ezbuyblog

I purchased this phone as an upgrade from a phone with just a keyboard. I needed a phone that had more organizational features but still allowed texting. This phone delivered above and beyond my needs. There are so many features with this phone. It has a very responsive touch screen and is very very user friendly. The stylus is a great feature with a touch screen This is my first Palm device and I am getting around in it very easily. It also is very compact, a lot smaller than it looks in pictures. If you are looking for a versatile phone that helps you keep your schedule organized with spending a great deal of $$$ this is the phone. The keyboard is small, but so is the phone. I don't have any problems with texting or entering information. Why spend more for the same or less? Definitely a great buy you wont regret getting this one.

ok so i just bought the palm centro about a month ago. it does every single thing i wanted it to do - but it took some time to figure it out.

all of the other reviews are right on - so if you have other questions about it - read them.

i just wanted to give you a few tips:

1) there is a button in the bottom right corner of the keypad that is the equivalent of 'right clicking' with a mouse. when in doubt, try it. it solved lots of my problems.

2) turning on "shuffle" on the music player was NOT easy - but once you find it, it does it automatically unless you turn it off. to get it to shuffle: when in the music player, push that 'right click' button (bottom right button on the keypad). go to 'tools', then select 'choose skin' choose the sleek blue one. once you do THAT, the button to shuffle your songs is the tangled two arrow button below the box that shows what song is playing.

3) the phone does NOT have an easy to use, simple alarm clock. some people freak out about this. i even read of one couple who returned the phone because of it. however, you CAN set alarms pretty easily - just use the calendar to set up recurring appointments - these have an alarm that you can set.

4) i've had the phone for about a month, and i just TODAY figured out how to send Word and Excel files FROM my phone TO another computer. i figured out how to send them from computer to phone long ago. but today i finally tinkered with it (which is what you have to do pretty often) and discovered how to send files from phone to computer. you have to install the "Versamail Personal Edition" email program, which you'll find under "My Centro" on the main screen. once that's installed, you can use it to bring your usual email provider (i use gmail) onto the phone, and then once you're using your email, you can attach files to emails and send them either to yourself or to other email accounts.

5) to customize ringtones: at first glance, it appears that you can only use the ringtones assigned by the phone. they're ok, but i like to use my own songs, or buy them and use them. if you haven't ever used ventones.com - it rocks. anyway, just send a text message to your phone with a song attached (ventones shows you how to do this). once you've opened that txt msg on your phone, right click (that bottom right hand button) and 'save as ringtone'. simple, once you know how. ;)

these are some mysteries i've finally solved. hope that helps.

jeff

Pros:
-Full QWERTY keyboard
-Abundance of third party Apps
-Compact size
-full PDA capability
-PRICE

Cons:
-small learning curve
-aged OS

Summary: While Verizon has long been the best option for me when it comes to network and price since my work uses them almost exclusively, I have always hated the way that they handicap most of their phones to better extract the money from consumers' pockets. So, when it came time to get my semi-annual new phone I tried to find one that would minimize this.

I wanted something with a QWERTY keyboard for messaging without the size of a blackberry. I did my research and chose the Centro because of its size and ability to customize.

I have had it for one day and already have a free app for ringtones, a free app to make it look like an iPhone, and a free app to make the contacts work like an iPhone. Tonight I will be adding in an NES emulator, thus completely eliminating the need to "Get It Now."

Reception and clarity are superb, far eclipsing my LG VX-8600. Messaging is made easy with the full keyboard, and ringtones are clear and loud.

The 1.3 megapixel camera works magnificently... I can use a pic as a wallpaper on a 19" monitor without any pixilation. This far outshines the 1.3 mp on my old LG.

I did not get the phone for the "smart" capabilities and don't have a data plan, so I cannot comment on e-mail or internet.

I would recommend this phone to anyone who needs a messaging phone with wants to be able to customize their experience without giving Verizon a car payment every month.

As of March 2009, I think Centro (Verizon) is one of the best smartphones available. The style is simple, unadorned and functional a.k.a. Google style but not stylish, fun & glamorous like iPhone & Mac. Having used 3 Windows Mobile phones, iPhone, Balckberry Storm, Palm Treo 755p & Nokia E51, I think Verizon Centro is closest to the ideal smartphone in these features.

1. Good voice signal and wide coverage.
2. Clear sound. Solid, reliable phone.
3. Reasonable size & weight (119 gms) and is pocketable and you have to carry phone with you all the time. But there is scope for improvement, it could be lighter and thinner. Ideal weight for a phone is less than 100 gms.
4. Top-notch contact, calendar and memos management.
5. Brisk, peppy response and rarely locks up or freezes.
6. A-one Microsoft office document functionality with Documents-to-Go.
7. Good QWERTY keyboard.
8. Fairly decent availability of applications.
9. Functions well as a tethered modem with cable and speed in 800-900 Kbs range.
10.Synchronizes calendar, contacts and memos with Macbook.
11.Good SMS function: threads messages.

But Centro Verizon is not without flaws: the default OK button is on Voicemail and dials Voicemail unintentionally. I have not been able to sync over Bluetooth or use Bluetooth modem. Web browser is fast for mobile sites but otherwise barely functional - Internet is available but browsing is not enjoyable like on iPhone. Instead of micro-USB or mini-USB, it uses proprietary cable which is hard to take out. Camera is bare minimum at 1.3 Megapixels and music function is basic with 2.5 mm audio jack. Font size is small and has to be individually adjusted in each application.

Here is my Gestalt on smartphones.

1. iPhone is the best MP3, video and multimedia player, has the best user interface and mobile browser experience but is abysmal as a phone in comparison to Verizon Centro. AT&T has poor network signal and coverage, the calls drop all the time and sound on iPhone is average.
2. Blackberry Storm has a gorgeous screen and excellent email device but has very buggy software and constantly freezes. Blackberries shine when it comes to email.
3. Windows Mobile phones are horrendous: packed with features that don't work and smartphone operating system is the most unreliable.
4. Symbian based Nokia phones are fairly decent smartphones but their availability on US cellular carriers is very limited. Verizon Wireless, the best network in US, has none.

In my experience Verizon Wireless is the most dependable cellular network; and Palm operating system is one of the most trusty and functional smartphone operating systems. Centro is supposedly the last in the Palm lineage phones. I would recommend it if you need a solid, trustworthy smartphone.

I've been craving the perfect smartphone for a few years now. Seems you had to sacrifice for either size or features. Finally, this little guy comes along and I literally can't put it down. I The features are great and the form factor is perfect. It barely takes up more space in my pocket than the Razr it replaced. First, as many have mentioned, yes the Palm OS is dated, however as dated as it seems, it still blows the doors off of most phones out there. I want it simple. I don't need a ton of useless apps and fluff bogging down my phone. My primary need was for the following: 1) Good sound quality, 2) Robust calendar and alarm feature, 3) email capability, 4) easy texting, 5) decent camera (because you never know when you'll need to take a halfway decent pic in an emergency (auto accidents, unexpected events, etc.) The Centro delivers on all fronts. Here's my pros and cons:

PROS:

PHONE: Nice clear phone with great reception (in my area anyway, southeastern Pennsylvania). Speakerphone is loud and clear. Buttons to toggle speakerphone on/off well placed and easily quickly found on touchscreen. The layout is well-executed and all buttons/features easy to find. Callers can be identified by picture and ringtone.

MESSAGING: I LOVE the fact that messages are sorted in a chat/IM format. It makes it so much easier to keep up with back and forth conversations. And since new messages from someone who has already texted you are appended to the chat log, it's very easy to find older messages from certain people. The icons are a nice touch too. I haven't used the email feature. I have a Blackberry for that (sorry, it's the undisputed champ. Besides, I don't need 24X7 access to my personal email, only corporate).

PIM: What can I say, it's Palm. It's been around for ages, so I won't bore you with repetitive info. It's very easy to add information, synch with PC, and backup data. Contacts is great. You can add a lot of extra info (such as anniversaries, birthdays, etc.) for contacts that will be automatically added to calendar. Several fields including customizable ones, ensure you can enter pretty much any info you desire. Pictures can be added to contacts. The Palm software will even ask you if you wish to optimize the picture for use on the Palm. That's great and saves you the time of re-sizing an 8MP picture so it doesn't gobble a couple MB's on your handheld. Haven't really used memo yet, but it's basically a rudimentary scratch pad for notes.

CAMERA: The camera is adequate. It's by no means great (I've yet to find that on ANY cellphone), but it's on par with the best that's out there now. Though only 1.3 MP, images are clear and free from blur. Even low-light images are fairly decent half the time. Video is OK, although not as robust as the still-cam. (see more on this below)

EXTRAS: There are a few little extras: Documents to Go, Versamail, PocketTunes, etc. that I haven't bothered to use yet. I did install a 4GB microSD card and keep photos and music on it. Desktop software is standard Palm fare. If you are unfamiliar with it, there are plenty of reviews and info sites on the web. It is extremely easy to install, configure, and use. Internet access is standard mobile phone fare. Speeds were pretty good on Verizon's network. Battery life is great! I keep it on all day (power down overnight). I make calls, use the camera, frequently use the messaging, calendar, and contacts, and I'm on my third day without recharging (although it looks like I may do so tonight)

The fit and finish are fine. Although you can tell this phone is geared towards the budget crowd, it doesn't feel "cheap". It's just not as fancy as it's bigger brothers, however, it definitely feels solid and well-built in it's own right.

CONS:
I love the keyboard and realize there was no way to keep the form factor this size and make them any bigger. Although I don't have big sausage fingers, I still sometimes have difficulty navigating the micro-sized keys. Someone with larger fingers should definitely try it out in a store first. You can also dial the phone with soft buttons on the touchscreen

Video is a crap shoot. Sometimes videos are OK, other times the movements are kind of jerky. Depends on lighting and how fast your subject is moving. Fortunately, my expectations weren't that high to begin with. Like 99% of the video phones, it's adequate, just not great.

The USB sync cable is difficult to remove . It almost feels like you're going to break it when you pull it out. There are no buttons or release switches.

The battery door is also extremely difficult to remove/replace. You have to push down on just the right place. The microSD card took a couple attempts to seat properly. The instructions said it should "click" into place, however mine didn't click, it just slid in until it stopped. My first attempt I failed to fully insert it and the card wasn't detected. You have to remove the battery cover to access the microSD slot, so I wasn't very happy about doing that again.

Other than these few minor annoyances, I having yet found any glaring cons with this phone. I love it and would highly recommend it if you're searching for a robust smartphone that isn't the size of a brick.

If you have issues, post a comment and I'll write about how I solved a power consumption issue since the phone is obsolete and not carried by Verizon as of January 2010. I've reduced this previously 5 star review to 3 based on this 2 bad issues I've found over a year, given the difficult time users can have installing older Palm apps, its potential interaction with battery consumption, and the way to fix it, that isn't helped nor documented by Palm.

I've used Palm's since 1998 continuously and have a large number of often used applications. I won't repeat good reviews already made here, just reinforce them. Most folks see the Centro as an improved Smartphone, but I see the Centro as what a cellphone could be. Verizon emulates what the Centro does very well through its Get-it-Now apps available for most of its cellphones. However, Palm apps are free, downloaded from other ways that don't incur data charge, often are better made, and quite prolific.

As a Phone:

The Centro is my first non-Motorola phone since the early 1990s, and can attest its as clear as a dedicated Motorola phone, including that of the speakerphone.

Centro is sized like a small non-flip Nokia phone, and its 4oz does not encumber a pants pocket such that at times it feels like its not there.

The user interface is more Palm than the stifling Verizon interface introduced 4 years ago, so there are many options for personal configuration.

A voice-dialer app is a work-a-like to those in Motorola phones, but not only dials and look up contacts, but launches Palm apps too.

The recorder also records phone conversations. This is help when getting directions, lists of items, etc., while on the road and having no pen or paper handy.

As a Palm:

Wikipedia estimates there are 50,000 Palm apps, freeware compendia list 6000+ as free.

In my migration from a v4.x Clie, 85% were compatible. Only 1/3rd of compatible programs were actively updated, the rest were written over 7 years ago. The Palm install on the CD did not load older files correctly, leading to a horrible crash. I strongly suggest hotsyncing your Centro as a virgin unit, not as an upgrade from a prior Palm; install and check older apps manually one at a time.

It took 2 hours to check apps for problems, but it took 6 hours to repair the crash of my PC and Centro. Checking apps is vital, some crash the Centro and should be replaced with a compatible version.

Palm's workflow and desktop is almost unchanged since it was released in 1996.

Centro's LCD is sharp and clear, making it easy to read despite the smaller LCD diameter.

Battery case opens easy if, held upside down, you press down and forward with thumbs to left and right of the Verizon mark on the battery cover. The camera must face towards you for the maneuver.

Changes in how buttons are placed, plus the use of the 5-position key, offer ways to navigate that don't require a stylus. The soft stylus seems improper at first, until I find that it fits really snug, preventing accidental pop offs and loss.

Centro operates reliably as a Palm, once problems with older apps are dealt with. Apps called DA or hacks should not be used if not meant for Palm V5.x.

Newer Palm Apps are akin to old, spartan in appearance, they are very functional, tiny sized, and run quickly. This helps overall battery life as I am never wanting of power during a workday. [ USB cable can charge Centro during hotsyncing: 80%- 100% occurs in under 1 hour.] I hotsync every 2-3 days to download new data, then leave it connected overnight, so I not had to purposefully use the fast charger.

I have been waiting for ages for the perfect phone. One that would combine a good phone with my Palm Tungsten. That phone finally arrived in the Palm Centro. Because I use the FranklinCovey PlanPlus software I needed a smartphone that ran on Palm OS. I'm not a big tech geek, so I don't know about Palm OS being outdated. What I do know is that this phone functions perfectly for me in the use of the PlanPlus software to run my calendar, contact list, task lists and other FranklinCovey items. I had already been using Documents to Go and liked that this was already included on the phone. I do use the email function for my personal Comcast and gmail. Regular Yahoo mail doesn't work, but that is because of Yahoo and not the phone. The only issue I ran into was trying to figure out why my memory card kept popping out. I finally read that you have to take off the back cover to seat it properly. And as another reviewer pointed out, it can be a bit of a challenge to get the back cover on and off. All in all this phone works exactly the way I wanted it to, and I'm very happy with my upgrade.

I've had a couple of weeks of experience with the Centro, and I must say it has nearly turned around my bitterness towards Verizon and the train wreck that was the 700p (which apparently they finally fixed in an update a few weeks ago).

First of all Verizon apparently views this phone as a "low" end smartphone. As such they are offering it with a less expensive $29.99 unlimited data & email plan. This is a nice little touch and finally drops their data rates south of highway robbery. Oddly enough the internet in the Centro seems faster and more stable than the 700p, which was decent in itself when it wasn't crashing.

EDIT: Apparently the data plan isn't listed as one of Amazon's offerings, and I've found my local Verizon store messed up adding it initially. I'd call Verizon customer support and ask for the E-mail and Web for Smartphone Plan after activating your new phone.

The keyboard is much smaller, but I personally prefer the texture to the keys. The old Treo keys were rather smooth and sometimes slippery if you try to type with one hand. These new keys have a good amount of texture to aid in one handed typing. However, they don't have the same amount of "click" to them.

Battery life seems fine. I've gotten a bit better battery life after taking some advice from the forums of Treocentral and turned off the auto syncing of the time. Overall I charge the phone every other day with my usage patterns (some web, about 3 hours or so of pocket tunes internet radio, some calendar viewing, and a bit of Sudoku and Solitaire).

It feels a bit cheaper built than the 700p, but the software seems a lot more well put together. Verizon was apparently lazy and took almost no effort to tamper with this phone as they usually do with most of their phones. The only dedicated Verizon application I've noticed was Wireless Sync (which I've heard was a buggy, slow email client). Other than that I've got a full version of Docs to Go, Google Maps (which seems a bit slow when you zoom in all the way, but is otherwise strangely addicting), Pocket Tunes Deluxe (with internet radio), Sudoku (addicting), and many variants of Solitaire (from Astraware). The rest of the applications are pretty much the same as other Palms.

As a final note I've had the chance to see every single color of Centro (with the exception of the Grey/White unlocked GSM version), and I must say the "Cobalt Blue" color that Verizon picked out was a brilliant choice. It doesn't stick out as much as "Electric Blue," but it's the type of color you could bring more or less anywhere and still look good.

I recently upgraded my Verizon Wireless phone to a Palm Centro Smartphone. The device is power packed with great features and allows for flexibility and convenience. I was not able to synchronize my phone with the computer once I installed the included software. Palm support online was very helpful and I was informed that because my computer is 64 bit, it is incompatible. The technician said the company is developing a software that will enable the Centro to work with 64 bit computers. In the meantime, he suggested using bluetooth technology to utilize the hot synch function. I researched online and found the Kensington Blue Tooth USB 2.0 Adapter, which I bought and installed last night on my HP 64 bit Windows Vista laptop. The installation took a few minutes and the phone was immediately recognized. The Hot Synch launched flawlessly and I am now able to wirelessly synchronize the Centro to the computer from anywhere within range. The sound on this phone is loud and clear and the numerous features are easy to access. I would highly recommend the Palm Centro Smartphone!

I've had my Centro for about a month now, and have been continually impressed with just about everything about it. IMHO, this might very well be the best combination of price, functionality, and portability.

Price:-------------------------------------
While Palm seems to have pegged this as a phone for the value conscious, it does not seem that any corners were cut. The screen is a joy to behold, with crisp text and vibrant colors. The keys are solid to the touch, and though I have fairly large hands, typos are not very common. And, the finish on the phone screams quality. The touch screen also works very well, and I find that I rarely break out the stylus - which is so wonderfully recessed that it'll take a minute or so before you locate it for the first time.

Functionality:-----------------------------
I've used both Palm and PocketPC organizers, and have to say that I really enjoy the simplicity of the Palm OS. While it may be a bit long in the tooth today - its hard to improve upon simplicity. Especially on a hand held device. All the familiar Palm applications are there, and work just as well. In addition, there's DataViz's Documents To Go application that lets you work with PDFs, Word, and Excel documents.

Portability:--------------------------------
It is amazing just how much has been packed into this form factor. A full keyboard, a decent screen, and good navigation - via a 5 way rocker switch. I'm not a big fan of keyboards that swivel or slide into existence, since it usually means a thicker body. The Centro gives me all that I need and will still fit comfortably in my front trouser pocket - so well in fact that I don't even notice it. In fact, one of my worries is that its just a bit too small for my hands, and that I might have it slip through my fingers.

* * * * * * * * * * * As a phone * * * * * * * * * * * *
Call quality and speakerphone abilities are obviously important in a phone, and I was very glad that the Centro shone in both those departments. However, people can often tell that I'm on a cell phone, and at the maximum volume level there seems to be some clipping on the speakerphone.

I really like the touch keys that show up when in a call to turn on the speakerphone or to mute the microphone.

BTW - I used to have TMobile service (with a Moto Razr) but would constantly run into dead zones within office buildings. Using the Centro with Verizon, gives me 2 solid bars where I often had none.

I tend to prefer phones with hard keys. However, the numeric keypad here is way too small to use - especially one handed. Hence my primary concern was with how its alternative dialing mechanisms would work - i.e., touch pad dialing, voice dialing and speed dialing features.

Touch pad dialing:------------------------
Works reasonably well - with fairly large sized buttons showing up on the screen. What's really cool are the programmable soft buttons that you get at the bottom of the touch pad - called Favorite Buttons. Once you've configured these favorites, dialing frequently used numbers is as easy as navigating to them and pressing the Palm button.

Voice dialing:------------------------------
This is a separate application by VoiceSignal. My opinion on this is a bit mixed. It seems to work reasonably well - but can be very finicky. I've played with its customization settings to get it to work better, but I'm not sold on it yet.

The most vexing problem is that it works by doing a phonetic match between the contact's name and what you say into the microphone. While this works for most names, it is a challenge when a name is not pronounced as it is spelled. I much prefer the alternative - where you record the pronunciation for each contact, and the application does a voice print comparison.

For convenience, the Centro lets you invoke the voice dialing application by pressing and holding the lower most left button.

Speed key dialing:------------------------
This doesn't work quite as well mostly because I can never remember who is programmed on a given key :(

* * * * * * * * * * * Other thoughts * * * * * * * * * * * *
Key Guard:------------------------------
The key guard is also simplicity itself. I have it set so that the device goes to sleep in 30 seconds if no key is pressed. Then to wake it up, I need to press the Power button and the recessed center Palm button. Its kind of annoying especially if you're used to clamshell designs - but its easy to get used to. I've heard complaints regarding other phones where the key guard is too easy to bypass, resulting in unexpected phone calls being made. So far no such problem. I've had it in my front trouser pocket - and its never called home.

Synchronization:------------------------
I used the supplied cable to sync this phone to both Microsoft Outlook and to the Palm Desktop, and both went without a hitch. The cable connection at the phone end is a bit scary - it doesn't connect well, and I often hit the sync button when trying to detach it.

The cable does double duty - as a trickle charger - so its easy to charge up your phone while at your computer.

Using Bluetooth to sync with my laptop took a bit longer to setup. However, it did go through, and now it's a joy to have it sync at the push of a button, without having to connect up the cable. Its not noticeably slower than using the cable, and its convenience is awesome.

Battery level:----------------------------
Battery level is sort of a concern. Looks like a car charger and an additional battery are must-have accessories for me. I find that under light to normal usage, I have to charge it at least twice a week. That's a bit thirstier than I expected, but I prefer this to the increased weight of a high capacity battery.

Battery cover:----------------------------
That brings me to the one problem with this phone that everyone complains about - that the designer must have been asleep during the class on battery cover design. It requires brute strength and pure luck in equal measures to slide it open. I've done it successfully over a dozen times now, but I still haven't quite figured out a technique. The positive here is that I do not open battery covers on phone with any regularity. The negative is that you need to get this open to do a soft reset (another design class missed, it seems), and to properly seat the microSD card (yet another).

Web/email/data:--------------------------------
The Blazer browser is plenty zippy, and I've had no trouble accessing gmail, Google Maps, or any of my regular sites. The pages render beautifully and the images are surprisingly sharp and clear.

* * * * * * * * * * * Conclusion * * * * * * * * * * * *
I agonized over the Blackberry devices and the Samsung 760 - all wonderful devices.

However, as a key selection criterion for me was portability, it was simply impossible to ignore this phone. Combining this with a comprehensive feature-set definitely makes it one of the best on the market.