Review: Palm's EV-DO Treo 700p

Palm Treo 700p

Palm Treo 700p

Palm Treo 700p

The Palm Treo 700p is the latest in a long line of popular PalmOS powered devices with QWERTY keyboards. While its shape is far different from the original Treo 270 phone that was introduced 4 years ago, it does not look all that much different from the Treo 600 and 650 models that made the name Treo such a hot word in business circles.

In fact, apart from a few mostly aesthetic changes to the keyboard and buttons, and a few random specs like a new camera and EV-DO data capability, the Treo 700p from Palm will be nearly 100% familiar to an existing Treo 650 user. That can be both good or bad, depending on your view.

Physical Aspects

Physically, the modern Treo form factor on the 700p, which has been in use since the original 600, is good. People are used to its wide candybar shape, and the location of the QWERTY keyboard on the bottom has become standard issue for most comparable devices. But it is no lightweight at 176.4g (6.2oz). In terms of physical size, it measures 113mm x 60mm x 23mm (4.4" x 2.4" x .9"), not counting the stub antenna. That's a fairly large and thick device, to be sure, but still no larger than the upcoming Sony Ericsson P990.

The QWERTY keyboard dominates the front of the Treo 700p. It is made up of 4 rows of keys and is quite usable. The full range of characters and symbols are available for use, and each key has an obvious, though not audible, click to it when pressed. A shift key gives access to capital letters, the option key to the left of the Z allows for access to the numeric keypad and the alternate characters listed on each key, and an Alt key makes getting to the different variations of a letter (for use in non-English languages) quite easy. On the bottom right of the keypad, beneath the period/full stop is the menu access key - a slightly awkward position for such an important key.

Above the keypad are the normal application buttons that we expect to find on a Palm device. The Treo 700p comes with those keys pre-configured for accessing the Phone, Calendar, and Messaging apps, and the Home screen - the main menu. The d-pad controller on the 700p is large and easy to use, and the Treo user will notice that the red and green call control buttons have shifted their position a bit from earlier models and are now up top.

Moving off the front, you'll find a pair of volume keys and a voice memo record button on the left side of the 700p. The right side has no controls at all, but there is a slider switch up top that puts the phone into silent/vibrate mode. That switch is located next to the IR port and the SD card slot. Out back we find the speaker port and the 1.3 megapixel camera with its self-portrait mirror, but no flash. The bottom of the Treo is where the Palm power/data cable attaches, as do any wired headsets that are to be used.

Palm Treo 700p

Palm Treo 700p

One thing I haven't mentioned so far is the Treo 700p's stylus. Located in a silo found above and to the left of the camera's lens, the stylus is rather nice. It weighs a hefty 5.5g (.2oz) or so, and has a very nice feel. It is 97mm (3.8") in length, which makes it very easy to hold. That's actually a good way to describe the Treo 700p in general: easy to hold. All of the Treo's edges have been rounded, and the extra width when compared to regular handsets makes it fit comfortably into the palm. My palm, at least.

 

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