1src Forums - New Treo 680 is here!!

10-12-2006, 06:05 AM	#1
LexLuther Just thinking Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 79	New Treo 680 is here!! Read this; Palm Adds a Branch to Treo Line Smart Phone for Consumers Will Be Introduced This Year In Effort to Expand Market By PUI-WING TAM October 12, 2006; Page B3 WSJ Palm Inc., aiming to break out of its niche as a maker of smart phones for corporations, today will unveil a new smart phone targeted at the general public. The debut of the Treo 680, Palm's fourth smart-phone model launched this year, is the Sunnyvale, Calif., company's latest attempt to rev up its growth. Palm, which started as a maker of hand-held-organizer devices in the 1990s, began making the transition to smart phones -- which combine functions of a hand-held organizer with a cellphone, wireless email and other features -- several years ago. Until now, Palm's smart phones, sold under the name Treo, had largely been designed for corporate customers. But while there are some 650 million potential corporate smart-phone customers world-wide, the total consumer market for smart phones is far larger -- at around two billion potential buyers, according to IDC research. "This is a major launch for us because we're expanding the demographic that we serve," says John Hartnett, Palm's senior vice president of global markets. Unlike other Treos, which typically were priced at more than $399 at the time of their launch, some analysts expect the new Treo 680 to start at around $199. The phone is expected to be smaller than previous Treos and will have an improved user interface and simpler icons to help consumers navigate the product. Originally code-named "Low Rider," the Treo 680 is a world phone that will run on wireless networks equipped with GSM technology, which is widely used in Europe and Asia in addition to North America. The Treo 680 will be launched in the U.S. and available in other world markets by mid-2007. The Treo 680's launch will be bolstered by a $25 million marketing campaign featuring several of Palm's partners, including Yahoo Inc. and eBay Inc. The campaign, designed by ad agency AKQA, will show how consumers can access those Web sites from the Treo device. The new smart phone comes at a crucial time for Palm, which has hit some speed bumps this year. Last month, Palm warned that sales in its fiscal first quarter that ended Aug. 31 would fall short of expectations, sending the company's shares down almost 8% in one day. The company later forecast lower-than-expected earnings and sales for the current fiscal second quarter, which ends in late November. Palm stock is off about 39% from its 52-week high set in April. Some of Palm's tribulations stem from intensifying competition. Big-name rivals, including Motorola Inc., Nokia Corp. and Research In Motion Ltd., have launched smart phones this year that have been priced competitively and that offer some of the same functions as the Treo. Because Palm's hand-held organizers "never crossed the chasm to the mainstream consumer," the Treo 680 "could be very important for Palm in going against Motorola, Nokia and RIM," says Charlie Wolf, an analyst at brokerage Needham & Co. So far, Palm retains a hefty share of the U.S. smart-phone market. According to IDC, Palm had a 29% slice of U.S. smart-phone sales in the first half of this year, ranking it second behind RIM's 51.3% share and ahead of Motorola's 10.5% and Nokia's 3.7%. Overall, smart-phone shipments in the U.S. are expected to grow to 33.9 million units by 2010 from 8.3 million units this year, says IDC. Palm has taken several steps this year to combat the competition prior to the launch of the Treo 680. The company unveiled a Treo model aimed at the European market in conjunction with wireless phone carrier Vodafone Group PLC. Earlier this year, it also began selling a new Treo based on Microsoft Corp.'s Windows mobile software platform, and it released an updated version of its Treo based on the Palm operating system. "It's a fact that the smart-phone market is becoming more competitive," Palm Chief Executive Ed Colligan recently said. But he noted that despite the onslaught, Palm sold 569,000 Treo units in its fiscal first quarter ended Aug. 31, the highest in company history. Aiming the new Treo 680 at the public has its risks. Because Treos are typically more expensive than cellphones, Palm's profit margins tend to be heftier than some rivals. Releasing a cheaper product could drag down the average selling price of Treos and erode those margins. Palm's Mr. Hartnett says the company is trying to prevent margin erosion by making its operations more cost-efficient. Palm is now partnering with two Chinese manufacturers to make Treos, for example, up from just one manufacturer before, giving it room to negotiate manufacturing pricing, he says. Meanwhile, Palm's original business -- hand-held organizers -- continues to decline. In the fiscal first quarter, Palm sold 490,000 hand-held computers, down from 597,000 units a year ago. Overall revenue from hand-held organizers fell to $87 million in the quarter from $113.9 million in the same period a year earlier. __________________ A weather refugee in Australia.

10-12-2006, 02:01 PM	#2
JAmerican Why Does Palm Disappoint? Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 5,907	You see the pics. OMG!!! They are beautiful. I didn't expect the different colored Treos. I got dibs on Orange or Grayish Blue one. JAmerican __________________ JAmerican Handspring Treo 90 --> Royal RG135nx --> T-Mobile Sidekick --> T-Mobile Sidekick Color --> PEG-UX40 -- > PEG-UX50--> Samsung T629 (Returned) -- > Palm TX (SOLD)/T-Mobile Sony Ericsson T610(Defective) --> T-Mobile Dash(Broken Screen) --> ASUS EEE 1000H Black/Treo 800w/PEG-VZ90 Accesories: Transcend 16GB SDHC \| 8GB Transcend microSD

10-12-2006, 02:16 PM	#3
Pdaman Retired pda user Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 1,933	um, new treo seems to be very nice looking but it has't any huge improvents though... too bad =/ __________________ Sony Clie Th55 = Simple as that, the the best pda what I have ever owned! However even it didn't keep me in the Pda world. About my gadgets, I'm now just using my psp, camera and cellphone. Maybe I will someday get a new pda, but it must to have phone cababilities so I don't need to use my regular cellphone anymore. And yeah, this means I won't be hanging in here 1src that much anymore. If someone want me to remove unfinished threads from 1src or something just pm me. Keep your gadgets running!

10-12-2006, 02:21 PM	#4
Dick Tracy Detective Join Date: May 2005 Location: Are we there yet? Posts: 1,403	You mean copper, JA. Interesting the buttons on the Sprint shot don't resemble the buttons on the businesswire PR shots or the other handsets in the above pics. It appears in the non-Sprint that the app buttons are paired rockers rather than independent buttons. Wonder which is the real deal or if there are two different ODMs, one for GSM and the other CDMA.

10-12-2006, 04:41 PM	#5
Agent Mckay Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 1	Did anyone else notice the Apple logo on the sprint branded 680 in the third image? It's on tab on left side. Is that a skin or something else?

10-12-2006, 05:04 PM	#6
Dick Tracy Detective Join Date: May 2005 Location: Are we there yet? Posts: 1,403	Skin. Been discussed by Apple fanboys everywhere else.

10-12-2006, 07:06 PM	#7
Tixx Hmmm...Zenta Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: There I be! Posts: 5,549	Of course 5 days after I get the blackberry pearl after using the Palm OS for 7 years. Figures __________________ Where I at? Public Citizen... Alternet News... Amnesty International... Air America Radio...Lou Dobbs...Center for American Progress...Tricycle...

10-12-2006, 07:10 PM	#8
JAmerican Why Does Palm Disappoint? Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 5,907	Copper is the artsy term for it. It looks orange. If will be mine, if the price is right. JAmerican __________________ JAmerican Handspring Treo 90 --> Royal RG135nx --> T-Mobile Sidekick --> T-Mobile Sidekick Color --> PEG-UX40 -- > PEG-UX50--> Samsung T629 (Returned) -- > Palm TX (SOLD)/T-Mobile Sony Ericsson T610(Defective) --> T-Mobile Dash(Broken Screen) --> ASUS EEE 1000H Black/Treo 800w/PEG-VZ90 Accesories: Transcend 16GB SDHC \| 8GB Transcend microSD

10-12-2006, 07:37 PM	#9
pgenie Genie's Decision Maker Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Diplomatic Immunity Posts: 1,072	http://www.palm.com/us/products/sma...o680/index.html __________________ Samsung Qbowl LG Arena KM900

10-12-2006, 10:09 PM	#10
LupeValenz (^_^)/ Hi Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: NM Posts: 2,937	I want one!! So sleek, give me white to match my DSLite __________________ Sony NX-Sony NZ-Sony UX-Sony TH55-Treo 650- Treo 755P-iPod Touch->Palm Pre

10-13-2006, 01:16 AM	#11
JAmerican Why Does Palm Disappoint? Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 5,907	This is probably one of the best decisions Palm has made for a younger consumer market. Although, I still think Graphite looks better in the pictures on their site. Might be the bright colors. The actual pics look way better. __________________ JAmerican Handspring Treo 90 --> Royal RG135nx --> T-Mobile Sidekick --> T-Mobile Sidekick Color --> PEG-UX40 -- > PEG-UX50--> Samsung T629 (Returned) -- > Palm TX (SOLD)/T-Mobile Sony Ericsson T610(Defective) --> T-Mobile Dash(Broken Screen) --> ASUS EEE 1000H Black/Treo 800w/PEG-VZ90 Accesories: Transcend 16GB SDHC \| 8GB Transcend microSD

10-13-2006, 01:35 AM	#12
2XS Registered User Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Germany Posts: 119	I can see the future: I will buy the coppercolored thing when its avaible next year... although other manufactures will sell their newest flagships the same time with integrated laserkeyboard and wimax and broadband-tv and.... __________________ palm professional, palm III, palm Vx, palm m505, palm T2, palm T3, palm TX, treo680 ...

10-13-2006, 01:35 AM	#13
JAmerican Why Does Palm Disappoint? Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 5,907	Vid shots of new Treo... http://home.businesswire.com/portal...091&newsLang=en JAmerican __________________ JAmerican Handspring Treo 90 --> Royal RG135nx --> T-Mobile Sidekick --> T-Mobile Sidekick Color --> PEG-UX40 -- > PEG-UX50--> Samsung T629 (Returned) -- > Palm TX (SOLD)/T-Mobile Sony Ericsson T610(Defective) --> T-Mobile Dash(Broken Screen) --> ASUS EEE 1000H Black/Treo 800w/PEG-VZ90 Accesories: Transcend 16GB SDHC \| 8GB Transcend microSD

10-13-2006, 07:29 AM

#14

Joel

1src Co-Founder

Join Date: Dec 2001

Location: Guam

Posts: 4,515 Joel will become famous soon enough

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tixx

Of course 5 days after I get the blackberry pearl after using the Palm OS for 7 years. Figures

Well, welcome back!

10-13-2006, 09:19 AM	#15
rosdimahdi Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Japan Posts: 33	Big Deal!! Are all Palm engineers old and almost obsolete? They call this a "new" Treo? Yeah right, just repaint some of the casings to white and some to gold, and you've got a new Palm Treo... Ha ha ha!! 64MB of memory, and "it's 3 times bigger than Treo 650's". Ha ha ha... Look at Dopod. Now, 192MB is almost the standard. And we are stuck with 64MB. My Treo 650's total application software on my SD Card alone (using ZLauncher) is already 82MB. How on earth am I gonna run those softwares from the internal RAM? And a VGA camera? They are using 3megapixels nowadays. And don't give me that "Palm's VGA camera takes better pictures than a 1.3 mp phone camera" crap coz it's really nonsense. Dopod 838Pro has that macro switch so that you can take pictures of articles on newspaper, or read business cards' info. When are we gonna get those on our marvellous Palm machine? Never? And no Wi-Fi yet? This is really pathetic of Palm. And the same old and useless interface?? Why can't they just pay ZZTech for an improved and more stable ZLauncher as their built-in interface?? This Palm is really getting left behind.... phew...