Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/28/palm_launches_centro/
Palm has, as expected, announced its Centro smartphone with US carrier Sprint, though the new-design handset won't go on sale until the middle of October.
Palm's Centro: cut-down and consumer friendly
The Centro - codenamed 'Gryphon' - is visually the same handset as the Treo 500v - aka 'Otto' - Palm launched over here earlier this month with Vodafone. The key differences are the inclusion of a dual-band CDMA 2000 EvDO radio and the use of the Palm OS - version 5.4.9 - rather than Windows Mobile 6.
The Centro has 64MB of user memory, the 500v has 150MB. It camera spec is better too: two megapixels to the Centro's 1.3Mp. And the 500v is a Bluetooth 2+EDR device, whereas the Centro uses version 1.2.
Palm's Centro: Palm OS on board
The Centro does have the better screen - just: a 320 x 320, 65,536-colour job to the 500v's 320 x 240, 65,536-colour display.
Palm, then, is clearly pitching the Centro as a lower-end device, and it's planned availability in glossy black and red versions should stress the consumer-friendliness of the phone.
Sprint will offer the Centro for $100 - provided customers agree to a two-year contract and send back a $100 rebate coupon. In short, the up-front cost is at least $200. Palm and Sprint will begin taking orders for the product today.
Centro a bright spot in Palm's quarterly results (19 December 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12/19/palm_quarterlies/
Next-gen Treo spied on web (24 October 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/10/24/palm_800w_spied/
Palm admits new OS 18 months away (3 October 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/10/03/palm_os_delay/
Palm posts loss for Q1 (1 October 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/10/01/palm_earnings_q1_2008/
BenQ touts 3G-less Window Mobile 6 smartphone (1 October 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/10/01/benq_e72_smartphone/
The Curse of Bono strikes Palm (20 September 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/20/palm_profits_warning/
Palm, Vodafone launch slinky Treo 500v (12 September 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/09/12/palm_launches_treo_500v/
Palm drowns Foleo at birth (5 September 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/09/05/palm_cancels_foleo/
Palm offers free Treo 750 Windows Mobile 6 upgrade (29 August 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/08/29/palm_upgrades_wm_treos/
Palm directs Sprint to Centro (17 August 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/08/17/palm_points_to_centro/