Will You Buy A Unlocked Treo 750?

A few hours before I went on my Centro rant yesterday, Palm introduced the unlocked AT&T Treo 750 for a cool $549 USD.

Specs:

All-in-one phone with email, organizer, and Web browser1
Microsoft® Windows Mobile® 6 with Palm enhancements
Broadband-like 3G speeds for fast data access1
Mobile access to multiple business and personal email accounts1
SMS/MMS with chat view and dedicated inbox
Internet Explorer Mobile®
Microsoft® Office Word, Excel,® and PowerPoint® Mobile
applications, plus PDF viewer
1.3 megapixel digital video camera (non-camera model also available)
Windows Media®Player 10 Mobile for audio and video
Built-in Bluetooth® technology enhanced to support stereo headsets
Voice Command for voice dialing
Functions as a high-speed modem for your laptop4

Now here are the Vodaphone Treo 500v Specs:

· Windows Mobile® 6 Standard software
· Full qwerty keyboard
· 3G/UMTS network
· Automatic delivery of Hotmail/MSN, Yahoo!, and Gmail, email as it arrives
· Microsoft® Direct Push technology for delivery of Outlook® email
· Access to Google Maps and eBay
· Vodafone live! for news, sports, and entertainment on the go
· Windows Media® Player Mobile for music and videos
· 2.0 megapixel camera captures video too
· 150MB of memory, expandable with microSD expansion card

It's hard to believe that when the 500v hits the states it's going to go for more than $99, since it's just a Centro running WM6. We know that it's coming and most likely on AT&T first. With US carriers now making the move to open handset moving, it isn't hard to imagine that AT&T and T-Mobile won't be following in the footsteps of Sprint and Verizon. So at some point next year you will be able to take your GSM device to whatever GSM carrier you want (except the iPhone. Can you say lawsuit?) so your device will be unlocked anyway.

Scenario:
The $549 unlocked Treo will be undercut by a more powerful, better featured 500v at the cost of $99. A few months later AT&T will cease the binding of the 500v to their network, basically unlocking it.

I'm just wondering out loud here, why is the latest "unlocked treo" news worthy? I suggest you wait and by 3 500v's. But if this latest offering interest you, I would love to know why.

Comments

[aproposnix]

Here in Europe, if you like Palm, you have few choices. When I start my new job in January I will definitely ask for the 750 (they will not allow mew to have a PalmOS device).