Despite various cosmetic changes and a slimmed down overall footprint, the Palm Centro 685 is essentially still just a Treo 600. That means, as critics are quick to point out, that it is running on an antiquated OS, in this case the OS 5.4.9.
That being said, the Centro 685 is the least expensive keyboard smart phone ever, and for customers who have never “learned” a prior OS, this represents an arguably fair deal. In addition to being able to surf the web, send and receive email, text and organize your calendar, there is a large library of third party applications that can go a long way to enhance your experience.
After a brief exclusivity agreement with Sprint, the Centro 685 is now available on the AT&T Wireless network. Unfortunately, it runs on the EDGE network, which is a full generation down from the 3G speeds it runs on with Sprint. This will slow the web experience down.
Among the Centro 685’s more interesting features is a dedicated switch that turns the ringer on, off and to vibrate. No need to pull up menu options just to switch to silent mode. The device also sports a large, 320x320 pixel display, which you can interface with either through the included stylus, touching the screen with your finger or using the keypad to select commands.
The large display leaves little room for the Qwerty keypad, which is small and appears crunchy and compromised. As with any keypad, it is a matter of personal opinion as to whether it is difficult to use, but clearly it is a far cry from, say, the spacious Motorola Q9.
Talk time is rated at 4 hours, and standby time at 300 hours. It comes with 64MB of on-board trans flash memory and supports up to 4G of external memory.
While there are many smart phones available that have modern, compelling user interfaces and optimized operating systems, few can compete with the list price of the Centro 685. The tradeoff in this case is getting a great price but having to tolerate an OS that can be cumbersome and limiting at times.
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Editor, Wireless NorthThe nice thing about running a little community blog wirelessnorth.ca is that every so often companies, or rather their PR reps, send you some pretty neat new stuff. Unfortunately, this is not so much one of those times. At long last (and sorry Palm), here is our review of the Palm Centro. Rogers r...
- Joanna Stern, Laptop MagThe Centro still has a small keyboard, but AT&T customers looking for an easy-to-use smart phone should be satisfied.
- Grace Aquino, WiredThe Palm Centro is like the friend you call when you need to be bailed out of jail: Reliable, smart and capable of getting the job done. But its dependable nature also means it's not exactly the handset you want to party with.Now offered by AT&T in a GSM flavor, the pocket-size, easy-to-use Cent...
- Michael Oryl, MobileBurnFor starters, the AT&T version runs on GSM/EDGE networks - all four of the major GSM frequency bands, that is. What is lacking, though, is 3G support of any kind, something that the Sprint Centro had thanks to EV-DO compatibility. So while AT&T Centro users can roam the globe and get a signa...
- Ricky Cadden, MobileBurnWith pricing set at $99 with a 2 year contract on Sprint's high-speed network, the Palm Centro is a pretty good deal. For less than half the price of most other smartphones, you get a full touchscreen device with multimedia capabilities and streaming media. The QWERTY keyboard is nice, but not entir...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Palm Centro 685 user manual here.
Palm backs up the Centro 685 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Centro 685 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Palm support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Palm's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- Palm Centro 685 Manual (PDF)
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