Customer Reviews

PALM TREO 755p 755 BLUE SPRINT PDA CAMERA CELL PHONE

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

After moving to an area with weak T-Mobile reception, I decided to move to Sprint. The problem? I had a T-Mobile MDA with Windows Mobile, lots of applications, and had customized the device to the point where it was very usable and stable.

To move to Sprint, I had an unsavory choice. The only smartphones were the Motorola Q, HTC Mogul or Palm 755P (I'll ignore the old, low-resolution Palm 700w). The Motorola Q was out because its battery life is bad and it can't edit MS Word Documents (without a 3rd party app). The Mogul had almost everything I wanted, except some imbecile at HTC decided to REMOVE the headphone jack. The only way to plug in a stereo headphone is through a HUGE, bulky adapter...or use bluetooth, but I don't need another item to charge. Dumb. So, here I was staring at the Palm 755p.

It's been two weeks with the device, so here are my observations:

Pros:

- Good call quality; none dropped yet
- Good, loud speakerphone
- Fairly stable, with only occasional re-boots
- good form factor - it's no lightweight and feels downright prehistoric next to a Blackberry Curve or a T-mobile Dash, but contoured edges and rubbery plastic makes it feel good in the hand for extended use
- Free download of Sprint Mobile Email client, which is great and works with Yahoo (without premium subscription), Gmail, pop, etc
- Decent number of apps, though many are somewhat old
- Moderately intuitive interface
- Stereo headphone jack (duh!). Has decent music sound through included headphones.
- Good Instant Messaging/SMS application with threaded discussions
- Good data speed
- On Demand application is really handy for looking up maps, phone numbers, getting news and sports stories. (Where's the sports scoreboard function, though??)
- Streams audio well, as long as you're not multitasking
- pretty fast data speeds, but the Blazer browser is a bit clunky. I sometimes miss Pocket IE. (Opera Mini is available, sort of, but requires a complex installation of Java from IBM...don't bother)
- (not 755p-specific) In areas with bad Sprint signal, you can roam onto Verizon's network (as long as you don't roam more than 50% of your monthly minutes)

Cons:

- No multitasking!! It closes each app to use another one. Annoying. One exception is on a call, you can open a word document, or calendar, which makes it tolerable.
- The operating system is DOA - don't expect any new applications developed for it. So, if you don't find the ones you need today, you'll never get them.
- the keys are tiny and really close together! i really miss my MDA keyboard. Though the 755p is a better one-handed device, the keys have inconsistent pressure points, which makes it difficult to type fast, causing consistent results (some keys don't always register). It's also nowhere near as good as a Blackberry Curve keyboard.
- When you pick up a second call on call waiting, the person hangs up, you switch back to your original call, but the 2nd line doesn't hang up...it stays connected! Maybe I'm doing something wrong, but come on, I'm an advanced user!
- The music app (pTunes) claims to play in the background, but skips quite a bit when trying to use other apps.
- On-Screen phone dialer prone to mis-dialing 10-20% of the time. Strange. I use the hard keys.
- Many apps need to be installed in main memory, not a card, taking up precious resources. (With moderate 3rd party app usage, this should be OK)
- No 'today'screen similar to WM5, which shows everything at a glance (texts, appointments, emails, etc). I tried several 3rd party ones, but they are resource hogs and look terrible.
- The default application launcher is terrible! i recommend getting Hi-Launcher (a customizable, "Start Menu" that pops up by pressing or holding any button you choose. Works in any application or on any screen. Very handy!)
- Pre-installed versions of Word-to-Go and pTunes are old. I recommend getting the upgrades, especially if you use those programs a lot or find the default versions lacking features you need.
- Sprint TV is worthless - anything worth watching is a separate $$$ add-on, even with Power Vision. Don't bother.
- (not phone-specific) Sprint customer service will kill you. If you were in a good mood, once you're done with them, you won't be. They are a mess. Few reps speak English, many are on different billing systems and cannot see your account info. You will be transferred 5-12 times per incident before giving up or getting a marginal resolution to your problem. Avoid them like the plague! I'm crossing my fingers staying with Sprint. T-Mobile was head and shoulders better. They're not even in the same league...or continent, as the case seems to be.

Conclusion:

If you can live with compromise, the 755p is a pretty good device. I'd recommend getting a few 3rd party apps to make living with it easier (see below). Life is about imperfect choices. All-in, this is a somewhat better phone than my old MDA, but it is an inferior power-user data device. Depends what you're looking for. If you can wait, I'd see if Sprint starts offering new WM6 devices that require fewer compromises...and have actual headphone jacks and larger keyboards. For now, I'll stick with the 755p, which takes care of 80-85% of my needs.

Recommended 3rd Party Apps:

KeyContacts (part of KeySuite) - I found the rest of Keysuite unnecessary, but the contacts app is great because it syncs perfectly with Outlook, without forcing you to give up certain data, as the default contacts app does. It also integrates fairly well with the phone dialer.

Hi-Launcher - a must! See above.

Sprint Mobile Email (free) - way better than the default versamail for web mail users. "Pushes" new messages to your device, at least with Yahoo...not consistently with pop or Gmail.

Phone Technician - adds needed features to the phone application, such as turning off the screen while on a call.

KBlights - shuts off keyboard backlighting to save battery, when not needed. (Not needed if you use Power Hero, a power saving application)

Resco Explorer 2007 - File viewer and manager (otherwise, you're in the dark as to what's on your device)

eWallet - store sensitive data, like passwords, on your device safely.

Uninstall - monitors your device and cleanly uninstalls applications.

There seems to be some grousing about sprint generally here. Take that with a grain of salt. For anyone not using OPM ("other people's money" i.e. a company account), Sprint is by far the best and most cost effect high seed internet on these type of devices. It's service is no less functional and its support no better or worse than the other big boys -- it is just far cheaper.

The device works well except for some problems shared with both the Treo 700p and this barely different update the 755p. In no particular order, bluetooth pairing is hit or miss and not up to par with normal phone devices costing 1/3 to 1/2. The hardware headphone jack is known to fail with very moderate an careful use which makes the bluetoot problems even more of an issue. The camera is about the lowest possible quality of any camera on any comparable or less expensive handset.

The key element is the software, especially the palm platform. It is robust enough to be sure, but buyers ought to be aware that the palm OS is all but abandoned. Even palm has moved most of its team to its devices which use windows. They don''t support key third party developers for the palm OS either. If your window for use is six months this is not an issue. If your window off use is in synch with replacement discounts, and is two years I would say avoid this device. there are scores of important and interesting software add ons one can get for the windows devices, and none for the palm except for old add ons developed years ago.

I use DVD profiler on my pc. They released a version that will work on Treo windows devices but not on palm platforms. Same for shoutcast, same for many many new and exciting programs.

Learning an interface also represents an investment for the user that one can get returns on over several generations of product. You will not get that with the Palm OS as this is the end.

I bought the 755p to replace my treo 650. The 755p is all the 650 was and more. Faster data transmission, rubberized finish help you hold it without need for a skin, super fast when used as a tethered modem 1100k in one of my speedtests, smaller body, perfect screen colors, improved camera (the 650s was worth about $5.

Negatives: You can run down the battery pretty quick, as many have stated the Palm OS looks to be dead pretty soon, the Blazer browser is barely good enough to be called a browser.

Net: I use it constantly. I read e-books, stream audio, listen to mp3s (aeroplayer), have dictionaries, videos, reference materials, rss feed and reader, email x 3, voice recorder. Sprint can be a pain, but you learn to work them... They will really discount plans and services to keep you, the network (data) is really fast and I'm not in LA or NYC.

It's an excellent tool. When other carriers get the i-phone, and there are MANY more applications available I'll get one.........

What can i say about this phone? Having been an owner of the Treo 600, then moving onto the standard 650, then skipping the 700p due to the fact that it did not have the high speed capability that i was seeking and the features were not much different then the 650. Now that the 755p has come out, i got a chance to demo it at a Sprint Store. Let me tell you, i just fell in love with it after holding it on my palm. I just love how how it fits in my hands, unlike the previous Treos, as it has a contoured texture grippiness to it which i can hold onto like forever and not feel uncomfortable. Having EV-DO high speed (with power vision) along with a much higher capacity battery, i finally took advantage by renewing for another 2 years to get $150 off the high price tag and this baby is coming home with me. One feature i like alot is the after-call task ability of asking if you would like to add that number to your contacts if it is not already there...this feature comes in handy when you answer alot of new voice calls. I also took advantage of the Sprint TV service which shows clips and live TV formatted nicely onto the Treo's sharp screen....very nice! The PDA functions are the same with some nice twist to it. I just hope that this new phone will be as reliable as my old 650 as it uses the new Garnet Palm OS 5.4.9. My friend has the 700 windows OS and you don't want hear the nightmares he has the deal with.

I got the midnight blue one but they carry a deep maroon color one as well. Having it for a few weeks now, i can safely say that i am more then satisfied. So next time your at one of their local stores, demo the TReo 755p smartphone. You might fall in love with it like i have.

I like what another reviewer said, this phone is definitely a "compromise." This is my 3rd treo (600, 650, 755p). And the two main reasons I got it were: 1. Sprint's great $15/mo unlimited data plan, and 2. A really great software English/Chinese dictionary that I've used for years. This phone has a lot more to it than a dictionary, so I'll go through the main features at which I think smart phone should excel: Email, Web, PIM (contacts, calendar, etc.) and Third party apps/media. Here I'm mostly dealing with UI and software issues as I feel the design of the actual Treo is universally known, and honestly, this is only slightly less clunky than the 650.

Email-
As many of you know the Treo's included email program is terrible! So out of the box, the email functionality can not be compared to the ease and integration on something like a Blackberry. HOWEVER, there is a wonderful email program for a whopping $40 called ChatterEmail that is probably the most full-featured mobile email program I've ever used. So basically, with a software upgrade you can turn your treo into a $15 a month email machine (as opposed to the $40 blackberry monthly charge). The full IMAP folder support plays very nice with Gmail and any other IMAP server. On the downside, push email will KILL your battery so I keep the mail program off until I want to check my email.

Web/web apps--
Web on the treo is as good as you can get with a non-iphone cell phone. Basically, if you want to read news articles, browse craigslist or read blogs, it works well. But if you actually want to do anything PRODUCTIVE, like book a flight, bid on ebay, etc., it's just not worth the trouble. And the EVDO on sprint isn't all that fast. So for text it's fine, but that's IT. Google maps is great, but that's google's work not palm's!

PIM-
Well, this is what Palm designed it's OS for like 15 years ago and it hasn't really changed. What's great is if you have a mac with leopard, you can add events directly from Mail to ical and then sync it directly to your Treo. If you're like me and get your work schedule via email, this makes things much easier. So with a few clicks, I can insert a weeks worth of scheduling and sync it right up in no time.

Third party apps/Media-
This is a mixed bag for the Treo. On the one hand, the are tons of third party apps to listen to music, play videos, and even translate Chinese. But it can get really buggy and sometimes, things just don't agree and will crash your Treo. Also, if you expect complete media playing capability out of the box, you just won't get it. So if you compare to the iPhone's media capability, almost every feature is technically available (plus more like online radio), but it will take a patch work of software to get all the features. And even then you won't get everything. Especially for video, this phone just doesn't cut it; don't expect to watch youtube or movies even though it is possible.

Treo is the classic smart phone, but without any substantial innovation for the past 4+ years, and with the iPhone behemoth in effect, the Palm OS and Treo form factor are starting to look like total dinosaurs. So, for many getting this phone, it will be the familiarity, software options, and value that will allow us to live with this clunky, dated device that just won't die. If Palm could get it's act together and make something innovative, intuitive, and less completely boring then, well, ok there's no time for pipe dreams in this review...Let's just say that as soon as a Chinese dictionary and possibly a better keyboard is available on the iPhone, it's on.

IMO, the Palm OS is fantastic. Simple, reliable and innumerable applications. But after using the T3 for the past 3 years or so that small screen takes some getting used to though the screen resolution and brightness are outstanding.

The keys are tiny, tiny tiny! I am having a great deal of difficulty getting used to them. I thought that using the touch screen for dialing would eliminate that problem, but misregistration of numbers occurred about 10 - 20 percent of the time - unacceptable. But I could eventually get used to all of these "quirks" if the phone functionality was equivalent to my Samsung A900 - it is not. Despite that I am going to give it a go because of all the advantages this phone offers (contact and appointment management).

The audio quality is, for me, less than ideal (ideal being the Samsung phones). My hearing leaves a lot to be desired and I need crystal clear audio, unfortunately, the Treo, though loud, seems slightly muffled to me - like having some soap suds in your ear canal. I am mostly able to understand the person on the other end of the line but I sometimes have to strain to do so. Additionally, I've had several complaints about the audio quality from those I'm talking to.

Additionally, navigating efficiently through the phone options is cumbersome for me and not nearly as efficient as a dedicated phone such as the Samsung A900. The Palm functionality is very good albeit a smaller screen than I would like. Internet connectivity was very good and without a hitch, HOWEVER, that pesky little screen again.

The deficiencies would be more tolerable for me if the audio quality was on par with my Samsung phones. My advice: check the audio quality very carefully before buying. If it is acceptable to you then this phone is very nice although FAR from perfect.

A bigger screen, more sensitive and "finger accurate" touch screen, better audio and better executed QWERTY keyboard that works well with big fingers as well as better simple phone navigation would be welcome improvements.

Treo 755p (Verizon) has the best voice and sound quality that I have ever had in a cell phone. Since 1992, I have used 3 Motorola, 1 Kyocera, 1 Samsung and 1 HTC phones. Two of them were Windows Mobile based and just stunk. Windows Mobile phones freeze all the time and although have lot of bells and whistles, most of the features don't work half the time. Palm software is much more intuitive to use, is more stable, but not without glitches. I have not been able to synchronize my calendar with Outlook on Treo. Keyboard on Treo 755p is cramped but you get used to it in a few days and begin to like it, even more than slider keyboards. The body is well contoured, fits nicely in hand, rubberized texture is pleasing, and you can operate most functions, including keyboard, with one hand. Browser is bare minimum - Youtube videos are definitely nicer on iPhone! Touchscreen is quick and responsive. Most applications are simple, unadorned and functional a.k.a. Google style.

My son has iPhone which I have used and seriously considered before buying Treo 755p. Unarguably, iPhone is the most beautiful multimedia device and has the best designed mobile browser; but is not a good reliable phone. AT&T signal and coverage are far worse than Verizon, the voice quality is not as good, data speed is not 3G, the iPhone cannot be used as a cellular modem and does not have as much third party software as is available for Palm. Keyboard, with hard keys, is definitely better in palm. Later in 2008 they are supposed to be coming with 3G iPhone and may be that will fix some of these deficiencies - but not the AT&T network.

I have been able to use Treo 755p as a cellular modem with my laptop and have gotten speed in the range of 800-900 kbs. With Cradlepoint routers, you can use it as personal mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. Overall I am pleased with Treo 755p and consider it to be the best choice amongst the PDA phones.

Lot of people complain of Treo not being multitasking. But how many tasks can you do simultaneously in device with such a small screen? Windows Mobile is multitasking and so unstable. Palm is a tried and true reliable platform. Who knows what Palm's next Linux based OS will be like? They tried their hand at Windows Mobile and the result is a disaster. More the third party applications you install, the slower the phone responds.

I have always had Verizon Wireless (and its predecessor Cellular One) and have never dared to change my cellular carrier after seeing my friends and relatives with other carriers experience so many problems with cellular service & signal and customer service. But as of February 2008 Sprint has the least expensive 3G data service.

Therefore, my take on Smartphones and PDA Phones is:
1. Windows Mobile devices are awful and unusable most of the time.
2. Blackberries are primarily email devices with less PIM functionality and very little 3rd party software.
3. Symbian based devices like Nokia N95 are not that widely available on US carriers and neither are subsidized by them and don't have that much 3rd party software available. My experience with Nokia phones is secondhand and I was not impressed with N95; E51 is not widely available but nice.
4. iPhone is an awesome music and video player and has the best mobile browser but a below average phone. If you want an iPod with a great (but slower) web browser and phone is secondary to you, then go for iPhone.
4. If you want a reliable phone with decent PDA functionality, Palm devices like Treo 755p is the way to go. Centro is also good but not available on Verizon yet.

The palm treo 755p is a overall good business and leisure phone. I did have problem using it with Window Vista and you must download the software from Palm for it to work. However the downloaded software works well. Remember it is not compatiable with Window Media 11, and the music had to be in the mp3 format not wma. The pictures are good even without a flash if there is sufficient lighting. The internet is fast however I am not able to sync this with my sbc yahoo email account. Overall I like this phone.

I recently converted from Sprint with a Treo 600 to Verizon with a Treo 755p. Sprint did not offer any reasonable upgrade plan with my phone so after almost a decade, I jumped ship. I can offer both my impression of the new phone verses earlier models and the differences between Sprint and Verizon.

First off, the Treo 755p is in my opinion, a step backwards. It offers many new features but it's SLOW. Really slow. Much, MUCH slower than the older Treo 600 series. Press a button on the 755p, even if it's a number to dial, and sometimes you wait 2-3 seconds for the phone to register it. The touch screen isn't as good as in older Treos and I find myself having to touch the screen several times to make it register. The volume, speaker and microphone quality is much worse than earlier models. The power button is too close to the application button and it's a lot harder to power up the phone with one hand than earlier models. I do like the lit keyboard -- that's nice but sometimes the shift keys work and sometimes they don't. There are changes to the OS which make the phone even more difficult to use. It used to take far less steps to go over the call list and add to your contacts - that's more convoluted. The microSD expansion location is much improved over earlier versions, but the pen device is cheap and flimsy. Also, this phone is SLOW. Very, very slow. You will think it's frozen sometimes because it's so slow. There is no reset button any more, but that's not needed if you have any early palm apps you ported over to the 755p, as you can cause your phone to reset if you try to run some of them (bug? or undocumented "feature?").

As expected, the camera continues the tradition of the Treo being totally useless as a camera. It is nice that there is now a voice memo feature built in, but the voice recognition software that Verizon bundles is unreliable. Did I mention this phone is slow? It's as if there's a little overworked gremlin somewhere in there, and he's real tired and is napping, not paying attention to what you're pressing on the phone. The processor in this thing is obviously severely underpowered.

As far as provider quality, Sprint's call quality is without exception superior to Verizon. Verizon calls have a kind of VOIP/noise-gate digitally-processed feel to them. You often miss peoples' greetings and early enunciations because it's so over-digitized and compressed you get a very grainy, noisy quality to the calls. Sprint was more like talking on a POTS (plain old telephone system). I do admit, Verizon has a lot more advanced features involving SMS to voice gateways (all at extra charges) and as usual, the features you want will be split across different plans so you have to pay for more than you need to get a plan with the components you desire.

Also, this phone is very slow.

I have several friends who are Registered Nurses and they all say the same thing: DON'T GET SICK!. If you have a Palm product and/or are using Sprint as your carrier pray you don't have problems. After 4 calls to Sprint (where I was told four different things by four different people) and eight separate calls to Palm I have now invested 7 hours of my time and still have not received my repair order number for my 755p (which was rendered completely non-functional for phone use by a hardware problem).

The intelligence of the phone operators at both companies is comparable to that of a block of wood. For example, after waiting 20 minutes on hold for the warranty department all the operator was capable of saying was, "Why you need new phone? You phone work!" When I asked to be transfered to a supervisor she said, "You call back!" And hung up.

Finally I seemed to reach an operator who could tie his own shoes. He said a supervisor would call me back in one to two hours. This was Monday. By Thursday I still had not heard back from the supervisor. This is the service you'll receive when you try and get Palm to honor their warranty. Enough said, I'm sure you get the picture. You buy this $400+ phone and you are on your own. Good luck.