... THIS?!

[Gav @ Sep 12th 2007 11:36AM]

I quite like it, its not a bad looking little thing...

[bard @ Sep 12th 2007 11:54AM]

WHAT the hell are you gadget breathing geeks on?!?!

JUST because it's not the UBER-iPhone-costing-$600 device you instantly think you SMALL minority knows what's best for the general public. A $99-ish smartphone is perfect to get this stuff to the masses, because believe it or not most people cannot affort to spend $500 every 5 months for the bleeding edge.

It's a simple straigthforward device that gets email, has all the bells and whistles that the rest of the pack has, and is EASY to use! Sure it's no iPhone, but at 100 bucks (which is what I'm hearing the price will be) it hits the mark well. And, as much as people bitch about Palm's OS..it's SIMPLE and it WORKS! You don't need to "revolutionize" the basic phone OVER and OVER, else it becomes just another bit of jewelry for the geek elite.

Besides, this phone gets in below those hideous Sidekicks AND is actually USEFUL for people.

It's amazing how everyone wants a device that works, yet when one comes along, EVERYONE has an idea on how much better THEY would do it. Do YOU have a computer company? Are YOU making smartphones?

Try MAKING one to market before you think you know everything.

[Xzavier @ Sep 12th 2007 12:15PM]

The *minority/majority* off geeks in here never said we KNOW what is good for the general public. We don't go that far!

However theirs always that one *ahem* geek who thinks he/she does!

Somebody Hi-FIVE ME!

:D

[Anijo Mathew @ Sep 12th 2007 12:17PM]

Looks like there is a significant change in the design - is that a mini USB port for chraging instead of the Palm proprietary port? I think that is a big plus for the 500 (at least from a Treo user perspective).

[dugbug @ Sep 12th 2007 12:18PM]

Looks quite nice. Not sure why the complaints about appearance. Is this iphoniots chirping up or something?

Real keyboard, large display, clean look.

-d

[Bogdan @ Sep 12th 2007 12:54PM]

How about bigger screen, Palm? I see a lot of free space that can be covered by that "sexy" non-touchscreen LCD.

[lanejasper69 @ Sep 12th 2007 2:43PM]

Calm down Bard, if you croak, you cannot go get one of these come release time....

[maxgenio @ Sep 12th 2007 2:46PM]

No touchscreen? Vodafone brand everywhere?? Windows Mobile 6???
Something at Palm HQ went really really really really wrong...
I'm waiting for the real NEW Treo, with packed in: wifi, 3mpx camera, real high res screen (min 640x480), same keyboard as ever, the real GOOD successor of PalmOS 5 (easy, lightweight, tons of apps ;-) retrocompatibility; vodafone-branded OSs became always real SH*T, beleave me, in Europe the situation is dramatic)

[nextGen @ Sep 12th 2007 2:59PM]

"... will be running Windows Mobile 6."
:\

"The phone will not have a touchscreen"
Come on, a Palm without a touchscreen is like a factory without smoke (!)

Au revoir! Palm.

[freakmarket @ Sep 12th 2007 3:12PM]

I think you are all crazy ... This is Palm's answer to the Q, Dash, and a few others ... if sold in the US this little thing will sell good. Smartphone o/s is small and Palm has nailed the Windows Mobile implementation in the past. The 2 color is a good idea.

This will be a good entry level phone if it makes it to the US. I wonder how well it plays video thouhgh ... every WM5 smartphone i've touch can't play video to save their lives.

Everyone is saying "buy an iphone" ... not everyone can afford to blow $400 on a cell phone.

[Generic @ Sep 12th 2007 3:48PM]

The iPhone gets away with frontal design because it has a touch surface and no keyboard. Since this treo is not, it should not be compared to it.

On the other hand, look at the Motorola Q then let me hear all the complaining you want, coz you will just find that this phone had a hardworking design team and not just a marketing team like the Q.

[Jake @ Sep 12th 2007 4:01PM]

Palm is going backwards, touchscreen is what makes Palm and Palm, I don't get it. That is an ugly phone.

[Fionread @ Sep 12th 2007 8:15PM]

I am definitely going to get an iphone.

[jz @ Sep 13th 2007 12:29AM]

test

[skonofvulcan @ Sep 13th 2007 3:26AM]

No touch screen? Is this realy a Palm? It's like they are trying to shoot themselfs in the foot intentionaly.

[G @ Sep 13th 2007 11:36AM]

HTC called, they want their QWERTY keyboard back. LOL

[ptulskie @ Sep 13th 2007 2:19PM]

It's absolutely a step in the right direction in terms of form factor.

...but you get two steps back for that "belt of buttons" and lack of a touch screen. The silver belt in the middle of the device is ugly, breaks up the look, and makes it look stupid. The smaller non-touch screen is another step back.

Also the GUI of Palm OS needs to be revamped. It still looks the same as my Palm T|X from like 4 years ago or my Palm Tungsten T2 from before that.

Is it me or does Palm need to hire some college students or something? These designs look old and boring and have no wide appeal.

[ZSX @ Sep 14th 2007 12:49PM]

I actually think this is quite an attractive phone. Shame about the lack of WiFi though.

[Rob G66 @ Sep 14th 2007 8:17PM]

The one thing that has kept me from jumping on the Iphone bandwagon is Palm's touchscreen capability that enables me to cut-and-paste text (can't do that on an Iphone). Now Palm comes out with a model WITHOUT a touchscreen?

I sadly agree with Xzavier...