Treo 800w review roundup

With the Treo 800w now well and truly unleashed on the world, reviews are rolling in.

WMExperts were the first to pull the trigger, and have done this video review.

Their conclusion that, were it not for the poor battery life and the appearance, the device would be a winner. They score the device 18/20, and call it the best Treo ever. Their conclusion:

After all that, what’s my final verdict on the Treo 800w? It’s this: The Treo 800w is the best Treo ever. That shouldn’t surprise anybody, it’s the newest Treo and so it ought to beat out its predecessors. Here’s the surprising part:

The Treo 800w is the the most productive Windows Mobile Pro device I’ve ever used.

If you need your phone to be shiny with lots of eye candy and other tomfoolery, the iPhone or the Touch Diamond are up your alley. If you need your phone to allow you to get work done, the 800w should be on your short list. It’s very fast, well-integrated with the hardware, and has been bug free so far in my testing.

Given the state of the smartphone world today, I’m betting that many in the business set won’t be getting the message about the Treo 800w, and that’s a shame. It’s more than competitive with the current generation of BlackBerrys (better, in my opinion) and even holds up fairly decently against the upcoming BlackBerry Bold (except, of course, in the looks department).

As for those of us who like to call ourselves “power users,” the 800w has enough speed and space to handle pretty much any app or customization you might want to throw at it. It’s a worthy successor to the venerable Treo 700wx, I just wish that it had arrived a year ago.

Mobility Today has also joined the party. They have also done a video review of the device.

Engadget Mobile has gone to the trouble of actually doing an unboxing, although why they bothered, considering Sprint’s lackluster packaging is anyone’s guess. If you still have not seen the device from every angle hit up Engadget, or wait a short while for their full review.

Lastly CNET has managed to lay their hands on the phone too. The also give the device a video rundown, and they have this to say in conclusion:

The good: The Palm Treo 800w brings the addition of Wi-Fi and GPS. The Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone also offers EV-DO Rev. A support; a higher resolution touch screen; a slimmer design; and a 2-megapixel camera.

The bad: The Treo 800w can be sluggish at times and call quality could be better. The QWERTY keyboard may also give users some problems.

The bottom line: With the addition of Wi-Fi and GPS, the Palm Treo 800w finally catches up to some of its competition and even offers a better design. The Windows Mobile smartphone will be a good fit for Sprint’s business customers, if the battery life can keep up.

The Treo 800w on Sprint appears to be the ultimate of function over style, and unfortunately presents a challenge to sell to the general public. However long-time Treo affectionados would immediately recognize the elements which first attracted them to the iconic device, and the smartphone should realize all the expected benefits of owning one of Palm’s creations without any problem.