The Palm Treo 650 Experience

The Palm Treo 650 is a slightly older model in the series, but vastly better than some of the "upgrades" currently available. The 650 is a very durable phone. I have dropped it in water on two separate occasions, and it is still fully functional. The only problem I have had with the phone is a corrupted text message file that was easily fixed with a "hard" reset. The sync function allowed me to back up my data before resetting the phone.

The picture/video quality rivals that of most digital cameras. The only draw back to picture/video mode is that it only has 2x zoom. The sound quality of recordings is about average. You can clearly make out what is being said, but it offers good quality for a phone.

The memory is expandable with an SD card, up to 8gb, currently. If SD cards are made to store more amounts of data in the future, you only need to purchase a new card if you desire to upgrade your memory. To free up needed space on your phone's internal hard drive, it features an easy to use menu that will allow you to transfer any files to your SD card. Any files on your SD card can easily be transferred to your home computer or laptop with a simple card reader. You can also store .mp3, video, pictures, and various other file types for play back on your phone. One slightly inconvenient feature is the use of Real Player instead of Windows Media Player, like the newer versions. This limits the video file types that you can play on the phone.

The touch screen is a bonus, which is very easy to use. Any function on the phone can be accessed via touch screen, which has an optional off "button." There is also an onscreen keyboard, which can be used if you are not comfortable using the full QWERTY keyboard provided on the physical part of the phone.

The Treo 650 also contains a day planner that you can use to schedule important meetings and events. An onscreen note pad allows you to type anything you want freely. By far, the best feature in my opinion, is the ability to check multiple email accounts by simply touching one button to toggle through the accounts. The phone/planner also has the ability to connect to the Internet, and send real time message through both AIM and Yahoo! Messenger. The newer versions no longer support Yahoo! Messenger.

Another thing that the 650 has over the newer models, is the ability to send pictures and video via text message and email. The newer models only support sending media via email attachment.

There are tons of downloads for the phone to customize it however you wish. Many programs are available, from Tetris to GPS systems; this phone can do almost anything you can imagine. Depending on your service provide, Sprint offers "Sprint Mobile," an email client, which is more user friendly and easier to use than Versa Mail.

The sync allows you to back up all data to your computer. This came in handy when hard resetting my phone. With a single push of the button on the sync cable, the phone will "sync" with the computer and restore all of your previous settings. The only drawback to the hard reset is that pictures and video not stored on your SD card will be lost during the process. For some reason, the sync operation does not back these files up.

The 650 is slightly larger than most phones, but still comfortable to use. The Treo also offers the option to turn your phone off while still being able to use the rest of the features. Putting your phone on vibrate is as simple as sliding a switch at the top of the phone. The 650 also features a button to the left of the phone that you can program for the function of your choice. I have mine programmed to bring up photo/video screen with just one touch.

For those concerned about battery life, the Palm Treo 650 has a 2-3 hour talk time, based on personal experience. The amount of battery life used depends on your settings and how long you want your backlight to stay on.

For those of you who own Bluetooth headsets, the Treo is completely compatible with almost anything on the market right now. The interface is easy to use, and you can turn the headset option on or off with just one button.

Another one of my favorite features is the text messaging log. It is set up exactly like a chat screen, enabling you to see the entire conversation with each individual, without flipping back and forth though incoming and outgoing messages. You can also erase entire conversations by just pressing delete one time. The option to delete one message at a time is also available.

As for the limit to the number of contacts you can add, I don't see myself running out of space anytime soon. You can add a vast amount of information to your contacts, such as birthday, email address, home address, work address, home phone, work phone, cell phone, memos, and even pictures. It's much like creating a MySpace profile for each person on your phone.

Overall, the Palm Treo 650 is well worth the $150 I spent on it, and I have enjoyed using it much more than the 750 model. In my opinion, the older 650 is easier to use, more user friendly, and has more relevant features than the newer models. Do yourself a favor and save a few dollars by purchasing a 650 rather than a newer version of the phone.