First known by its internal codename ‘Hollywood’, the Treo 750 is Palm’s second Windows Mobile device. It was officially announced back in September ‘06 in collaboration with Vodafone, one of the world’s biggest and best-known carriers. The device broke new ground for the company on several different fronts: it was Palm’s first serious push to broaden its international install base, and was heavily marketed with contributions from both Microsoft and carrier partners. It was their first 3G UMTS device, filling a gap that creaky ol’ Palm OS Garnet is technically incapable of covering. And it marked the debut of the Treo’s now-standard slimmer, antenna-free form factor. Premiering exclusively on networks across several European countries, you can now find the Treo 750 on 3G carriers worldwide, from the desert backwaters of Australia all the way through to the U.S. of A.
Also similar to the 680, the Treo 750 has larger thumbboard buttons and larger “action” buttons just below the screen that correspond to the soft buttons on the screen. Turning the device on and off is done by the right-most hardware button. Though a similar complaint to the 680 is that the buttons are flush, making it hard to distinguish between the power button and the ‘ok’ button without looking at the keypad.
In a change from previous Treos, the 750 uses the miniSD card standard. Access to the card slot is on the right side of the device behind a flap cover. Below this slot is a reset button (which is something missing from the 680). The infrared (IR) port is also located on the right side of the 750.
Coated with grippy soft-touch paint, the Treo 750 feels great in the hand and doesn’t constantly threaten to slide straight out of your sweaty grip, as the 6xx varieties do. When you set it down, it (generally) stays put. There are disadvantages here: just as it doesn’t slither out of your hand, neither does it slide into your pocket or a case as easily as other Treos. But overall it’s a notable improvement.
And speaking of nice improvements, the 750 displays excellent build quality. Compared to my lower-cost Treo 680 – which shares the same basic design - the 750 feels more solid: for instance, the grey plastic runners that sit on either side don’t exhibit the same tendency to creak and flex when held tight. Similarly, the miniSD slot cover is firmer and less floppy than that of the 680. The buttons, too, feel nicer: they have a more satisfying and springy click that invites you to press them over and over again just for the hell of it. This applies to both the hard buttons and the QWERTY thumb board. The backlighting is also of superior quality: it’s bright and even all over.
The Treo 755p is the latest Treo smartphone from Palm and the first new model released in 2007. The 755p essentially combines the software and features of the Treo 700p with the slimmer, antenna-less 680/750 form-factor. The 755p aims to take its place as the new flagship Palm OS Treo, sporting 3G wireless speeds with a lighter form factor and more attractive case design. It premiers first on the Sprint Network in the US, with Verizon expected to eventually offer it as well.