Sprint Centro 1.07 Software Update

Palm has released a software update for the Sprint edition of the Palm Centro smartphone. This update is designed only for the Sprint device.














According to the Palm website, the 1.07 software includes several enhancements:

• Improved Gmail IMAP compatibility
  
• Updated compatibility for Google Mobile Maps My Location feature
  
• Improved ongoing delivery of email sent to VersaMail accounts viaExchange ActiveSync
• Bluetooth usability enhancements and updates
• Sprint TV performance enhancements
• Enhanced AOL Instant Messenger performance
• Improved performance when adding a contact using Mobile Voice Control
• Improved email attachment handling
• Changed default camera shutter sound to “ON.” Audible shutter “click” will be heard
  
• Allows Preferred Roaming List updates over the air
  

Before applying this update, I recommend that you back up your device either by performing a HotSync operation with your computer or by using a backup application, like Alex Pruss' free NVBackup application.

This software update can not be undone, even by means of a hard reset. Make sure that you are ready to commit to the update before applying it.

For more information and the download link, visit the Palm website...

Weekend Wrap Up

This weekend, Palm made three important moves, not that anyone noticed with iPhonemania 2.0 in full swing.

Electric Blue Centro, Temporary Price Cut

On Friday, Palm introduced a new electric blue Centro on the AT&T wireless network. If you are following along on your scorecards, AT&T now has three colors to choose from: obsidian black, glacier white, and now electric blue. To entice even more people to chose Centro, AT&T has lowered the price to $69.99 when you sign up for a qualifying two-year service agreement. That is great news for anyone looking to jump on the smartphone bandwagon!

You can purchase an AT&T Centro either online from the Palm or AT&T website, or from any AT&T retail outlet. For more details, visit the Palm Centro website.


Sprint Begins Selling the Palm Treo 800w

At long last the new Palm Treo 800w is available! It has a great looking case and offers several new built-in features previously unavailable on any previous Palm smartphone.

Just some of the new features include Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.1; a 320x320 touch screen display, a 2.0MP camera, and built-in Wi-Fi and GPS radios. The new Treo retails for $599, however, when you sign up for a qualifying service plan, after instant and mail-in rebates, the 800w sells for $249.99. A handsome price for what could be a very nice phone.

On Sunday night, Palm has yet to issue a press release or update their website and online store. Look for more details come Monday morning.


Oh Palm, sigh…

Working with AT&T to bring out a new Centro, if only in color, and putting a price cut in place was the right thing to do. And launching the much-anticipated Treo 800w on Sprint was another positive step forward.

Yet, once again, Palm’s marketing department show how inept they are. Launching two new phones and introducing a price cut during the same weekend that Apple was rolling out their new iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0 software was just poor planning.

John Paczkowski from the D: All Things Digital website, has the perfect quote from Charlie Wolf who is an analyst at Needham & Company. The quote reads:

“They took the wrong day to do it,” said Charlie Wolf, a wireless analyst at Needham & Co. “It’s going to be drowned out by the hoopla around the iPhone.”

I truly hope that Palm learns from this mistake, and doesn’t start talking publicly about their Palm OS II/Nova plans and/or devices during the same week that Apple is rolling out new products at MacWorld Expo in San Francisco come January 2009. Palm needs to get out in front of Apple, or get behind them. Just don’t go toe-to-toe with them.

Palm Launches Unlocked GSM Centro

Palm has announced that starting today, customers can purchase an unlocked GSM Centro in the United States directly from the company's website for $299.

The unlocked GSM Centro will be available in a single color, white, and will have gray accents. This latest edition of Palm's wildly popular Centro shares the same hardware specifications as the AT&T Centro, which is also a GSM device.

To learn more about the Centro, including today's new unlocked GSM Centro, please visit the Palm Centro website.

Editorial: You Can Do More

I've posted this week's 1SRC editorial, "You Can Do More". In it, I talk about how Palm might help new customers learn more about all of the great third-party application software for the Centro smartphone.

You Can Do More

Palm is working hard to promote the Centro as a consumer oriented smartphone. Now they need to make sure that people upgrading from feature phones to the Centro know that it is easy to purchase and install third-party applications that can extend the utility of their phone.

I was talking to a friend of mine recently about the demographics of Apple iPhone and Palm Centro purchasers. We talked feature about phone users who might upgrade from a 12-key feature flip phone to a smartphone. Surely the iPhone is the current darling of the media. However, I don’t believe that brand awareness alone will drive sales. There are a few things that consumers consider before purchase a phone including: hardware costs, monthly subscription rates, features of the software, and whether or not the device is intended for work or entertainment.

It is the software and new customers that I would like to focus on. It is a long-standing fact that most people don’t install third-party software on their Palm smartphones. The last statistic that I recall reading said that about 33% of Palm owners do install third-party software. Let’s assume for a minute that the number is wrong and that 60% of customers install applications on their devices. That still leaves a whopping 40% of customers who are not realizing the full potential of their smartphones.

There are three things that I think that Palm can do to help raise consumer awareness of the vast software library available for the Centro smartphone. To raise awareness, Palm should focus on:

• In store displays
• Placing a card in the Centro box
• Leveraging of the MyPalm.com portal
  

The object should not only be to inform new Palm customers of what their new Centro is capable of doing. Palm should be showing new customers how easy it is to find, purchase, and install these applications.

The in store display should be a no brainer. On my last trips to a Sprint/Nextel and AT&T location, there where stand up posters and ads all over the inside of the store. I don’t recall seeing any of the Palm information cards make mention the large library of software that was available for the Centro, the Treo 755p, or the Treo 750. The first step in getting the full utility out of a new phone should start at the retail location. Customers should know right form the get go that there is even more that the Centro can do than what is printed on the side of the box.

What if the customer purchases the new phone online? That’s where the in box card comes into play. The first thing a new Centro owner should see when they open the box is a card that briefly talks about doing more with the phone. Palm should pick a few category-defining applications to feature on the insert. Palm might feature games from Astraware, personal utility applications from SplashData, and multimedia applications from NormSoft and CoreCodec. (I also think that Palm should highlight ringtones, ringtone managers, and wallpapers, however, I doubt that the cellular carriers will allow them to get away with doing so.) When you think about it, Palm probably only has a few seconds to impress upon their customers that you can install additional software on the Centro. It might make more sense to put the Getting Started fold out poster on top and a software sticker on the inside of the box lid. I’ll leave it to Palm’s marketing department to iron out the details.

The last thing that Palm can do to help new customers add third-party applications to the Centro is by leveraging the currently in beta, MyPalm.com customer portal. By signing up for the free Palm service, new customers will not only get access to 24x7 support for their smart device, they should also be able to browse all of the content from the Palm Software Connection application web store.

One of the advantages of the MyPalm.com portal is the ability to download and install software on the Centro (and the Treo also) wirelessly over the air (OTA). When a customer finds an application that they would like to try or buy, they can click a button to send the software down to their device. Today, the MyPalm.com portal sends a SMS message to your phone with a download link in the body. When you tap the link, the software is downloaded to the device and the installer runs automatically. Installing software from the MyPalm.com portal onto the Centro OTA is a much easier and clearer way to install software. No one reads manuals anymore and requiring customers to try and figure out how to install software via the HotSync process is too complex for new users to have to deal with. The web portal and OTA installer is the better way to go. I really think that Palm is working on a solution like this. If you haven’t already done so, you should read A Palm Desktop Makeover.

In conclusion, I think that Palm and third-party application software developers have an opportunity to maximize customer awareness that the Centro can do more than a 12-key feature flip phone. This will, in turn, drive more software sales. In store, in box, and online advertising efforts can be used to help drive customers to the MyPalm.com portal where a wealth of new applications await them.

You can discuss this week's editorial at 1SRC.com...

Tech News World Reviews the Centro

Tech News World has a new review of the Palm Centro for Verizon Wireless. The article reads, in part:

"The Centro [is] a smartphone for people that are a little nervous about getting a regular smartphone. While most phones sold in the U.S. are feature phones, I believe that the trend is that someday the majority of phones will be what we all [call] 'smartphones.' The Centro, and the Blackberry Pearl for that matter, help move the process along for those who see the traditional smartphones as being too much," Bill Hughes, an In-Stat analyst, told TechNewsWorld.

Read the full review here...

Palm Launches Verizon Centro, Facebook

Introducing the Palm Centro for Verizon Wireless

Today, Palm and Verizon Wireless launched the Palm Centro smartphone. Having already debuted on Sprint and AT&T, many customers have been waiting for Centro to arrive at Verizon. At last, the wait is over.

The Verizon Centro will only be available in a single color, cobalt blue. The Verizon Centro shares the same technical specifications set as the Sprint Centro models.

The Verizon Centro will sell for $99 with a new two-year customer agreement and after a $70 mail in rebate. Customers will be able to purchase Centro starting June 13 (tomorrow) from Palm.com, VerizonWireless.com, and other Verizon Wireless retail locations.

Today's full Palm Centro for Verizon Wireless press release can be found on the Palm website. For the full Centro product information, visit the Palm Centro website.

Palm Launches Facebook Client

Along side today's Centro product launch announcement; Palm released a native Facebook application for the Palm OS-based Centro, Treo 680, and 755p.

The Facebook client can be downloaded for free over the air (OTA) directly to your Palm smartphone by visiting the address http://mobile.palm.com/facebook from the Blazer web browser.

Facebook for Palm OS has the following features:

• Send and receive Facebook messages, and respond to friend requests.
• Capture video using your smartphone and post it to your Facebook profile.
• View and post photos right from your smartphone — or snap and send off new ones.
• Check out your friends’ photos and post a comment or two.
• Receive News feeds, change your status, and get friends’ status updates on the go.
• Browse friends' profiles, post messages to their wall, and send friend requests or search for old friends through Facebook.
• Open your Contacts and dial your friends with just one touch.
  

For more information on Facebook for Palm OS, including the user guide and the desktop Palm application installer, visit the Palm Facebook website.

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.]

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.

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...

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...

Engadget: Verizon Centro Photos

I'm not sure how they do it, but Engadget has gotten their hands on what appears to be promo photos of the much rumored, might as well just announce it now, Centro that will be appearing on Verizon Wireless soon.

Read the full Engadget article...

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.

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.

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...

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...

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 OS® 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.

Rumor: Centro Coming to AT&T, Verizon Wireless

A CNNMoney.com article posted earlier today is siting a JP Morgan analyst as saying the consumer-oriented Palm Centro smartphone is coming to AT&T and Verizon Wireless.

"Among the company's new products, Coster said, will be a version of the Centro with phone service from AT&T Inc. and Verizon Communications Inc. An exclusive deal with Sprint Nextel Corp. will expire soon, he wrote.

"In doing this 180-degree turn on the stock, we are putting a lot of faith in the technology and design competence of the new talent introduced to Palm by Elevation Partners," he said."

It has been rumored for some time now that the Centro, possibly in white, would be coming to AT&T early in 2008. The report from JP Morgan analyst Coster is the first I've seen that specifically mentions Verizon. We all knew that Centro would eventually make it to Verizon seeing as how Sprint and Verizon are both CDMA/EVDO based networks.

I wonder if we will see the AT&T Centro launched in February and a Verizon Wireless Centro in March or April. There are no rumors relating to which color(s) Verizon might order.

Sprint Nextel was the first US carrier to launch the Palm Centro. The Centro is selling for $99 or less and is currently available in three colors: black, red, and pink.

Read the full CNNMoney article...

[Thanks to the tipster who sent this in.]

VersaMail Update for Palm Centro

According to the Palm company blog, a new VersaMail client update has been made available for Centro customers.

The latest update, VersaMail 4.0.7, adds enhancements to VersaMail's support for IMAP compatibility with Google's Gmail service. Palm has also rolled in an update for customers who use automatic data synchronization with Microsoft's Direct Push technology when using the Exchange ActiveSync feature in VersaMail.

VersaMail can be downloaded directly to a Centro over the air (OTA) by tapping the following URL:

http://www.palm.com/versamail407

This update is intended only for the Palm Centro, and will not work on other Palm OS devices, including, the Treo 755p, 700p, or 680.

You can read the upgrade directions on the Palm website.

The Pink Centro Arrives on Sprint

The pink Palm Centro when public today on the Palm website. As expected, the pink Centro from Sprint has the same product specifications as the previously released black and red Centro smartphones released last year.

I'm glad to see Palm releasing a pink smartphone. Over the last year, I have seen more women toting around smartphones and this phone should help keep sales of the Palm Centro at a brisk pace.

You can order the new pink Palm Centro directly from the Palm online store, the Sprint online store, or from a local Palm or Sprint store.

Rumor: Photos of the Pink Centro Appear

SprintUsers.com forum member TheRobin has posted what appears to be a promotional photo of the rumored pink Palm Centro that is expected to arrive on Sprint sometime in January or February 2008.

The information on the release date has been all over the map with rumored launch dates of January 6, January 13, and February 14 (Valentine's Day).

Palm and Sprint are going to sell a lot of these things.


[Thanks to the anonymous tipster who sent this in.]

Rumor: AT&T Centro Announcement at CES?

TreoCentral.com member Nomad2000 has posted some pictures of the GSM AT&T Centro. (The pictures, reportedly, came from Hi-PDA.com.)

Palm has recently posted that they will be attending the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) being held in Las Vegas this January. The Sprint exclusive on the Centro is coming to and end by mid-January.

Is this a cleverly disguised hoax or are Palm and AT&T getting ready to launch another Centro early in 2008?

Rumor: Pink Centro Coming in January

An anonymous reader has posted here on Foleo Fanatics that the pink Centro will be coming to Sprint on January 13, 2008. The anonymous poster writes:

"I work for Sprint and I have the exact date!!
Its coming out!!

1/13/2008!!

Thanks!!"

Now with all rumors, you need to take them with a grain of salt. It is possible that this rumor may not be true. However a Pink Centro leading up to Valentine's Day is just the sort gimmick that gets people to buy phones. I also expect Sprint's exclusive on the Centro to end around that date. As I have said on my 1SRC.com podcast, I believe that there needs to be a pink smartphone from Palm. So is this true? I guess we won't know until the month before Valentine's Day.

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Rumor: Pink Centro Coming to Sprint...

Rumor: Pink Centro Coming to Sprint

A TreoCentral forum member, "ashblades," is claiming to be a Sprint employee and states that Palm and Sprint will be launching a pink Centro on February 8 just in time for Valentines Day. You can read the entire TreoCentral thread here.

I've been wondering aloud with some of the other 1SRC'ers about why Palm isn't offering their smartphones in more rainbow flavors. With Palm's new found emphasis on the consumer market using the Centro as the vehicle to reach more feature phone users, it would seem that more color choices is a logical thing to offer.

Palm has offered the Treo 680 in several colors prior to the Cingular acquisition by AT&T. The copper Treo seemed to be the first color to sell out with customers clamoring to snatch up second-hand units on eBay once the primary channel dried up. Palm has seemed to have an on again-off again attitude toward colored devices. In the mid-90's Palm released a teal colored Palm Vx and a clear cased Palm IIIxe. Handspring's (now a part of Palm) Visor Deluxe line also came in a rainbow assortment of colors. (I did get an orange Visor). And there have been a few other limited and special edition Palm or Handspring devices since then.

While it is impossible to know if the poster at TreoCentral is credible at this time there is a prescient for a pink Centro late this coming winter.

Ruby Centro Goes on Sale

The ruby red Centro, Palm's consumer oriented smartphone, goes on sale starting this Sunday. Until now, it was only available in black.

Preliminary reports posted to the Internet suggest that the Centro has been selling well in the few weeks it has been available. We won't have official Centro sales numbers for a while yet. The ruby Centro will sell for the same price as the black one; $99.99 with a new 2-year service agreement and a $100 mail in rebate. You can purchase a Centro at Sprint and Palm retail stores or on the web from Palm's online store.

Read more at Brighthand...

Preliminary Reports, Centro Selling Well

Even though we are still months away from Palm's next quarterly earnings statement, early indicators are that sell through of Palm's latest Centro smartphone is good.

James Faucette, an analyst for Pacific Crest, recently wrote, “Our retail sell-through checks for the first weeks of availability indicate solid sell-through. We also believe that Centro cannibalization of the higher-ASP Treo is around 30%, versus our previous expectation of 50%.”

Unofficial reports are also coming in from conversations with retail sales associates from Sprint stores. To summarize one poster on the Yahoo! Finance discussion board Centro sell through is higher than expected and that Centro is popular with high school and college students.

Both of these reports bode well for Palm. I'll be looking forward to seeing official sell through numbers at the end of the current quarter.

Centro: For the Rest of Us

I have posted week's 1SRC editorial has been posted and talks about some of the advantages that the new Palm Centro has over Apple's much talked about iPhone.

"The Centro can’t stand up to the Apple iPhone. And it doesn’t have to.

Focus on the Differentiation

The iPhone and the Centro are both being marketed to people who use regular old cell phones. In the United States alone there are millions of people up for grabs. Centro is intended for people who wouldn’t otherwise consider purchasing a $500+ phone from Palm, Apple, or High Tech Computing (HTC).

The Centro offers a better user experience when trying to type out a text message or short email to your friends. There is also a large selection of software to choose from. (Apple is planning on releasing the tools to create native iPhone/iPod Touch applications early next year.) Regardless of what you want to do or what interests you, there is likely an application for you that will run on the Centro. When you compare the ease of use of the Centro to feature flip phones you see that it is possible to obtain a better mobile experience for a comparable price for all but the cheapest cell phones given away free with new service agreements.

You also can’t over look the ease of use of the Palm OS platform. Despite its age, Palm OS 5 is still a very capable operating system. At the heart of the Palm platform are the core 4 personal information management (PIM) applications: Contacts, Calendar, Tasks, and Memos. These applications are straightforward and easy to use. It is this ease of use and straight forward approach to PIM tools that has kept me coming back Palm every time I thing about upgrading my phone.

Messaging Matters

If you accept that the Centro is intended for 20 and 30-somethings, then you also must agree that it offers a better messaging experience over feature phones. Cento comes bundled with an IM, test messaging, and, email applications. Using Centro’s built-in keyboard improves up on the process of typing out messages to friends and coworkers.

The Centro is also cost competitive with the iPhone. After carrier discounts and mail in rebates the Centro can be purchased for the low price of $99. The Centro ends up being $300 less expensive than the iPhone and has almost all of the same features. Centro is also cheaper than the consumer oriented BlackBerry Pearl and the T-Mobile Sidekick. Furthermore, Sprint’s voice and data plans are slightly cheaper than AT&T’s. If you are on a budget, the Centro just makes sense.

In Conclusion

The new Palm Centro is an effort by Palm to reach out to customers who would otherwise not consider buying a smartphone. When talking about sales figures it doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing sort of thing. There are more than enough cell phone users for both Apple and Palm to market to. In recent years Palm has lost their leadership position in the smartphone market. The Centro is a good start in working back to that coveted spot. If Palm is serious about getting back on top of the smartphone heap, than future phones will need to be more innovative, look good, work well, and have the marketing muscle behind it to really generate some buzz in the industry. If you are in the market for a new phone and want to have the empowering features of a smartphone without the bloated price tag, the Centro is the device for you."

Via 1SRC.com...

ComputerWorld Reviews the Centro

ComputerWorld has published a review of Palm's new Centro smartphone.

"Go back five years when Palm handhelds ruled the mobile device market, before smart phones began their ascendancy. It's easy to imagine that Palm's new Centro -- the company's first smart phone not named Treo -- is the device Palm envisioned as the future of handhelds.

That's not damning by faint praise, either. Centro is far smaller than those old handhelds. For that matter, it's significantly sleeker than Palm's Treo, yet it provides most of the Treo's capabilities and, at $99 (with a two-year contract from Sprint plus rebates) is quite inexpensive."

Keep reading...

Palm Centro Goes On Sale Today

Palm's latest smartphone, the Centro, goes on sale starting today.

Centro is a new consumer oriented smartphone that packs all the power of Palm's Treo 755p smartphone in a smaller footprint. Centro runs the Palm OS (version 5.4.9), has 64MB of user storage space for applications and data, includes a 2.2" color touchscreen, and a microSD card slot supporting up to a 4GB expansion card. The Centro also features a 1150mAh replaceable lithium-ion battery.

Centro goes on sale for $99 when purchased with a new two-year service agreement and the $25 Sprint Power Vision pack and after a $50 mail in rebate. If you extend you existing service agreement with Sprint, you can take home the Centro for $199. Or you can buy the Centro without a service agreement or extending your contract for $399.

The Centro is a Sprint exclusive for the next 90-days. Once the Sprint exclusive is over expect the Centro to start appearing on other wireless carrier's networks.

The Palm Centro can be purchased at Sprint or Palm retail outlets or online at www.palm.com/store.

Palm Introduces the Centro

Palm has officially introduced the Centro smartphone. The following has been taken from the Palm press release mailed out earlier today.

"Designed for individuals and traditional mobile phone users looking for a better way to manage their professional and social lives, Palm, Inc. and Sprint today introduced the Palm(R) Centro(TM) smart device, at $99.99. With voice, text, IM, email, web, contact and calendar capabilities, a full-color touch screen and full keyboard, Centro brings Palm simplicity and organization to customers who want to stay connected with co-workers, friends and family. Centro will be exclusive through Sprint in the United States for 90 days and is available in onyx black or ruby red."

"With a fun, new compact design, Centro is the smallest and lightest Palm phone to date. Centro has a modern, stylish look that feels comfortable in the hand, pocket or evening purse."

"As the newest member of the Palm family, Centro is expected to attract new users to the smartphone category. According to IDC, the smartphone market is shifting to the mass market; U.S. smartphone shipments will grow from 13.8 million in 2007 to 74.4 million in 2011."

Analysis

The Centro is the new consumer oriented smartphone that Palm has been hinting about for a while now and shares some of the design elements of the recently announced Treo 500v for European wireless carrier Vodafone. To purchase the Centro smartphone for the advertised $99.99 you will need to commit to a new 2-year service agreement with Sprint. At this time, the retail pricing for the Centro without a service agreement for Sprint customers who are in between contract renewal periods is still unknown, however rumors circulating on the Internet in recent weeks pins the price of the Centro around $400.

The Centro is a standard Palm OS 5 based smartphone runing similar software as the Treo 680 and 755p. Since the Centro is a consumer oriented device, the popular mp3 player software Pocket Tunes has been upgraded to Pocket Tunes Deluxe. I also noticed that the Centro ships with VersaMail 4.0. At this time, it is not clear what has changed between this new version of VersaMail and version 3.5.x which has been shipping on the Treo 680, 700p, and 755p. (I also don't know if there will be be an upgrade made available for existing Treo customers.)

The Centro is slightly smaller and lighter than the Treo 755p. Centro's published dimensions are 4.22" (L) x 2.11" (W) x 0.73" (D) where as the 755p is 4.4" (L) x 2.3" (W) x 0.84 (D). The Centro weighs in at 4.2 ounces while the 755p comes it at 5.64 ounces.

Centro will be a Sprint exclusive for 90-days and is expected to go on sale in mid-October. It is possible that the Centro and the Treo 500v could go on sale on in the US and the UK on the same day. Palm will be shipping the Sprint edition Centro in two colors, onyx (black) and ruby (red). Not surprising, there has been no mention during today's announcement as to when a Verizon wireless Centro, or Treo 755p for that matter, will become available.

Palm and Sprint are expected to start taking Centro pre-orders from their respective websites starting tomorrow.

Read the full Palm press release...
Palm Centro website...

GadgetsOnTheGo has Palm Centro Pictures

Confirming what we've already suspected, GadgetsOnTheGo editor Jimmie Geddes has posted some pictures of the new Palm Centro taken from the Sprint website.

Palm and Sprint are expected to formally announce the Centro later today.

Keep reading at Gadgets On The Go...

Visit the Sprint MoreYous site...

Palm and Sprint Press Conference

Palm has sent out a notice of a joint press conference tomorrow, September 27, at the DigitalLife Conference taking place this week at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.

While the press release mostly contains information about the when and how to attend the event via webcast, today's press release gives as a teaser with the line:

"The news will include a new Palm(R) smartphone for Sprint."

Tomorrow's event will likely be the formal announcement of the Palm Centro, the company's first non-Treo smartphone.

Read the full press release...