1 Use the Treo600/650 With Sprint $10 Visions access!!
The New-Age Treo's are the best smart devices ever made! I have used the T-Mobile Sidekick, the AT&T Motorola MPX, a Nextel Blackberry, a Samsung i600, and even an older style Treo in the form of the Treo 300. And out of every smart device I have ever used, the Treo 600 and 650 are 1000 times better then any of them!
1# The Treo's have large color screens with full keyboards, but are still small enough to fit in your pocket.
2# The battery life is insanely long! Both of the new Treo's claim four to five hours talk time, I have found even longer. I often lay in my bed at night surfing the web for hours and hours, and by the time I am ready to go to sleep, my Treo 600 and 650 still have enough battery life to go a few more rounds.
3# Because the Treo's are so popular the prices for accessories, software, add-on's, ect are Much cheaper then those for the other types of smart devices on the market. There is even talk by Palmone to start using Linux as the Palmsource software core, so there will be even more software available. And because Linux is open source, the phones will eventually be cheaper then those running the Microsoft Pocket PC. With the added bonus of the dependability of Linux!
4# Because the Treo's are of the Candy-Bar style design, they are much easier to talk on. Because there is no flip, or antenna to fumble with.
5# There is a software lancher called "ZLauncher" which has many features for your Treo's software interface. One of which allows you to see the exact level of signal strength. By using this tool you can so how much better the Treo's antenna and related components work, compared to any other phone on the market. I get a great signal with Sprint, but with Sprint and my Treo, my service is even better! I get signals with my Treo in places where my Sanyo and LG did not. In fact, I get better signal strength with my Treo, then my friends get with their phones!
6# Palmone has a patent on a new design of smart device that they are working to bring to the market. A design nothing like the designs currently available. A PDA phone that will be thinner and still able to have a large full color screen and keyboard. SO the next generation of Treo's will be even better!
The only downfall to the Palmone Treo's today, is price. That is because they are still new to the PDA phone market. Once they start making more and more phones, the prices will come down. And once they restructure their PDA manufacturing and company purpose in general, the prices will come down. I don't normally write reviews on phones, because I used to be a Die-Hard Motorola phone fan, and I guess still am. But if Palmone keeps making phones this perfect, then I will only buy their phones for the rest of my life! I can not say enough good things about these phones! Try one and see what I am talking about. Use it with Sprint PCS's $10 unlimited Visions access!
Russell
2 Hinge Jerry-Rigging Suggestion
Don't buy this product. It is absolutely the most frustrating piece of equipment I have ever owned. Like 99% of people who buy this phone my hinges broke. Once SuperGlue stopped working I attemped several different methods of fixing the hinges myself. Currently my 270 is no longer hinged on the top. It now opens out to the right side thanks to a beautifully inexpensive hinge made out of Scotch packing tape. Needless to say it is not functioning as a phone. If you're using yours as a PDA only like I am, then you can try this. I would like to have fixed it the proper way but after reading the experiences that others have had with PalmOne and TMobile, it's not worth it.
3 This product is a FIASCO!
Same problem of the other people: the flip hinge has broken after only some months of gentle use.
I returned my phone for a repair and Palmone - damn they - charged me for a substitution. I was not happy with this but I accepted (damn me!). The Palm substitution model has a worst problem: after a while of a normal conversation, the full charged Palm shuts down for charging problems. Call back the call center for a money back but they won't give me back my money 'cause they repaired the original problem. Sigh! It is the last time I buy a Palm phone! Very Upset!
4 Thankfully this phone is discontinued!!!
I had the pleasure of using and returning three Treo 270 phones due to various phone problems. After the first incident, I thought it was that particular phone. After going through two other phones, now I know why this phone is discontinued.
Don't even bother trying to go back to PalmOne, all they can do is apologize for the bad phone and ask you to send it in for repair. You pay the shipping cost and they don't even provide a loaner phone any more. My phone is still in repair and everytime I check the status, it appears the shipping date gets pushed back farther!
After reading the reviews for the newer Treo 650, I am not sure if I want to upgrade to that version either. I might have to look elsewhere.
5 Good, Not Great
My primary motivation for getting the device was its low bundled cost, but my economic situation has changed, so I would likely have gone with a different provider, i.e. Verizon, as well as a different phone. My previous smartphone was a Kyocera 6035.
I was aware of the broken hinge issue, but I am careful to leave mine in my shoulder bag or in the cradle.
The phone itself is very good, and I manage most of the information via Palm software. Entry while on the go is good, but I am more proficient with writing, as on the Palm devices, and this requires using the keyboard, a benefit to some. Dialing is done via one of three ways, either via quick numbers setup by the user, which is the default view, via the Palm address book, or directly, by typing numbers in. The date book is the same as on the Palm, only the screen is a bit smaller. The Palm functioning is similar, and the applications I use in addition to the Palm software are Vindigo, which can be synchronized remotely, an RSS reader, for scanning headlines on the go, and Adobe reader, for importing books into the Palm device and readong on the go. In addition to James Joyce's Ulysses, I bring with me various articles as PDF's. The only real limitations with the device are with the e-mail and web browsing aspects, since the screen is bit small
As to the service in NY, I've been very happy with the strength of signal I get, and I've had only a few quality issues.
6 unhinge and pay
i have been a treo 270 sucker x3!!! (shame on me). this defective product kept on breaking at the same spot... yes, the right upper hinge. of course, t mobile gave me the great runaround and demanded payment each timefor a replacement - - which is so unfair since this is soo defective a product. now that's its discontinued, what are they to do about the phones that keep on breaking? say sorry??? t mobile and palm one should be reported to the consumer's report magazine and other consumer advocates so they will be exposed for this fiasco of a phone.
7 Hinge breaks twice on Treo 270
Same problem as all the others - 2 phones broke in 11 months - Tmobile wants $75 for reconditioned phone each time.
8 this seems like class-action material
Hi,
Like the legions here, I am on my 2nd Treo 270. When I bought it i had read that the hinge might be a bit weak but I had no idea that normal opening and closing could crack and break it. Currently I am looking at how to hack it to be useable (maybe solder the wires myself, etc.) and of course alternative to both Palm and T-Mobile since the service with both seem to have degraded.
But basically this product needs recall/restitution for all of us.
--kT
9 flip part's hinge keeps breaking
I am on my third phone in one year due to the hinge breaking! I am now switching services because I have had to fight with T mobile that I did nothing to cause the problem, such as dropping it! After ALOT of fighting they have replaced the phone twice and tell me they refuse to replace it again! goodbye T-Mobile! Another company is getting my business and I will be buying a new phone from them!
10 Unhinged
I am a 50 year old female professional without kids. No one else uses my phone which is typically tucked into a pouch built into my purse. In other words, I am not "rough" or careless with my things. Yet I have just experienced the SECOND hinge failure of my phone, originally acquired about 1 year ago. The fist time, T-Mobile replaced it for about $74 - claiming the hinge was not under warranty. I haven't called them yet on this second failure, but based on what I am reading here I have some idea of what to expect.
Until reading these reviews, I had no clue the problem with the hinges is this widespread. SOMEONE needs to take responsibility for customers like us - either T-Mobile or Handspring.
11 Disappointing
I like the palm features. They're great. But the phone quality sucks. I've gone through 5 in a year and a half because the flip part's hinge keeps breaking. I used to get a replacement under warranty with Tmobile but they stopped honoring the warranty and charge me $70 for out of warranty service. Tmobile's service has gone down hill drastically over the last year. I've been a customer for a long time but it's time to bail. I've had nothing but problems with the phone and with Tmobile. I don't recommend either.
12 Phone Needs Recall
I have had the Treo 270 Phone for 3 months... I am on my third phone. The right side on the cover keeps breaking. Maybe a class action suit would solve this problem!
13 Best phone in the world if lid does not break!
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me 4 times shame on you too. I love the phone and think it is the best in the world in terms of it's type. The problem is, the lid just cracks on the upper right hand side and the phone is history. I believe like others that it should be recalled. I want the Treo 600.
J. Williams
14 my hinge broke too!!!
Like everyone else here, my Treo 270 hinge broke as well.
They need to do a recall on this and send out replacement lids. This is ridiculous.
15 Good function, HORRIBLE form
I hate writing bad reviews, but I can't help but want to warn other unsuspecting consuemrs. I'm a realtor and I use my cell phone on a very regular basis -- it's the lifeblood of my existence. I wanted a phone/PDA combo to assist me with keeping schedules, contacts and other things staight but without having to lug two devices is my already huge arsenal of items to bring everywhere I go. This was the right functionality, but the form is horrible.
The phone has broken in the same spot (upper right corner of the lid) 3 times now. I'm on my 3rd phone, and of course, each time T-Mobile charges me $70 to replace it. So this has been one VERY expensive phone. I can no longer take the risk of breaking another one and have to forfeit my functionality and start all over in the process, hoping to at least recover the purchase price of my original phone on eBay once I get my next (and final) replacement unit.
Poor design - my opinion? Handspring should admit they have a DEFECTIVE product, come up with a better material for the spring/lid, and then issue a FREE RECALL to all owners who can send their phone in, have the parts replaced FREE, and then have a phone that won't break every 3 months with average-to-heavy use.
Too bad that hasn't happened and now they lose a customer, and gain an opponent who writes negative reviews.
16 What a joke
I purchased the Treo 270 in Aug.2003. As of June I'm on my 5th.
phone. 1-sim cover lose 2-flip cover broke 3-flipcover broke 4-battery after 4mo.went dead 5-wouldn't hold a charge lost all info. It's on it's way back.
Don't waste your money on this pda/cell phone.
Palm won't give me my money back they just keep sending another palm that does not work!!!!!
17 Treo 270 Great Phone. Bad Design
I have had my Treo 270 since January 04' and I need to say it's basic use of the phone is easy to understand and utilize. Functionality is very high. Unfortunately, the physical design is badly flawed.
The Flip-Earpiece screams out... "Break Me" and sure enough 6 months later the flip-up ear piece is broken off the unit and hanging by the speaker wires. No massive 10' falls, or real mis- treatment to the phone at all, just regular use.
SO far I have sent it back to Handspring for repair well within the 1 year warranty. I hope to receive it back soon in good working order.
Look at another PDA phone namely the Seimens SX56 or the Treo 600 neither of which have the easy to break flip-door.
Many of the other "smart phones" were not compatible with my Cingular network, but I do love the Seimens SX56 for all of the functionality that comes with a tru PDA with cell phone capabilities.
18 I've had it!
At first, I really loved the Treo. It was a good combination of a PDA and a phone, and T-mobile has been a good service provider. However, now that I have owned this phone for over a year, I am fed up!
I had to get the phone replaced (with a refurbished one, no less, because it was after the warranty expired), and they still charged me $70 for it. I had to get it replaced when the phone completely died on a humid, drizzling day (I can only assume it got wet...I didn't really think it did). I know, I shouldn't be getting my phone wet in the first place, but my very first Nokia (one of the old school models) held up against any weather, no matter how many times it was dropped accidentally.
Now, the replacement is driving me bananas! I've had to do this thing called Radio Reset twice already because my phone refused to pick up the T-mobile network. I just reset the stupid phone today, and it is officially STILL not working. Plus, given my experience with the tech support people the FIRST time I needed to get it replaced, I won't even bother calling them.
Now that my T-mobile contract is almost up, I am definitely going to get another phone. The Treo just proved to be rather cumbersome to use, never held a charge, and could not withstand my everyday activities. Would not recommend.
19 Buyer Beware!
I am an NYC T-mobile customer who has been burned by the Treo 270 flip lid fiasco. T-mobile replaced mine after the lid had cracked at the hinge after only 5 months. I think I took very good care of it, never dropped it.
A few weeks ago, T-mobile sent me a letter saying that they would charge me $70 for the replacement. This is unacceptable, since this is obviously a design flaw.
I appealed their decision, providing links to numerous anecdotes of other afflicted users (some of whom claim to have been accomodated by T-Mobile), but they contend the out-of-warranty charge is valid.
I would never recommend buying this phone, or opening a contract with T-mobile. Instead, take a look at the Kyocera Smartphones. I had one through Sprint for years with no problems.
If you have one already, don't return it! If it breaks, you can modify the phone by taking the lid off. Do a search in the discussion forums on treocentral.com or treomb.com for more info on the phone's problems and for modification ideas.
20 No support for Treo
The Treo functions well as a phone PDA but Handspring has again stopped support for it the moment a new product is available. A known defect is the SIM cover door fall off and the spring inside loosens. As of six weeks ago there are no longer parts availale to fix this and Handspring will not honour the warrenty of 1 year on the product.
It works well but without on-going support these products are a disaster waiting.
21 Terribly Disappointed
My cellular phone is an important link between my personal and professional life. With that in mind, I thought that this phone would be a perfect way to keep everything organized. Although the phone has some great qualities, such as: email, web browsing, etc., I found that the construction of the phone is cheap and a waste of money. After two months I had to replace the phone because the plastic flip cracked and broke off. The flip was literally hanging by a black and red wire. (I looked very professional when it happened in the middle of a business meeting) My provider replaced the phone and the same thing happened, in the same spot, after a month and a half. No one will credit the phone or even let me pay to upgrade to a flip-less model. I am very disappointed and I feel that I wasted about $300.
22 Treo 270 sucks!
I would give it no stars, but 1 is the minimum! This damn phone hinge on the 270 treo (trash-o) has broken three times in 5 months, and is unusable immediately afterwards. Try going without a cell phone for weeks at a time while awaiting a replacement. I am in the cell business and have a few contacts to get this replaced, but handspring sure won't pay for their obvious design flaw! There's hundreds of reports of the same prob. The hinge either freezes or you start getting a stress fracture, either way you have to open it to answer and it snaps!
23 A giant leap BUT...
This is a great combination of PDA and cell phone and I like it a lot. I have used it for nearly 4 months without any major problems. However, you have to understand that this is more PDA than cell phone. Anyone who's used a Palm will love this product as a PDA- it does all the things a palm will, with a full color screen, etc.
The phone functionality, while convenient overall, is another matter. First, you have to use both hands to make calls quickly- it's slow & error prone when using only one hand which means you can't really use the phone while driving. The navigation of screens, selecting the right number (esp. from the contacts list) is not easy. Second, the speakerphone- which was convenient to use when in a car- inexplicably died on me- it just stopped functioning sometime back. Third, the size/shape of the Treo makes it awkward to use as a phone without an earphone. Also it is not bluetooth enabled, so there's no easy way to get around this problem.
In summary, if like me, you are a PDA person who wants an additional phone functionality, this might just be the product for you. But if you use a cell phone often - I'd suggest you wait for a next generation phone (Treo 600 seems promising- but I don't know that for sure).
24 Flip Hinges CRACK (Three of them)
This phone is a great idea "in theory." However, I hold about 1000 contacts in the phone and it seams to "hang" the system quite often. Sometimes the phone will just stare at me without hanging up a call or placing the call. Kind of like when your PC hangs while its loading something. I have now gone through my third phone with the same problem. The hinge WILL crack slightly at first then completely. There is no way around it. It WILL crack everytime. In my opinion it was a pourly designed phone (Physically). I love the idea of having all of my MS Outlook contacts and calendar events on my phone/pda. However, this phone is not worth the aggravation. T-mobile is anything but helpfull when asking them to replace the phone. You just keep getting the same defective phone back. Ultimately it will break. Handspring just wants to push their new Treo 600 phone on you and won't do anything but replace the 270 with the same defective unit...that WILL break.
I hate this phone.
25 Love This Phone...except
This is my second Treo 270 in less than a year. Not very forgiving when dropped and yes it does happen. Flip hindges have cracked both times. Not covered under warranty leaving me no choice but to pay $100. to get another "reconditioned phone". After almost a year of trying, long hours with tech support, email still not operating. Web browser little to be desired...very slow. PDA and Phone functions are incredible. Answer call waiting, conference call etc. are all prompted from the touch screen...very nice. Built in speaker phone allows talking and taking notes or looking up info. a breeze. Very multifuntional. Key board is great for SIMs. Using it in my real estate business has made my life a lot easier and more mobile. Uses: phone, calendar/schedular, contacts, calculator, SIMs (text messages), Sales Data, Remote MLS lookup.
26 I LOVE THIS PHONE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a software trainer that travels the US constantly. I used to carry a Handpsring Visor Deluxe and a Nokia cell phone. Pain in the rear when going thru airport security (becuase I kept them both on belt clips.) I decided to upgrade to a Visor Prism and a Visor Phone attachment. Loved it until after a year plus of use/travel/abuse the antenna broke off and the unit is hard to come by now. I decided to upgrade (plus my wife has taken over my old one, she loves bejeweled). I decided on the Treo 270 (Treo 600 was a little to pricey). I HAVE NO REGRETS!!! The unit works great. Keeps everything within reach, my phone, contacts, schedule, and games (helpful when sitting on a plane for hours), and the abillity to surf the net for what else, plane schedules, hotel reservations, etc. THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR THE HARRIED PROFESSIONAL!!!!! Plus, when I ordered it thru Amazon, rebates paid for the phone!!!!!!!!!!! LIKE I SAID, I LOVE THIS PHONE!!!!!!!!!!!
27 Not good for Corporate email
I bought this to access my corporate email but I have not had much success. The browser supplied does not support javascript so many internet sites don't work. You need to purchase more software to access simle email like Yahoo or Hotmail or POP servers and software to access Exchange is almost $100 per year subscription.
28 Handspring Treop 270
This is a pretty cool product. I am not too excited about the flip part. Makes the phone a little big, but to have a my stuff fully integrated is awsome. The phone works great!
29 Must have gadget
I've had my Treo 270 for 16 months, and never let it get more than a few inches from my side. It is the single greatest convenience in my life. Phone, PDA, web acess...it's all there at my fingertips. Why would anyone settle for *just* a cell phone?
30 great phone and pda combo
been using this phone for a couple of days now, I'm very satisfied. I don't have to carry a separate organizer or scheduling book. what a convenience for having a phone and pda in one gadget. make sure you buy the treo pack case to protect the phone (a little bulky but you won't regret it) only downside-there are no games built in the phone (at least to kill time occasionally) Amazon's price is the best, go amazon!
31 Mobile Brain
After a seamless upgrade from a Treo 180 I am very happy with the Treo 270 and it's bright color screen. I avoided getting a PDA for years waiting for the combo phone and PDA and find both very easy to use. Phone coverage through TMobile is excellent even internationally from Jamaica and Peru! The speaker phone is one of my favorite features. The stylus is not necessary most of the time I use my finger on the screen; for example with one touch I can call my ten most frequent people. With 3-4 taps I can quickly reach anyone on my list. AS a sales person, I find it easy to access and add notes about my customers using the QWERTY keyboard. The world clock and calculator mean less "stuff" to carry. This model does not have a camera. I don't use Blazer much because it is slow. When traveling the screen is bright enough to use as a nightlight/flashlight. Needless to say, this mobile brain is always at my side.
32 Good compromise
Pros:
-Having a PDA with me wherever I go (Since I'm never without my cell phone).
-Internet access wherever I go, browser works well.
-Keyboard is great; I can type about as fast as a regular keyboard.
-Palm OS.
-Nice color screen.
-Easy to use.
Cons:
-Sound quality could be a little better (can be difficult to hear with significant ambient noise).
-Battery life could be a little longer (definitely recommend car charger).
-Internet speed a little slow, but tolerable.
-No expansion slot/SD card.
-No MP player
-No camera
The device has frozen once or twice, but only for a short while. Although not the perfect device, I am giving it five stars because it integrates so much so well. Overall I am quite happy with the device and would recommend it.
