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By John Chan
May 08, 2007

About half a year after the launch of the Treo 750v, Palm has now rolled out the Treo 750. At first glance, you probably wouldn't notice anything different between the 750 and 750v. But significantly, Palm has tweaked the software so this newer model is HSDPA-enabled, making it capable of downloading data at much faster speeds. It is also less expensive at S$1,188 (US$784.11), or S$818 (US$539.90) with an operator contract. This review highlights the differences between the Treo 750v and 750 handhelds.

Design
The 750 is distinctively "Treo", sporting a square display and QWERTY keyboard below that. The material used on this PDA-phone has a soft feel to it, and though matte, shimmers slightly when held against the light and tilted. It feels comfortable to hold in the hand even though it might not be as slim or light as many other current PDA-phones. This handheld's difference in design from the 750v is primarily the removal of the Vodafone name from the front's top right corner, as well as the "V" logo from off the back's battery cover.

Features
As we've previously noted in our 750v review, the most compelling reason to use that PDA-phone is the inclusion of enhancements from Palm that make Windows Mobile more user-friendly. Particularly noteworthy is the customizable Today screen, which allows the user to add speed dial buttons with photo IDs and a quick input field for searching and calling contacts fast. These are all intact on the 750, including also the threaded SMS interface which organizes many text messages in one screen, similar to how conversations look in instant messaging applications.

	Threaded text messages on the Treo 750 (Click for larger image)

Most importantly, the main improvement in the 750 is the fact that you can connect using HSDPA. Compared to 3G speeds, using HSDPA is theoretically much faster when transferring data. As with all cellular data transfers, this will greatly depend on your operator's support for HSDPA as well as network strength wherever you happen to be.

Regrettably, the 750 does not have Wi-Fi, which is still one of the best ways to get on the Internet with a handheld because of the many free or cheap hotspots all over the world. Furthermore, in the six months since we reviewed the 750v, almost every other new PDA-phone has Wi-Fi as a standard feature. So while we welcome HSDPA, the lack of Wi-Fi connectivity is extremely disappointing and will be a deal-breaker for many users.

Performance
The 300MHz Samsung processor in the 750 is sufficient for most operations. We found it to be quick when running applications, with the occasional lag when many programs are running at once. As with the 750v, we got about two days of use on one full charge of the 1,200mAh removable battery.

Current Treo 750v users will be pleased to know that their device is capable of HSDPA speeds as well. An unofficial hack is available to activate that feature, though we do not recommend going down that route. Singapore operator M1 has told CNET Asia that a free upgrade will be available from July for its customers to enable HSDPA on the 750v.

In an earlier report during the CTIA Wireless Show in Orlando, Florida, Palm announced that it will provide an update to Windows Mobile 6 for all Treo 750 users worldwide.

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