Palm Treo Pro Now Shipping

BY: Ed Hardy, Brighthand.com Editor

Several weeks after the official unveiling, Palm has released its latest Windows Mobile-based smartphone, the Treo Pro, in the United States.

Palm Treo ProThis device is being sold unlocked and directly to U.S. consumers, rather than through a wireless carrier, for $550. It is now in stock at Palm's web store, and customers who pre-ordered one should soon receive a notice that it has shipped.

In Europe, the Treo Pro is being offered through Vodafone, who has not yet released it.

More About the Palm Treo Pro

This smartphone has the design that's become a hallmark of the Treo line, a candybar shape with 320-by-320-pixel touchscreen above a QWERTY thumb-keyboard.

It runs Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional on a 400 MHz processor from Qualcomm, and comes with the standard suite of productivity applications.

The Pro is a quad-band GSM device with tri-band UMTS/HSDPA support, which means it can be used for both phone calls and 3G wireless access around the world. In addition, it has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Other features include an external microSD card slot for additional storage, a built-in GPS receiver, and a 2.0 MPx camera.

Could There Be a CDMA Version of Palm's Treo Pro?

Last week, Palm announced the Treo Pro, a Windows Mobile-based smartphone for business users. This device is designed to work on GSM networks, and an unconfirmed report indicates there will be a CDMA version, too.

Palm Treo Pro vs. Palm Treo 800wBut there's a small wrinkle in this; some would say there's already a CDMA version of the Treo Pro. It's the Treo 800w, which was released by Sprint earlier this summer.

The two have much in common. The 800w was Palm's first Windows Mobile device with a 320-by-320-pixel screen and its first smartphone with Wi-Fi and GPS, while the Treo Pro also has these features. Both also have the same general shape (see image at right).

Nevertheless, a report in the China Economic News Service says a CDMA version of the Pro is in the works. This hinges on one of the primary difference between the 800w and the Pro: they are manufactured by different companies.

Specifically, the Treo Pro is reportedly being assembled by HTC. And CENS says that Palm has asked HTC to produce a CDMA version of this device, too.

This will come as good news to some CDMA users who prefer the Treo Pro to the 800w. Because, for all their similarities, there are some differences. The Pro is thinner yet has a higher-capacity battery. Also, its sleek black-and-silver design has impressed people who weren't thrilled with the 800w's blue-and-silver color scheme.

The CENS report doesn't say when the CDMA version of the Treo Pro will be released. The GSM version will debut in Europe and N. America in September.

Also left open is which carrier(s) will offer the alternate version of this smartphone, though Verizon Wireless is an obvious possiblility.