Treo 650 cell phone is smart — and pricey

By Edward C. Baig
USA Today

The telecommunications geniuses would have us believe we've been carrying pretty dumb cell phones. These phones don't organize our lives, play music, take pictures or videos or handle e-mail. They're not adept at Web browsing and they lack keyboards and clever ways to dial.

The best and brightest cell phones, anointed "smart phones," handle most, if not all, of these functions.

The smartest of the smart phones has been the Treo. The folks at PalmOne say their smart phone is about to raise its IQ again with the Treo 650. This appears to be true, despite a few reservations.

One of those concerns is price: The Treo 650 costs $600. As the first U.S. wireless carrier to sell it, Sprint offers a $150 rebate, if you sign a two-year contract and activate new service. Other carriers are expected to start selling the device next year.

Even factoring in the rebate, though, the Treo is pricier than a worthy competitor, the $200 BlackBerry 7100t.

The elegant 650, just over 6 ounces, is solid and inviting. Shaped like a candy bar, it boasts a bright backlit traditional keyboard. Keys are larger and flatter than on the previous Treo 600.

As before, there's a digital camera, now with a tiny self-portrait mirror on the back. PalmOne has improved the camera's performance in low light and overall. You can also shoot video clips.

Also new: a removable battery that's said to provide up to five hours of talk time and 300 hours of standby.

The 650 incorporates Bluetooth, the technology that lets two devices communicate wirelessly over a short range, and works with a hands-free Bluetooth headset or car kit

Wi-Fi is absent. Memory is another drawback: Just 23 mega-bytes of RAM are available for storage.

The 650 comes with an e-mail program that lets you retrieve messages from POP3 and IMAP accounts. You can also synchronize your corporate e-mail. Very smart.