All About Centro

After many rumors and much anticipation the Palm Centro is now on the AT&T Wireless website and available!

As described by AT&T:

Overview

The Palm Centro is a compact QWERTY smartphone offering a full range of features. Transfer data or go hands-free with USB, Bluetooth® and infrared connectivity. Keep up with work and friends via email, Instant Messenger and Push-To-Talk. Enjoy the sounds of AT&T Music and XM Radio. Snap pictures and record video with the 1.3 MP camera, and store it all comfortably with up to 4 GB microSD¿ expansion memory.

Included Features

• 1.3 MP Camera with video capture
• Picture and video messaging
• EDGE class 10 for rapid data transfers
• Bluetooth v1.2 and Infrared connectivity
• Supports MicroSD(TM) expansion memory - up to 4 GB
• Full QWERTY keyboard and 2.2″ touchscreen display
• AIM®, Yahoo!®, and Windows Live® Messengers
• Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync email support
• Support for Good Mobile Messaging
• XM Radio, AT&T Music and MusicID
• Support for Xpress Mail
• Push-To-Talk

AT&T has a two-year contract price of $199.99 with a $100 mail-in rebate making the effective price $99.99.  The list price with no commitment is $349.99.

The initial color offered is glacier white with a version in black available in a month.

Other than the obvious difference in radio network technologies (this version is GSM as opposed to CDMA) this Centro is almost identical to the Sprint offering.

The other differentiators appear to be network based; for example: AT&T is offering push-to-talk, XM Radio, AT&T Music.  These are all subscription based offerings thru the network.

 This additional choice of a Centro on AT&T now makes the Palm experience available to even more of America - stay tuned…

My new Centro is here, I feel silly but here is a short YouTube video of the arrival …

The Centro is brand new but you can find inexpensive accessories if you know where to look.  The fact that the Centro shares much of its’ design with its’ Treo siblings is a big advantage.  As the Treos have been out for awhile - there are lots of accessories and add-ons made for them.  The Centro uses the same sync and power connector (known as “athena” I believe) so any connector related accessories made for a Treo 650, 680, 700, 750, etc. will fit the Centro. There are lots of possibilities; travel chargers, car chargers,  backup batteries, headsets, external speakers, and the list goes on.

Many of these accessories can be found at local retailers as well as online shops.  Some locals stores to look into include Five Below where a variety of chargers, batteries and headsets can be found.  Five Below also has a good selection of universal pouches and cases which can hold the Centro nicely and every thing is $5 or less as the name implies. 

Franklin Covey has sold Palm branded devices and accessories for years and they have locations throughout the country.  Don’t overlook the “clearance” area each store has - you can usually find some Palm related paraphernalia marked down to make room for new offerings.  Covey also has a nice online store to peruse as well. 

 Palm also has retail locations where you can see a full selection of goodies first hand.  Many of the Palm locations are in airports, there are stores in cities in New York and California. 

The office supply chains like Staples, Office Depot and OfficeMax all carry various Palm bits and baubles (and all have a clearance section somewhere in the store, just ask).  Selection varies greatly so check out a couple of possibilities.

On a recent outing I was able to pickup a travel charger, a car charger, and a couple of cases all for under twenty bucks.

(I always try to give you something extra - I have hyperlinked store locator’s and websites in this post, just give them a click.  Following is another copy for your convenience; Five Below, Franklin Covey online store, Palm retail locations, Staples, Office Depot , OfficeMax )

This handbill was distributed on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.

All you have to do is visit the Palm store in Rockefeller Center and enter the drawing on one of the Centros’ on display in the store.  This is an instant winner drawing so you find out on the Centro’s display if you have won.  You can enter every day thru the end of December when the promotion ends.

If you are in NYC before the end of the year this is a great use of 5 minutes.  The Palm store is near the things most visitors want to see at Christmas; the tree at Rockefeller Center, Radio City, Fifth Avenue shopping, etc.

The Palm Centro is featured on the cover of the January 2008 issue of Consumer Reports magazine.  The January issue contains CR’s annual look at cell phone deals, plans and carriers.  Palm is of course included in the mix of 60 standard and smart phones reviewed.  CR’s decision points for smart phones include considering the OS, and for Palm noted “The most versatile OS.  It supports full-featured e-mail and office software programs.  The best for basic PDA functions - contacts, calendar, and task lists.”

Palm made best choice for office-type users with the Treo 755, CR added “The Palm (755) is smaller than the 700-class Treos and adds built-in Google Maps for Mobile.  It is compatibile with Macs but lacks voice dialing.”  I guess they don’t know about the voice dialing apps that are available?  The Centro also made best choices for compact smart phones; “The Palm (Centro) shares many capabilities with a sibling (the Treo 755), including the ability to create and edit documents.”

All in all a very positive review.  The January issue of Consumer Reports magazine is on newstands now.

Welcome to All About Centro (AAC). 

I have been a part of the Palm Community for quite a while and love the devices, many might say obsessed.  While I was in wireless store I overheard a new Centro owner asking how to load their own movies (which the salesperson was struggling with)  and I thought - you enjoy figuring this stuff out, so … Here we are!

The mantra* for this site is “For the Ultimate Centro Experience”.  The content is written for the regular user, done the easiest way.  There are lots of Palm oriented sites around for advanced users - this blog is the easy way to get the most from your Centro without the fluff, fat, rants or raves.  Over time we’ll cover tips, tricks and tutorials on all of the stuff that new and perspective users want to see.

So bookmark and visit often or subscribe - I won’t waste your time. 

I will;

• Share what I have learned along the way
• Get around and try to be well read (and bring it back to you)
• Always try to give that something extra

Ask any questions you like and I will do my best research and answer; odds are if want to know a bunch of other people do too. 

* Apologies to Guy Kawasaki (I just couldn’t help myself).  Guy is a venture capitalist, author and a conference speaker; he was the business development rock star that made the Apple MacIntosh happen in 1984.  If you have an opportunity to hear him speak at an event - check it out, you won’t be sorry.  A lot of his talks revolve around making a mantra for what you want to do - “For the Ultimate Centro Experience” is mine.