Sprint to sell new EVDO-Palm OS Treo this month

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May 16, 20062 mins

Sprint plans to sell a bundle of services to business customers who also want consumer options like social connections, entertainment and news

Cell phone users will be chatting on the new Treo 700p smart phone from Palm Inc. by the end of May, according to an announcement Tuesday by Sprint Nextel Corp.

Palm, of Sunnyvale, California, unveiled the 700p Monday, saying it was the first smart phone to combine the Palm OS and EVDO (evolution-data optimized) wireless broadband.

Now Sprint Nextel, of Reston, Virginia, will bring it to market, offering the phone for US$399.99, with rebates, at retail stores and online. Verizon Wireless Inc. is also expected to sell the device.

Sprint plans to sell this bundle of services to business customers who also want consumer options like social connections, entertainment and news, said Danny Bowman, the company’s vice president of product marketing.

Palm already sells a Treo model running Microsoft Corp.’s Windows Mobile OS. The Treo 700p combines aspects of that Treo 700w product with the Palm OS-based Treo 650, adding enhancements like faster download speeds, an enhanced Blazer Web browser and an updated Palm OS (version 5.4.9). The device also acts as a PDA (personal digital assistant), with e-mail, Office applications, MP3 music player and digital camera.

Sprint will support the device on its mobile broadband network, enabling users to watch live television or connect the 700p to their notebook PCs as a wireless modem. For more information, see https://www.sprint.com/treo.