Presently, the wireless-data features aren't as flushed out or as user-friendly as they should be. You get Handspring's Blazer browser, which allows you to access the Internet, albeit rather sluggishly: between 9.6Kbps and 14.4Kbps on current GSM networks. Handspring now offers a GPRS upgrade to for the unit, which will allow for faster Web access--but only for T-Mobile subscribers. Also, until the carriers become ISPs, you'll have to use your own ISP (EarthLink, for example) to surf. Another caveat: You can't use the Web-clipping applications developed for Palm's wireless handhelds on the Treo.
At the time of this writing, Handspring was offering a public beta version of its forthcoming Treo Mail application, which is able to forward mail from Outlook running on your desktop or your POP3 account to the Treo. The software can be configured to dial up and get new messages at regular intervals. That way, you don't have to wait through the whole process when you want to read your mail. We also had no trouble getting our AOL mail after we installed AOL Mail for Palm OS and were able to send SMS notes to e-mail addresses and other GSM-enabled cell phones in the United States and abroad. Handspring says you can use the Treo in Europe and Asia once you activate international roaming with your carrier.
Solid sound quality
Overall, as a phone, the Treo 180g (GSM 900/1900), like its keyboard-less sibling, performs well and is surprisingly comfortable to talk on; it feels like using a standard flip phone. We also appreciated the quality of the built-in speakerphone, which can easily be turned on and off by tapping an icon on the screen, and the inclusion of an earbud-style headset for hands-free conversations. Our only gripes are that the phone could sound a little louder, and battery life could be better. In our tests using Cingular's network in San Francisco, we managed to reach Handspring's rated talk time of 2.5 hours and 60 hours of standby, but that's fairly mediocre.
What You'll Pay
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