I was counted among the surprised when I heard that Palm was releasing a new Windows Mobile device in the US market, dubbed the Treo Pro, shortly after their exciting announcement of the new Palm Pre running webOS.  Why would the world need another Windows Mobile device when something so wonderful, such as the Pre, was just a few short months away?  After taking some time with this sturdy workhorse of a phone, I have some ideas why, but first things first.

Nice fit in the hand.

Hardware, Design, and Using the Phone

Palm didn’t depart too radically from their popular Centro design with a few exceptions. Seemingly as with all phones these days, Palm opted for Piano (glossy) Black all over, which of course is a fingerprint magnet. The Treo Pro has a round button style to it that seems to try to break the boring design styles of previous phones, and it loses the Centro’s silver band of buttons across the middle. The device is substantially slimmer than previous Treo phones, instead being comparable to an iPhone 3G in physical dimension. The phone fits well in the hand, and has a decent weight to it, enough to give the impression of being sturdily built as well as to remind you if you forget it somewhere because of the weight missing from your pocket.

Against an iPod Touch 2nd Generation

The 320X320 display is a basic resistive touchscreen that Palm users will be familiar with, providing a somewhat cramped workspace for using the included stylus with Windows Mobile. The lack of screen real estate provides for a lackluster browsing experience on the web especially compared to other phones on the market today. With larger displays so common these days, one wonders why Palm doesn’t just ditch the almost excessive use of black plastic in favor of a bigger display.

The internal components are modest, weighing in with a 528MHz processor, 802.11 b/g wi-fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0, and 256MB of RAM. The camera takes decent quality pictures at 2.0 megapixels with enough lighting, and the phone will support up to a 32GB microSD card for all of the Mobile Office documents and media files your heart desires. Call quality was impressive to me. I had no trouble understanding the person at the other end, and my voice was heard clearly. The speakerphone works surprisingly well for such a small speaker on the backside of the phone.

My only real complaint with the physical aspects of the Treo Pro is the keyboard, which feels a bit cramped for prolonged use, and the jelly-like keys don’t give the depression and solid feel I’m looking for so I know I’ve hit the right key. I don’t have terribly large thumbs, but after a few emails, the cramped keyboard was driving me crazy enough to wish for T9.

Software

Not much needs to be said about Windows Mobile 6.1 on the Treo Pro. There’s nothing noticeably different about this flavor than most others. Users will find it familiar, as it is cumbersome and convoluted with menus and notifications. Windows Mobile does run pretty snappy on this device, but using it was still tiring on such a small screen and keyboard. It will be familiar and well suited for the users who have always used Windows Mobile and rely on it for their daily jobs.

Final Impressions

The phone is a good phone. It works well, has decent hardware, and anyone who decides they’re too impatient to wait for the Palm Pre will probably be satisfied with this device. The real question remains however: Why would Palm put out the Treo Pro with the Pre launch so close? Their numbers couldn’t be hurting much more, so why not wait to make this a webOS device, or if not that, Windows Mobile 6.5? What it comes down to is the end user. In my opinion, Palm needed a new device to stay relevant in this market, and the user base for the Palm Treo Pro is going to be the same businessmen and women that rely on and are familiar with Windows Mobile 6.1 for their out of office workings. The Treo Pro, while not shining through in any particular area, still holds its own as a Windows Mobile device, if that’s what you’re looking for. It most certainly satisfies the needs of the desk warrior who isn’t too concerned with having the latest and greatest technology, but rather just needs something to work that they’re familiar with; the individual who doesn’t want to risk trying a new device and having to go through the effort of relearning and redoing all of their work with a new OS. The Treo Pro is meant to satisfy that need. However, that market is slowly drying up as the iPhone 3G becomes more geared towards businesses, and RIM produces faster and better phones running their proven Blackberry OS.

But remember, webOS and the Pre are meant to be Palm’s savior, keeping them relevant in the world of mobile phones. The Treo Pro is more of a follow-up to the Centro, and another entry into the business/smartphone market. The Treo Pro isn’t a game changer, but that’s not what it’s meant to be.