Palm Centro for AT&T

The Palm Centro for AT&T Wireless is the first GSM smartphone from Palm since the release of the Treo 680. Palm positioned the Treo 680 as the smartphone for soccer moms, young professionals and typically first time smartphone owners that might otherwise be intimidated by a Treo. While the Treo 680 had a modest reception among this new target demographic, the diminutive Palm Centro has turned out to be quite the successful smartphone. Read our comprehensive review of the Palm Centro for AT&T Wireless.

Phone

First and foremost, the Palm Centro is a phone first. For those making the leap from a traditional cellphone, you'll appreciate the size of Centro. While internalizing the antenna on the Treo 680 paid dividends among previous Treo owners, the phone itself still had significant bulk to it when compared to a RAZR or any typical cellphone. The Centro bypasses those objections by delivering a truly "pocketable device". Even down to the glossy finish which makes it easy to pull in and out of your jeans or jacket pocket. Having spent the better half of last six years exhaulting the benefits of a smartphone, it's taken the iPhone to get friends who swore against carrying a smartphone to take notice. It's this same group that will consider the Centro given it's size, function and value. At the end of the day, not everyone will allocate $399 to a phone purchase or consider a phone that does not offer the tactile responsiveness that comes with a QWERTY keyboard.

Keyboard

Appealing the text messaging generation and list making mom's, the Centro comes outfitted with a small, yet responsive QWERTY keyboard. I've read members of our forums comment how the keys have a "gummy" feel to them. Outside of more space, it couldn't be easier to type on the Palm Centro. While I appreciate a larger overall space for the keyboard, it's simply not possible given the size of the Centro. The tactile feel of the "gummy" keys easily makes up for the lack of a larger keyboard. Essentially, I found the way I type is slightly different than using a Treo.

Welcoming Back the New Phone App

Thankfully, Palm has included the new Phone application that made it's appearance on the Treo 680 and then mysteriously disappeared from the Treo 700p and Treo 755p. The new Phone application provides tabs for quick access to the favorites list, dialer, call logs and a desktop homescreen for your favorite photos. Suprisingly, this application is not being touted by Palm or AT&T, but it certainly makes the Palm Centro easier to use.

Software Glass Half Full

Looking at the Palm OS that comes standard on the Palm Centro, there will be two schools of thought. Either the glass is half full or half empty. If you are new to the Palm OS, then it will most certainly be a step up from the often confusing operating systems found on pedestrian cellphones. Additionally, there are a wealth of software applications that expand the capabilities of the Centro. Visit Everything Treo for a wide variety of free Centro software titles or browse the available commercial titles in our Centro Software Store.

I tend to be in the camp of the glass being half full and then some. While the Palm OS is in sore need of an update, Palm customers have the benefit of tried and true software. Taking this one step further, Palm has gone ahead and included some of the most popular Palm applications that also offer practical usage. PocketTunes has long been the mainstay when it comes to playing music on a Treo and now the Centro and it's included as part of the software bundle. The Centro also includes the popular Documents To Go, bringing with it the ability to edit and read Office documents including Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. From a mobile perspective, the Docs To Go suite are simply the best when it comes to editing documents on a smartphone.

Those unwilling to pry themselves away from Windows Live Messenger, AOL IM or Yahoo IM will appreciate the bundled Instant Messaging application. It supports all three major services, allowing you to be logged and chatting on multiple clients. During the Treo's infancy, IM apps were upwards of $30 and some even required a yearly subscription. With a data plan, there are no added fees for this service and the included IM application works great.

As you'd expect, there are a host of useful applications that allow you to easily manage your calendar, contacts, appointments, memos and to-do lists. Rounding out the software applications are Pics & Video to manage your photos, VoiceMemo to record important voice memos and Voice Dial that allows you to command the Centro to dial contacts or open a specific application. The Voice Dial app worked well in my testing.

Those looking to further extend the capabilities of the Centro can easily do so with subscription based services. XM Radio offers a three-day trial offering a host of satellite music channels streamed direct to the Centro. With the addition of a Bluetooth GPS accessory, the Centro can be used as a GPS using TeleNav, albeit for a monthly subscription fee. AT&T also offers MobiTV, although our past reviews have noted that the ability to stream video content over an EDGE connection is suspect. If you're looking for PushToTalk functionality, that feature is also available allowing you to easily annoy passersby who get to listen in on your daily life. In all seriousness, those who rely on "walkie-talkie" like communication will be thrilled, as this marks the first Palm device with PushToTalk.

Design

I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan of the Centro design when I was first introduced to Palm's new smart device. After spending time with the Sprint Centro, I got it. The size, functionality and pocketability is where the design of the Centro shines. This phone will just seamlessly fit into anyone's life. Colors for the most part are a personal decision. I like the colors when I purchased my xBox 360 and I continue to the like them on the Palm Centro. Those who prefer a more traditional color will have an option later this month, when AT&T will make "obsidian black" available. In a stable of silver and black, the white Palm Centro stands out and that's a good thing in a crowded field of smartphones.

Value

Clearly, this is where the Palm Centro is a flat out winner. Priced under $100 after rebates, the Centro offers robust functionality that rival even the most expensive smartphones. In addition to a peppy device, the Centro comes packed with software and includes all the necessary cables to connect to your Mac or PC. Compared with the Sprint Palm Centro, the latest Centro doesn't compare when it comes to data speeds due to AT&T's slower EDGE network.

Conclusion

There is a reason that Palm's Treo had been the most popular smartphone for years and the Centro wraps all of those features neatly into a pocket friendly device at pocket friendly price.