Treo 800w to be REPLACED by Treo Pro. As in Sprint will stop selling the 800w soon!

[darnell]

The news is here.

Hate to be the bearer of such bad news, but I noticed nobody is talking about it here and I wanted to make sure everyone knew.

Without a doubt, this proves that Sprint is not happy with the 800w. While they usually continue to sell older models of Palm devices for much longer, they are pulling the 800w after 6 months. (Perhaps they'll sell the 800w till their current supply runs out or perhaps they'll pull it the very moment they release the Treo Pro. Either way, they're done with the 800w. They won't continue to order more of it from Palm for resale. Meaning the ONLY carrier of the 800w is backing away from it.) With other brands, such as HTC's they're still selling the Mogul although the Touch Pro is a newer model that they also sell. They didn't "replace" the Mogul with the Touch Pro and have continued selling both. Never has a Palm device been "replaced" by Sprint so quickly. Perhaps this is the fastest smart phone "replacement" ever?

The 800w obviously is not a hot seller, many complaints about defects and fails to offer the advertised autonomous/stand alone GPS. It only does aGPS and the GPS radio won't start without a compatible CDMA signal.

This move by Sprint means, 3rd party accessory makers won't be thinking much about the 800w, because it only ran with one carrier for a VERY short period of time and that carrier is dumping it. We 800w owners won't hold any advantages that come with owning a device that is still actually being heavily marketed by a major carrier. In fact, Sprint never really marketed the 800w heavily. They didn't even include it in their Christmas promotion that was sent out about a month ago. It shows Sprint never really was pleased with the 800w.

We're basically stuck with a device that does not have many owners and will never have many owners, it's like the Pontiac Fiero of smart phones. Nobody is going to offer it much in the way of support and new add ons. I even suspect IF Palm makes a ROM update for it, that it might be slim compared to what would come in a ROM update for a device with more owners and making Palm more money. Nobody is really going to cater to a device that is less used and only ran with a carrier for 6 months. If the 800w had a short life with a carrier, but had an unlocked version it would still get more sales and more attention, but the Treo 800w will have 6 months with 1 carrier and be let go. I mean of course our devices will still work on Sprint's network, but Sprint's not going to keep selling it and it will be like an old has been.

Knowing the Treo Pro was coming to Sprint didn't bother me at all, but knowing Sprint will stop selling the 800w is a totally different story. With all that has gone on with the 800w, I can't say I'd get the 800w if I could do it all over again.

[lenin1928]

After reading your comment I get the feeling I should dump this phone in a landfill.

But, comparing the 800w to the pro, there isn't much difference and the 800w is a bit faster!

[darnell]

Have you compared the Treo 800w to a Treo Pro that had ClearType turned off? Treo Pro owners are finding that with ClearType off which is on by default in the Treo Pro, they get good performance. ClearType is off by default on most WM devices including the 800w. Seems to make a greater impact on Treo Pro performance though.

Also, the Sprint Treo Pro will have some differences, so it's hard to say how it will perform before it's released.

[Malatesta]

Originally Posted by darnell

The news is here.

Hate to be the bearer of such bad news, but I noticed nobody is talking about it here and I wanted to make sure everyone knew.

<insert filler>

Lots of speculation in your post with little evidence i.e. "The 800w obviously is not a hot seller" or "Without a doubt, this proves that Sprint is not happy with the 800w"

You don't have any numbers to back any of this up nor have you spoken with anyone at Sprint to validate their thought on the issue. This is just projection of your own feelings onto your theory.

Have you thought that perhaps Sprint/Palm were planning on doing the Treo Pro all along, but couldn't get it out till January 2009? So instead Sprint used the 800w as a stop-gap to have a Wifi/GPS/WM6.1 Treo in their lineup?

I mean, if we're just engaging in meaningless conjecture and making up reasons, why not that one?

And you are not "stuck" with the device. You can sell it or use it.

They didn't "replace" the Mogul with the Touch Pro and have continued selling both.

Of course this is false (and you know it) as Sprint's lineup sheets clearly state that the HTC Raphael is replacing the Mogul (likewise with Touch/Diamond).

And in fact Sprint has pulled the Touch and Mogul completely from their lineup.

[dnix]

I must say I do agree with "Malatesta", why take the 800w off the line up just because they are brining the Treo Pro on?

I have only seen photo's of the Treo Pro and it's too much like the Centro; keyboard is the same, which is too small and not practicle for typing. My own opinion would be; they keep both. The 800w for the buisness user like me and the Treo Pro for typical user. The only reason I stay with Sprint is because they had the 700wx and now the 800w. I have been a very happy owner of three Palm Treo (650, 700wx and 800w). They have all been work horse phones for me, I use them instead of carrying a laptop.

However, "Darnell" if you have inside information or credentials that back up your therory like "You work for Sprint or Palm" please let us know. I am not brand loyal and if Sprint is dropping the 800w, I will most likley be moving on to another device and carrier. I do not like anything else Palm has out right now. Also, the 800w is needing a ROM update badly, so I am hoping they will be keeping it on their line up.

[Ebag333]

Originally Posted by dnix

However, "Darnell" if you have inside information or credentials that back up your therory like "You work for Sprint or Palm" please let us know. I am not brand loyal and if Sprint is dropping the 800w, I will most likley be moving on to another device and carrier. I do not like anything else Palm has out right now. Also, the 800w is needing a ROM update badly, so I am hoping they will be keeping it on their line up.

There's no insider information here.

Only lots of wild theories that generally have little backing, and a few people who are willing to spend hours a day spreading them to the various forums/blogs.


One must admire their dedication, if not the methods they go about it, or the content of the messages.

[darnell]

It's always interesting when personal attacks fly. But I'll remain on topic.

What I've noted is a view that is the norm outside of communities such as this.

AT&T, Sprint Show Palm Treo Pro Some Love

...
In related news, it appears Palm may have finally found a U.S. carrier to offer the Treo Pro directly, Sprint. Reportedly, the smartphone will take the place of the Treo 800w on January 25th. Although the Treo 800w launched during the summer, not long before the release of the Treo Pro, it hasn't lived up to expectations—mostly due to technical difficulties run into by users. Hence the reason Sprint may be willing to chuck to the side for the sturdier Treo Pro. Rumor has it Sprint will sell the Treo Pro for about $200 with a service contract.
...

I see no reason to deny the obvious, but perhaps today's announcement from PALM will tell more.

[Hafrust]

This is not much different than when Sprint released the Palm Centro. The Treo 755P had not been out that long, and the Centro was basically the same thing with a lower price point. Both devices are still for sale.

[darnell]

It is the widely held view of those outside of places partial to the 800w. Which makes theirs the more objective viewpoint.


Sprint Treo Pro Nearly Confirmed
(emphasis added)

...
The document goes on to report that the Treo 800w will indeed reach end-of-life status in favor of the sleeker, more media-savvy Pro. With a short, unspectacular lifespan of barely six months on the market, the much-maligned 800w gains the dubious distinction of being one of Palm's shortest-lived smartphones.
...

Palm Treo Pro Coming to Sprint in Late January
(emphasis added)

...
The Treo Pro will reportedly replace the Treo 800w, a similar but problem-wracked Windows Mobile smartphone Sprint launched over the summer.
...
Say Good-Bye to the Treo 800w

As mentioned earlier, the Treo Pro is apparently going to replace another Palm product in Sprint's line-up, the Treo 800w. While a new device replacing an older one isn't unusual, a Sprint launch of the Pro in January would be, as the 800w only hit the market in July.
The Pro won't be tremendously superior to the current model in features, but the 800w has been plagued by problems. Potential customers have even reported being steered away from this model by Sprint store salespeople.
Both models run Windows Mobile 6.1 Pro, have a 320-by-320-pixel screen, 3G and Wi-Fi, and GPS. They also have the same general shape. The Pro is the thinner of the two, yet has a higher-capacity battery.
Despite their many similarities, the Pro and 800w are made by different companies. A CDMA version of the Pro would be made by HTC, while the 800w is made by Inventec.
...

[Malatesta]

Posting information from a blog site, which itself cites no sources i.e. lacks things such as "In a conversation with Sprint..." or "In a phone call placed to Palm, they said...", the story is 100% speculation and inference taken from who knows where.

That's not a real news story in that sense, just rumor and guessing on their part. (We do that to at WMExperts, but usually are not so strong in our assertions or use a question mark to imply a possibility, without committing ourselves. Standard journalistic practice.) Simply posting opinions that re-enforce your own is not evidence.

So I repeat the request:

• Do you have any real numbers?
• Have you had a conversation with Sprint or Palm public relations?
• Do you have an article or even a Palm investor Q&A where either company on record validate what you say?

If no, than your musings are just that: musings, not fact.

The situation is thus: you cannot logically infer that because Sprint is releasing a new Treo that the old one did not do well.

All that you can infer is that Sprint feels the new Treo will sell better than the old one and will be good for business. That tells you nothing of how the old Treo did though: could have been bad, could have been good.

This could even be a financial decision: Treo Pros, which are designed by Palm but manufactured by HTC, are most likely cheaper than Inventec who makes the 800w. Reducing production costs allows them a lower price point ($549 vs $599 retail) to be more competitive in the marketplace. Perfectly logical and possible. Heck, we actually know that price is cheaper for the Pro.

There are literally dozens of these stories. All sound good, but without evidence they are conjecture.

Companies releasing new versions of products does not imply that the old product was faulty, bad or did not sell well.

So either provide real evidence, not tech blogs with no sources, or admit that this is just one of dozens of possible explanations, but this one has no more evidence for or against.

On a personal note: I do find it hilarious that you felt so compelled by your sudden dislike of your 800w that you had to saunter away from TreoCentral to here to continue your Palm rants.