Palm Centro Dark Blue Smartphone (Verizon Wireless) | 
 enlarge
| Brand: palm
Category: Wireless
List Price: $299.99
Buy New: $99.99
You Save: $200.00 (67%)
Avg. Customer Rating:  5 reviews
Sales Rank: 41873
Color: Dark Blue
Media: Wireless Phone
Battery Type: Lithium Ion
Display Size: 4
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0
Dimensions (in): 0 x 0 x 0
Model: CENTRO690P
UPC: 652810813808
ASIN: B001B63V3U
Release Date: June 13, 2008
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Promotion: Data not available Terms and Conditions
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Features:
| • | Dark blue smartphone with comprehensive organizer functions, digital audio player, and 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder | | • | Fast data connectivity via EV-DO; Broadband Access service for using phone as modem | | • | Text, e-mail, and instant messaging; Web browser; Bluetooth for communication headsets; MicroSD memory expansion | | • | Up to 3.5 hours of talk time, up to 300 hours (12.5 days) of standby time; measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches (HxWxD) | | • | Includes: handset, battery, charger, stylus, USB cable, quick-start guide, Getting Started CD |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Product Description
Life starts after five o'clock. Not coincidentally, that's also when the Palm Centro smartphone comes alive. Not only does the Palm Centro for Verizon handle all your favorite voice functions, but it also offers text, IM, e-mail, and web access, all in a body that's a lot smaller than you'd think. Add in such features as a 1.3-megapixel camera, 64 MB of internal memory, Bluetooth 1.2 support, a microSD memory expansion (up to 4 GB), and a full QWERTY keyboard and you have a terrific smartphone for all your messaging and personal needs. It also offers the Palm OS 5.4.9 platform and support for Windows XP and Vista and Mac OS X 10.2 and higher. 
The Palm Centro's full QWERTY keyboard makes it easy to type text messages, IMs, and e-mails. | Verizon Service Options
With support for the EV-DO high-speed data standard, you'll enjoy fast access to the Internet and Verizon's multimedia services (additional charges applicable), with average download speeds ranging from 400 to 700 Kbps and peak rates up to 2 Mbps. (Learn more about where EV-DO coverage is offered.) Getting on the Internet is easy using Verizon's Mobile Web 2.0 package, which allows you to read and send e-mails, exchange instant messages and view your favorite web content on your phone. Verizon's Get It Now wireless download service is also fully compatible with this phone. This pay-per-download service features application downloads, games and productivity tools. You can also personalize your handset with ringtone downloads using the Get It Now service. With BroadbandAccess Connect (subscription required), you can use your smartphone as a modem for your notebook when you connect the two using a USB cable--or open a Bluetooth connection--enabling you to access the Internet or your company intranet. The tethered modem capability is ideal when you're traveling and need to use your notebook to check email, access corporate networks, or download large files like presentations and reports. And with BroadbandAccess Connect, you won't have to buy an extra PC Card or other devices. Verizon's Wireless Sync always-on email service (subscription required), you can stay connected and get the job done while away from the office--without a delay and in a secure environment. Email is delivered to your device in real time across the National Enhanced Services Rate & Coverage Area, and you get the ability to forward large attachments via email as well as access both your personal and corporate emails on one device. Wireless Sync offers strong security with AES encryption (Advanced Encryption Standard) technology so that unauthorized parties cannot access or alter application data transmitted over wireless networks. Phone Features
The Palm Centro boasts a sleek, rounded housing that measures a mere 4.2 by 2.1 by 0.7 inches (HxWxD) and weighs 4.2 ounces. It's notably smaller than many competing smartphones, yet doesn't sacrifice functionality at any point along the way. It has a large 320 x 320-pixel touchscreen (up to 65K colors), which offers a crisp resolution for photos and videos. And thanks to the full QWERTY keyboard, you can say L8R to those tricky keys on your old cell phone. The Palm Centro offers a ton of ways to stay in touch with friends, whether you're firing off a quick text, instant messaging, shooting an e-mail to the office, or using that old-school standby: a phone call. From a phone perspective, the Centro lets you dial people right from your address book, set up three-way calls from the touch of a button, or use the speakerphone to talk hands-free. The keyboard, meanwhile, makes it a breeze to type complete messages whether you're sending text, pictures, or even audio or video clips. Plus, the Centro keeps all your messages in a chat-style view, so it's easy to keep track of the conversation. Want to keep up with all the latest gossip when you're away from the computer? Turn to the Centro's instant messaging functions, which support all your buddy lists on AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and others. Similarly, the Centro lets you access your personal e-mail accounts, such as Gmail, AOL, and Yahoo. As a result, you can reply to invites and answer e-mails when you're out and about. 
The Centro is the smallest smartphone yet from Palm. | Whether you're keeping up with friends on MySpace or looking up directions to the new bistro across town, the Centro's touchscreen and keyboard make it fun to navigate around the web. The Centro includes a fast built-in web browser that lets you check out photos on Flickr or watch videos on YouTube, with broadband-like speeds on the EV-DO network that are guaranteed to impress. No more waiting around for your favorite sites to load. The Centro is also compatible with Google Maps, making it simple to get directions or see which freeways are clear and which ones are parking lots. Google Maps shows you red, yellow, or green traffic routes in real time. The Palm Centro includes a complete organizer for keeping track of all your daily, weekly, and monthly responsibilities. The contacts list gathers all your friends' phone numbers, addresses, and more, while the calendar keeps you from missing upcoming meetings, events, and parties. You can even enter a friend's birthday in the contacts list and will automatically show up in your calendar. As with the best organizers, the Centro also offers a to-do list that lets you check off items when they're complete. As a result, it's easy to keep track of what you did and still need to do. And should you come across a tidbit that doesn't have a logical home, simply turn to the memo function, which lets you store random information such as hot spots in Vegas or the names of movies you'd like to rent. Say goodbye to carrying around crumpled scraps of paper in your pocket or purse. Finally, it's possible to save a copy of all those names, numbers, appointments, photos, and videos on your computer thanks to the sync function. Whether you want to take pictures, play videos, or listen to music, the Centro has got you covered. The 1.3-megapixel digital camera (with a 2x digital zoom) lets you shoot pictures and send them to friends, store digital albums, or shoot videos. The built-in MP3 player, meanwhile, lets you take your tunes everywhere you go. With 64 MB of storage, there's plenty of room for your playlists, plus you can add up to 4 GB more with an optional microSD card. And thanks to Pocket Tunes Deluxe, you can play the songs you downloaded from places like Rhapsody or Yahoo. Other features include: - Download, view, and edit Word and Excel compatible files with Documents to Go
- Rehearse PowerPoint presentations and consult important PDF files on the go
- Palm Operating System 5.4.9
- Bluetooth version 1.2 with the following profiles: HFP (hands-free car kits), HSP (communication headsets), DUN (dial-up networking)
- Hearing Aid Compatibility = M4/T4
Vital Statistics
The Palm Centro weighs 4.2 ounces and measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.7 inches. Its removable 1150 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 3.5 hours of talk time, and up to 300 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 800/1900 CDMA frequencies as well as the 1xEV-DO r0 data network.
|
| Customer Reviews:
A great replacement for the Treo 700p and the expensive data plan. August 13, 2008
I've had a couple of weeks of experience with the Centro, and I must say it has nearly turned around my bitterness towards Verizon and the train wreck that was the 700p (which apparently they finally fixed in an update a few weeks ago).
First of all Verizon apparently views this phone as a "low" end smartphone. As such they are offering it with a less expensive $29.99 unlimited data & email plan. This is a nice little touch and finally drops their data rates south of highway robbery. Oddly enough the internet in the Centro seems faster and more stable than the 700p, which was decent in itself when it wasn't crashing.
EDIT: Apparently the data plan isn't listed as one of Amazon's offerings, and I've found my local Verizon store messed up adding it initially. I'd call Verizon customer support and ask for the E-mail and Web for Smartphone Plan after activating your new phone.
The keyboard is much smaller, but I personally prefer the texture to the keys. The old Treo keys were rather smooth and sometimes slippery if you try to type with one hand. These new keys have a good amount of texture to aid in one handed typing. However, they don't have the same amount of "click" to them.
Battery life seems fine. I've gotten a bit better battery life after taking some advice from the forums of Treocentral and turned off the auto syncing of the time. Overall I charge the phone every other day with my usage patterns (some web, about 3 hours or so of pocket tunes internet radio, some calendar viewing, and a bit of Sudoku and Solitaire).
It feels a bit cheaper built than the 700p, but the software seems a lot more well put together. Verizon was apparently lazy and took almost no effort to tamper with this phone as they usually do with most of their phones. The only dedicated Verizon application I've noticed was Wireless Sync (which I've heard was a buggy, slow email client). Other than that I've got a full version of Docs to Go, Google Maps (which seems a bit slow when you zoom in all the way, but is otherwise strangely addicting), Pocket Tunes Deluxe (with internet radio), Sudoku (addicting), and many variants of Solitaire (from Astraware). The rest of the applications are pretty much the same as other Palms.
As a final note I've had the chance to see every single color of Centro (with the exception of the Grey/White unlocked GSM version), and I must say the "Cobalt Blue" color that Verizon picked out was a brilliant choice. It doesn't stick out as much as "Electric Blue," but it's the type of color you could bring more or less anywhere and still look good.
Fantastic Phone with great features & great price! Centro Rules! August 13, 2008
I purchased this phone as an upgrade from a phone with just a keyboard. I needed a phone that had more organizational features but still allowed texting. This phone delivered above and beyond my needs. There are so many features with this phone. It has a very responsive touch screen and is very very user friendly. The stylus is a great feature with a touch screen This is my first Palm device and I am getting around in it very easily. It also is very compact, a lot smaller than it looks in pictures. If you are looking for a versatile phone that helps you keep your schedule organized with spending a great deal of $$$ this is the phone. The keyboard is small, but so is the phone. I don't have any problems with texting or entering information. Why spend more for the same or less? Definitely a great buy you wont regret getting this one.
Amazing combination of form and function August 3, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I've had my Centro for about a month now, and have been continually impressed with just about everything about it. IMHO, this might very well be the best combination of price, functionality, and portability.
Price:-------------------------------------
While Palm seems to have pegged this as a phone for the value conscious, it does not seem that any corners were cut. The screen is a joy to behold, with crisp text and vibrant colors. The keys are solid to the touch, and though I have fairly large hands, typos are not very common. And, the finish on the phone screams quality. The touch screen also works very well, and I find that I rarely break out the stylus - which is so wonderfully recessed that it'll take a minute or so before you locate it for the first time.
Functionality:-----------------------------
I've used both Palm and PocketPC organizers, and have to say that I really enjoy the simplicity of the Palm OS. While it may be a bit long in the tooth today - its hard to improve upon simplicity. Especially on a hand held device. All the familiar Palm applications are there, and work just as well. In addition, there's DataViz's Documents To Go application that lets you work with PDFs, Word, and Excel documents.
Portability:--------------------------------
It is amazing just how much has been packed into this form factor. A full keyboard, a decent screen, and good navigation - via a 5 way rocker switch. I'm not a big fan of keyboards that swivel or slide into existence, since it usually means a thicker body. The Centro gives me all that I need and will still fit comfortably in my front trouser pocket - so well in fact that I don't even notice it. In fact, one of my worries is that its just a bit too small for my hands, and that I might have it slip through my fingers.
* * * * * * * * * * * As a phone * * * * * * * * * * * *
Call quality and speakerphone abilities are obviously important in a phone, and I was very glad that the Centro shone in both those departments. However, people can often tell that I'm on a cell phone, and at the maximum volume level there seems to be some clipping on the speakerphone.
I really like the touch keys that show up when in a call to turn on the speakerphone or to mute the microphone.
BTW - I used to have TMobile service (with a Moto Razr) but would constantly run into dead zones within office buildings. Using the Centro with Verizon, gives me 2 solid bars where I often had none.
I tend to prefer phones with hard keys. However, the numeric keypad here is way too small to use - especially one handed. Hence my primary concern was with how its alternative dialing mechanisms would work - i.e., touch pad dialing, voice dialing and speed dialing features.
Touch pad dialing:------------------------
Works reasonably well - with fairly large sized buttons showing up on the screen. What's really cool are the programmable soft buttons that you get at the bottom of the touch pad - called Favorite Buttons. Once you've configured these favorites, dialing frequently used numbers is as easy as navigating to them and pressing the Palm button.
Voice dialing:------------------------------
This is a separate application by VoiceSignal. My opinion on this is a bit mixed. It seems to work reasonably well - but can be very finicky. I've played with its customization settings to get it to work better, but I'm not sold on it yet.
The most vexing problem is that it works by doing a phonetic match between the contact's name and what you say into the microphone. While this works for most names, it is a challenge when a name is not pronounced as it is spelled. I much prefer the alternative - where you record the pronunciation for each contact, and the application does a voice print comparison.
For convenience, the Centro lets you invoke the voice dialing application by pressing and holding the lower most left button.
Speed key dialing:------------------------
This doesn't work quite as well mostly because I can never remember who is programmed on a given key :(
* * * * * * * * * * * Other thoughts * * * * * * * * * * * *
Key Guard:------------------------------
The key guard is also simplicity itself. I have it set so that the device goes to sleep in 30 seconds if no key is pressed. Then to wake it up, I need to press the Power button and the recessed center Palm button. Its kind of annoying especially if you're used to clamshell designs - but its easy to get used to. I've heard complaints regarding other phones where the key guard is too easy to bypass, resulting in unexpected phone calls being made. So far no such problem. I've had it in my front trouser pocket - and its never called home.
Synchronization:------------------------
I used the supplied cable to sync this phone to both Microsoft Outlook and to the Palm Desktop, and both went without a hitch. The cable connection at the phone end is a bit scary - it doesn't connect well, and I often hit the sync button when trying to detach it.
The cable does double duty - as a trickle charger - so its easy to charge up your phone while at your computer.
Using Bluetooth to sync with my laptop took a bit longer to setup. However, it did go through, and now it's a joy to have it sync at the push of a button, without having to connect up the cable. Its not noticeably slower than using the cable, and its convenience is awesome.
Battery level:----------------------------
Battery level is sort of a concern. Looks like a car charger and an additional battery are must-have accessories for me. I find that under light to normal usage, I have to charge it at least twice a week. That's a bit thirstier than I expected, but I prefer this to the increased weight of a high capacity battery.
Battery cover:----------------------------
That brings me to the one problem with this phone that everyone complains about - that the designer must have been asleep during the class on battery cover design. It requires brute strength and pure luck in equal measures to slide it open. I've done it successfully over a dozen times now, but I still haven't quite figured out a technique. The positive here is that I do not open battery covers on phone with any regularity. The negative is that you need to get this open to do a soft reset (another design class missed, it seems), and to properly seat the microSD card (yet another).
Web/email/data:--------------------------------
The Blazer browser is plenty zippy, and I've had no trouble accessing gmail, Google Maps, or any of my regular sites. The pages render beautifully and the images are surprisingly sharp and clear.
* * * * * * * * * * * Conclusion * * * * * * * * * * * *
I agonized over the Blackberry devices and the Samsung 760 - all wonderful devices.
However, as a key selection criterion for me was portability, it was simply impossible to ignore this phone. Combining this with a comprehensive feature-set definitely makes it one of the best on the market.
Everything I wanted in a phone June 26, 2008
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
I have been waiting for ages for the perfect phone. One that would combine a good phone with my Palm Tungsten. That phone finally arrived in the Palm Centro. Because I use the FranklinCovey PlanPlus software I needed a smartphone that ran on Palm OS. I'm not a big tech geek, so I don't know about Palm OS being outdated. What I do know is that this phone functions perfectly for me in the use of the PlanPlus software to run my calendar, contact list, task lists and other FranklinCovey items. I had already been using Documents to Go and liked that this was already included on the phone. I do use the email function for my personal Comcast and gmail. Regular Yahoo mail doesn't work, but that is because of Yahoo and not the phone. The only issue I ran into was trying to figure out why my memory card kept popping out. I finally read that you have to take off the back cover to seat it properly. And as another reviewer pointed out, it can be a bit of a challenge to get the back cover on and off. All in all this phone works exactly the way I wanted it to, and I'm very happy with my upgrade.
I love this phone! June 25, 2008
25 out of 25 found this review helpful
I've been craving the perfect smartphone for a few years now. Seems you had to sacrifice for either size or features. Finally, this little guy comes along and I literally can't put it down. I The features are great and the form factor is perfect. It barely takes up more space in my pocket than the Razr it replaced. First, as many have mentioned, yes the Palm OS is dated, however as dated as it seems, it still blows the doors off of most phones out there. I want it simple. I don't need a ton of useless apps and fluff bogging down my phone. My primary need was for the following: 1) Good sound quality, 2) Robust calendar and alarm feature, 3) email capability, 4) easy texting, 5) decent camera (because you never know when you'll need to take a halfway decent pic in an emergency (auto accidents, unexpected events, etc.) The Centro delivers on all fronts. Here's my pros and cons:
PROS:
PHONE: Nice clear phone with great reception (in my area anyway, southeastern Pennsylvania). Speakerphone is loud and clear. Buttons to toggle speakerphone on/off well placed and easily quickly found on touchscreen. The layout is well-executed and all buttons/features easy to find. Callers can be identified by picture and ringtone.
MESSAGING: I LOVE the fact that messages are sorted in a chat/IM format. It makes it so much easier to keep up with back and forth conversations. And since new messages from someone who has already texted you are appended to the chat log, it's very easy to find older messages from certain people. The icons are a nice touch too. I haven't used the email feature. I have a Blackberry for that (sorry, it's the undisputed champ. Besides, I don't need 24X7 access to my personal email, only corporate).
PIM: What can I say, it's Palm. It's been around for ages, so I won't bore you with repetitive info. It's very easy to add information, synch with PC, and backup data. Contacts is great. You can add a lot of extra info (such as anniversaries, birthdays, etc.) for contacts that will be automatically added to calendar. Several fields including customizable ones, ensure you can enter pretty much any info you desire. Pictures can be added to contacts. The Palm software will even ask you if you wish to optimize the picture for use on the Palm. That's great and saves you the time of re-sizing an 8MP picture so it doesn't gobble a couple MB's on your handheld. Haven't really used memo yet, but it's basically a rudimentary scratch pad for notes.
CAMERA: The camera is adequate. It's by no means great (I've yet to find that on ANY cellphone), but it's on par with the best that's out there now. Though only 1.3 MP, images are clear and free from blur. Even low-light images are fairly decent half the time. Video is OK, although not as robust as the still-cam. (see more on this below)
EXTRAS: There are a few little extras: Documents to Go, Versamail, PocketTunes, etc. that I haven't bothered to use yet. I did install a 4GB microSD card and keep photos and music on it. Desktop software is standard Palm fare. If you are unfamiliar with it, there are plenty of reviews and info sites on the web. It is extremely easy to install, configure, and use. Internet access is standard mobile phone fare. Speeds were pretty good on Verizon's network. Battery life is great! I keep it on all day (power down overnight). I make calls, use the camera, frequently use the messaging, calendar, and contacts, and I'm on my third day without recharging (although it looks like I may do so tonight)
The fit and finish are fine. Although you can tell this phone is geared towards the budget crowd, it doesn't feel "cheap". It's just not as fancy as it's bigger brothers, however, it definitely feels solid and well-built in it's own right.
CONS:
I love the keyboard and realize there was no way to keep the form factor this size and make them any bigger. Although I don't have big sausage fingers, I still sometimes have difficulty navigating the micro-sized keys. Someone with larger fingers should definitely try it out in a store first. You can also dial the phone with soft buttons on the touchscreen
Video is a crap shoot. Sometimes videos are OK, other times the movements are kind of jerky. Depends on lighting and how fast your subject is moving. Fortunately, my expectations weren't that high to begin with. Like 99% of the video phones, it's adequate, just not great.
The USB sync cable is difficult to remove . It almost feels like you're going to break it when you pull it out. There are no buttons or release switches.
The battery door is also extremely difficult to remove/replace. You have to push down on just the right place. The microSD card took a couple attempts to seat properly. The instructions said it should "click" into place, however mine didn't click, it just slid in until it stopped. My first attempt I failed to fully insert it and the card wasn't detected. You have to remove the battery cover to access the microSD slot, so I wasn't very happy about doing that again.
Other than these few minor annoyances, I having yet found any glaring cons with this phone. I love it and would highly recommend it if you're searching for a robust smartphone that isn't the size of a brick.
|
|
|
