Treo 650

Infobox Information appliance
name



manufacturer = Palm
type = Smartphone
connectivity = GSM / GPRS / EDGE, CDMA, Bluetooth, IrDA
lifespan = since November 2004
media = MMC, SD
os = Palm OS 5.4.8
camera = 0.3 Megapixel
input = Keypad, Touchscreen
power = Battery
cpu = Intel PXA270
display = nowrap|2.7in 320x320 16-bit illuminated TFT LCD
touchpad = WM9712 AC'97 digitizerThe Palm Treo 650 is a combination hybrid PDA/cellphone officially announced on October 24, 2004 as the successor to the company's Treo 600. It began shipping in November 2004, and is still available in GSM form. The CDMA version has been superseded by newer models such as the Treo 700p, Treo 755p, Treo 700w, and the Treo 700wx, while the GSM version has been superseded by the Treo 680 and Treo 750v.

pecifications

* Mobile phone, GSM/GPRS
* Built-In Bluetooth 1.1 Compliance
* 0.3 megapixel (640x480) VGA digital camera with 2x digital zoom and video camera capability

Carriers

The following GSM and CDMA mobile phone operators currently or previously offered a custom-branded (OEM) version of the Treo 650:

In Release Order
*Sprint PCS (USA)
*Cellular South
*Cingular Wireless (including AT&T Wireless customers) (USA)
*Unlocked GSM
*Rogers Wireless (Canada)
*Verizon Wireless (USA)
*Earthlink Wireless (USA)
*Bell Mobility (Canada)
*Telus Mobility (Canada)
*Alltel (USA)
*Centennial Wireless (USA)

As seen on Palm's support page [http://www.palm.com/us/support/help/] , these carriers are the sole providers of support for the OEM phones.

Other Carriers

Nextel (USA) and other iDen providers are not compatible with the Treo 650, as this technology has not been integrated into the Treo platform. T-Mobile (USA) and other GSM carriers not listed above are compatible with the GSM Treo 650, though you need an unlocked GSM version of the Treo 650 to do so.

NVFS controversy

At the time of its release, a significant number of users experienced problems with Palm's new Non-Volatile File System, or NVFS, based on the FAT filesystem. Compared to the Treo 600, the previous version of the Treo, the Treo 650 used more memory per file as the FAT filesystem rounded file sizes to the next highest 512-byte multiple. Because of the larger file sizes, some users upgrading to the Treo 650 from the Treo 600 were unable to fit the contents of their old device into the same amount of memory on the new device. [http://kb.palmone.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=PalmSupportKB,ts=Palm_External2001,case=obj(35222)]

To remedy the initial complaints, Palm offered a free 128 MB SD flash card to Treo 650 users. [http://web.palm.com/support/sd.jhtml] Recent ROM updates have resolved many of the performance, instability and storage inefficiency issues.

Other main concerns surrounding the Treo 650 (during its initial release period) were as follows:

* Some users experienced random resets at one time or another. Although the cause was unknown, a complete reset via the Reset button on the back of the phone under the battery door could keep the phone stable and running most of the day.
* Some users also reported problems with the unit's microphone. They claimed that voice clarity on the recipient's end of the connection was poor, akin to talking "inside a cardboard box." (koreth, Slashdot). Users have found that bluetooth-enabled wireless headsets or fixed headsets seemed to be an effective work-around.
* Another problem people reported is that the handset's earpiece made it difficult to hear in loud environments. Using a bluetooth-enabled wireless headset would also take care of this problem.
* Further issues include static or buzzing in the background of a conversation, the recipient's voice sounding buzzy as if they were speaking through a kazoo, and the phone failing to notify the user that a text message was received until the user activated the phone's screen at which point the phone would place a false timestamp on the message and act as if it had just been received.

Firmware solutions

On March 22, 2005, palmOne released the first [http://www.palmone.com/us/support/downloads/treo650updater/sprint.html ROM/Firmware Update] (v1.12) for Sprint-branded phones which alleviated the NVFS inefficiency, random resets and the microphone problems. This was followed by a second firmware update on June 16, 2005. The [http://www.palmone.com/us/support/downloads/treo650updater/unlockedgsm.html Unlocked GSM Firmware Upgrade] (v1.13) was also released on the day of the second Sprint Treo 650 firmware update which also addresses the problems first fixed with the first Sprint Treo 650 firmware update. The Rogers Wireless Treo 650 Firmware Update was quietly posted at the Rogers Wireless Treo 650 support site, and like the Unlocked GSM Firmware Update, fixes the main concerns during the initial release period. The initial release of the Verizon Wireless Treo 650 and the Earthlink Wireless Treo 650 already has the main concerns assessed, including the NVFS Memory System fix. On July 19, 2005 the [http://www.palm.com/us/support/downloads/treo650updater/verizon.html Verizon Wireless firmware update] was released. On July 25, 2005, Cingular released firmware version 1.15, and updated to [http://www.palm.com/us/support/downloads/treo650updater/cingular.html 1.17] on November 21. Unlocked GSM [http://kb.palm.com/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE?New,Kb=EUPalmSupport,TS=PalmEU_UK,Case=Obj(9883) 1.20] was released Mar 2006.

Treo 650 users are encouraged to deploy the latest version of the Treo 650 firmware available for their radio type (GSM or CDMA) and carrier branding.

Treo Ace

The Treo Ace was the rumored code name for PalmOne's Treo 650 smartphone introduced at the October 2004 CTIA Conference in San Francisco. The rumors for this product began on June 27, 2004, when TreoCentral posted detailed specifications and mockup drawings for the product. That article started the flow of hyped demand and interest for the Treo's launch that fall. ( [http://www.treocentral.com/content/Stories/473-1.htm The original rumor] )

The current firmware updates for the device contain a directory by the name of Ace_Update, confirming the original internal code name. A string inside the Bluetooth driver file indicates that another internal code name may have been "Ace Ventura", a reference to the movie of the same name.

Other Palm Treo 650 (CDMA) Specifications

The complete Palm Palm Treo 650 (CDMA) list of specifications are : [http://www.ephonenews.com/v/1/2/409/1/Palm_Palm_Treo_650_(CDMA).html]

ee also

*Treo 700p, the successor to the 650 in Palm's product line
*Non-Volatile File System
*Treo Smartphone Line

External links

* [http://www.palm.com/us/products/smartphones/treo650/ Official Palm Treo 650 Homepage]
* [http://www.treocentral.com/ TreoCentral: Resources for Treo 650]
* [http://mytreo.net/ mytreo.net: Resources for Palm Treo 650]
* [http://www.gsmpedia.in/palm-treo_650-989.html Palm Treo 650 specifications]