Today at CES, Palm and Cingular jointly announced the launch of the Palm Treo 750 Windows Mobile Pocket PC Phone Edition, Palm's first 3G Treo which offers blazing speeds, security and business productivity.
The highly anticipated Treo 750 (the same device which is already available for months now from Vodafone in parts of Europe and Asia) is a five-band world phone running Windows Mobile 5.0 with Direct Push Technology and offers Palm's exclusive usability improvements with powerful business features, including E-Mail, security, and web access on the go (see my previous review of the Vodafone Palm Treo 750v here).

"Designed with the business customer in mind, the Treo 750 brings together the speed of Cingular's BroadbandConnect service and broad solutions portfolio with Palm's hallmark ease of use and functionality on top of the familiar Windows Mobile 5.0 operating system," said Michael Woodward, executive director, mobile professional solutions, for Cingular Wireless. "The new Treo 750 will deliver that extra edge that all customers are looking for to take their business to the next level, whether they are on the other side of town, across the country or halfway around the world."

The Treo 750 combines the Palm experience of a multifunction mobile phone with E-Mail, messaging, web browsing, organization software and a robust application portfolio with Cingular's next-generation 3G network. Its new compact design features an internal antenna, soft-touch finish, and contoured edges to make it comfortable in the hand. The Treo 750 also has a full QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging, a 1.3 megapixel camera, a bright 240x240 touch screen and support for Bluetooth stereo headsets. The built-in 60MB of user-available storage can be enhanced by using the miniSD slot to add memory cards of up to 2GB, which are great for storing data, photos, music and video.

Companies of all sizes have been awaiting the arrival of the Treo 750. Charles Hoyt, executive director of information technology for MedPointe Pharmaceuticals, plans to deploy Treo 750 smart devices to company employees as soon as they are available. "This is a next-generation smart device," he said. "I've tried many other devices and none of them can compete with the form factor, network, voice quality and software features of the Treo 750. I just can't say enough about the device; it's a pleasure to use."

In addition to delivering a great phone with easy one-handed access to key features, Palm offers a unique suite of software enhancements to Windows Mobile, including the following:

• New messaging application, with the highly requested threaded chat view for text and MMS messages
• Today Screen enhancements, which feature the ability to "dial by name" with a few keystrokes on the keyboard, perform a web search directly from the Today Screen and perform one-touch dialing with personalized photo speed dials
• Ability to manage a call directly from the Today Screen and stay on top of voicE-Mail with on-screen, VCR-like icons, such as rewind, delete and fast-forward controls for easy navigation
• Capability to ignore a call and quickly send a text message such as "In a meeting" or "Can't talk right now" by selecting the "Ignore with text" option from the incoming call screen.

"Being able to take your 'office' on the road is a competitive advantage for any mobile professional," said Tara Griffin, vice president of Palm's business with Cingular Wireless. "Together with Cingular Wireless, we are delivering a powerful, all-in-one business tool that offers excellent voice and data capabilities with quick access to desktop information such as E-Mail, files and other business applications -- all this with the Palm experience that makes customers' lives easier and more productive."

With Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC Phone Edition, users get a desktop-like experience on their Treo 750, including access to mobile versions of Windows Media Player 10, Internet Explorer, and Outlook applications in addition to the ability to view and edit Microsoft Word and Excel files and view PowerPoint and PDF files. The Messaging and Security Feature Pack (MSFP) is available out of the box with the Treo 750 and includes Direct Push Technology, which gives users connected to a Microsoft Exchange Server fast, automatic wireless updates of their E-Mail, calendar items, contacts and tasks. It provides added security features for IT administrators, such as over-the-air password policy enforcement and remote wipe for lost or stolen devices. MSFP also gives users over-the-air lookup of a company's Global Address List (GAL), providing employees with quick access to colleagues' E-Mail and contact information. The Treo 750 offers mobile professionals other corporate E-Mail options, including streamlined access to Microsoft Exchange or Domino/Notes using Good Mobile Messaging or personal E-Mail with Cingular Xpress Mail.

"We are proud to work with Cingular and Palm to bring the first Windows Mobile powered Treo running on a 3G GSM network to the United States," said Scott Horn, general manager, Mobile and Embedded Devices Division at Microsoft Corp. "The familiarity of Windows Mobile, combined with Cingular's 3G network and the Palm experience, delivers a great phone that's easy to use, fast and will help people stay connected to the information they care about."

Cingular's UMTS-based technology natively supports simultaneous voice and data, allowing users to download E-Mail or browse the web while making a phone call or checking voicemail. Cingular's 3G service is available currently in more than 160 major metropolitan areas. Outside of Cingular's 3G coverage area, users can seamlessly connect with Cingular's nationwide EDGE wireless data network.

The Palm Treo 750 initially will be enabled for UMTS with a free upgrade, scheduled to be available later in 2007, to Cingular's supercharged HSDPA technology. UMTS/HSDPA is a global standard and natural 3G evolutionary path for GSM providers with 142 UMTS networks in 61 countries currently available.

For the frequent business traveler, Cingular also offers the TeleNav GPS Navigator solution (sold separately) so users of the Treo 750 can get turn-by-turn voice and on-screen GPS directions directly on their device for use when driving or walking.

The Treo 750 will be available from today - Monday January 8 for consumers and businesses at Cingular Wireless retail stores, online at www.cingular.com and through Cingular's B2B sales organization. It will be available for US$ 399.99 with a two-year contract and mail-in rebate. A variety of monthly data plans will be available, including unlimited plans starting as low as US$ 39.99/month. The Treo 750 joins the recently announced Treo 680 in Cingular's product portfolio.

Cheers ~ Arne