Palm Treo 800w

The Treo 800w is Palm's first Windows Mobile 6.1 device and comes loaded with several features many users want on a modern mobile phone—GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and a fast 3G data connection provided by EvDO rev A. It weighs in at just 5 ounces and fits comfortably in one's hand as well as a pocket or purse, and is optimized for one-handed use.


Ease of use and physical specs


The 800w excels at being a messaging device for both data and voice, and continues the Palm tradition of ease of use. The device can be unlocked for use by simply double-tapping on the D-pad, Wi-Fi can be toggled on or off by pressing the One Touch Wi-Fi button on the top of the device, and the sound can be turned off by sliding a switch, as on the first Treo. 


The keyboard is not as wide as on the Treo 750, but the buttons seem to be 10% bigger and better spaced for faster typing and less mistakes. The 320 x 320 display is larger than on previous Treos, but seems washed out at the default setting. When compared to other Windows Mobile phones at the same brightness levels, it is clearly dimmer and looks to be an obvious engineering choice to conserve battery life. There are also many secondary functions of the buttons surrounding the D-pad that are activated in conjunction to pressing the white Option button: the Windows Start button activates the camera, the Calendar launches Contacts, the OK (close) button activates the Task Manager (which is added with WM 6.1), and the Inbox opens Messaging.


Phone features and battery life


When making a phone call, Palm hasn't changed a thing—it's still the best user experience for any Windows Mobile device by keeping the dialer in the background, allowing the user to access the Today screen to easily access content during a call by pressing down on the D-pad, and allowing you to use the speaker phone, hold, mute, and memo options. If you do need the onscreen numeric pad, a quick press of the green Call button will bring up a customized numeric pad with Call History. You also have visual use of missed calls and voicemails with onscreen controls to control playback.


The GPS search feature also takes its lead from the phone interface—it's right on the Today screen, enabling quick searches for POI, directions, or mapping a contact's address. Another highlight is that you can use the GPS feature with any other application, and it's not locked down like on other devices.


There are some disadvantages with the new 800w, mostly to do with the battery. The battery life under my moderate usage of push e-mail and occasional Web browsing was quite poor. To last a whole day, I had to turn off the phone function at night (by holding down the End Call button). There are some customization features available on the 800w to conserve battery life that differ from other Windows Mobile devices in that it shows the amount of mAh consumed, has a screen saver (that brings up the time and date at a low power setting) you can enable, and has separate Backlight and Brightness settings. The only way to truly turn off the device was to remove the battery from the unit or place a piece of plastic, (I used a small piece of packing tape) between the battery contacts and the battery. If Palm allowed for turning the device off, the Treo 800w would have a much longer battery life which is especially important when landing after a long bi-coastal flight.


The best Treo to date


Overall, the 800w is the best Treo to date. It's designed to make you productive out of the box without having to install any third-party software or tweaks. It is a true messaging master for both your personal and professional life.