We thought it was funny in a nerdy, chortle-quietly-to-ourselves sort of way when we realized that HTC would essentially be competing with itself this fall in the very upper echelon of the Windows Mobile market by releasing the Touch Pro and making the X1 for Sony Ericsson. Now it seems that they're adding at least one more player into the mix -- just for sport, we suppose -- if DigiTimes' claim that the contract for Palm's Treo Pro has gone to HTC is correct. Recently, Palm has favored Inventec over HTC for many of its models -- though the on-again, off-again relationship with Peter Chou's company stretches all the way back to the Treo's early days, so there's definitely some precedent. That, and the fact that HTC seems to really know what it's doing lately.

[Thanks, Marios S.]

Well we've gotten our hands all over Palm's new Treo - the Pro - and we've documented it all on film... er, disk. Here's what were liking so far - no more recessed screen (finally!), that HTC-licensed task manager, and the extremely slick packaging. Honestly, we think Palm might have one up on Apple with the presentation this time around. Also of note: the new modular power adapter (which Palm tragically forgot to throw into our box), earbuds you might not be ashamed to sport, and no install CD -- it loads when you hook the phone up to your PC. Check it all out in the gallery below (as well as a few size comparisons with the iPhone 3G), and we'll have pics of that power adapter just as soon as they courier it over. No, really.

Update: Palm has -- in fact -- couriered over the accessories they forgot the first time around, and we've added some new pics. Huzzah!

Update 2: We'll be doing a full review on the device, so stay tuned for that in the near future.

The New York Times has a little puff piece on Palm to accompany the launch of the Treo Pro today, and buried between the fawning references to Jon Rubenstein's former gig at Apple and how that's affected his management style ("He made them redesign the battery panel on the back so it didn't squeak. And he asked for fixes to the software so it would lock up less frequently." -- solid work, homey) there's a little tidbit about how Palm OS II and a single new device to run the new software will arrive in the "first half of next year." Two things interesting about that: first, that's a much wider timeframe than the "early 2009" window we've been hearing for a while and could signal even more delays, and second, it's a little odd that Palm is going to debut the new OS on just one device. Launching on a single device is pretty Apple-esque, so we'll cut Rubes some slack on that, even if we don't think it's the best idea -- but at this point the only real info we're hearing about Palm OS II is news of delays, and that's not exactly out of the Jobs playbook -- remember, real artists ship.

Well you can't say you didn't see this one coming -- between the leaked shots, more leaked shots, and those -- yes -- leaked press materials, this was only a matter of time. That's right: Palm has gone and gotten all official with its latest and greatest smartphone, the now-familiar Treo Pro. The new Windows Mobile device is being sold unlocked (!), and features an HSDPA cell radio (tri-band UMTS, quad-band GSM), GPS, 802.11b/g, a 320 x 320 touchscreen display, 256MB ROM, 128MB RAM, a 2-megapixel camera, support for microSDHC cards up to 32GB... and a standard 3.5mm headphone jack! No word on price or actual street date, but we can't imagine that's too far off. Hit the read link and take a tour of the new device, or watch the totally radical -- and long, and detailed -- video after the break.

Now that the Treo Pro's been uncovered, the sleek black handset just can't stay out of the spotlight -- it's popped up today in several more high-res shots, a quick hands-on video, and even what looks like official press photography. Specs are still up in the air -- we're hearing there's a 400MHz processor and 128MB of RAM behind that 320 x 320 screen and original Xbox-looking exterior, but we won't know for sure until this thing gets official, which we're guessing will happen within the week. Video after the break.

Read - Lots of hands-on shots
Read - Slashgear post with press photography

Well whaddya know? The iTreo 800p is finally selling on eBay! We thought the day would never come that we could actually get our hands on this totally sweet -- and absolutely real -- phone. Man were we wrong. Sure, the listing says you're selling off a Treo 800W, but given the large amount of completely reassuring blue text, scrolling text, and large font text, we'll happily accept that we will, in fact, receive the device pictured above via UPS Next Day Air. So, yes. Yes. We will "buy it now" for $349.99, safe in the knowledge that by this time tomorrow, we'll be the only guy on our block busting out the iTreo 800p at parties, pool halls, and any place else where all the happenin' stuff happens. Thanks "naseemajid" -- you're A+++++ in our book.

Update: It appears the eBay auction has been pulled. We can't imagine why.

[Thanks, Spencer]

The dam has been breached, and now there seems to be no stopping the internet at large as every little nook and cranny of the Treo Pro is exposed and explored. TreoCentral member scottymomo has fleshed out a few more details on the device, and dug up that Comm Manager shot up above. Details include:

• HTC task manager.
• Comm Manager's Airplane Mode and other assorted easily switched options.
• MicroSD (up to 32GB supported) isn't under the battery, but you do have to take off the battery cover to access.
• 1500mh battery.
• Other stuff.

It's all very exciting, we assure you, but you can explore the shots for yourself if you're really feeling hard up for Treo Pro infos. Oh, while we're thinking about it: sexiest Treo yet, or disastrous usage of phone face real estate? Both?

[Via Palm Infocenter]

In case there was any lingering doubt that the Treo Pro (alias Treo 850) was real -- and there probably shouldn't be, considering it got snapped all the way back in May -- this round of non-blurry (dare we say artistic?) shots should pretty much seal the deal. The glossy shell, promise of a 320 x 320 display, and a general acknowledgment of circa-2008 industrial design definitely have us feeling just a little less pessimistic about Palm's prospects right now; if anything, it makes us wish they had some Android kit up their sleeves rather than slaving away on the thus-far vaporware Palm OS 2. As WinMo goodies go, though, this thing looks like it's ready to hang with the best of the best -- so bring it on, Palm. A legion of fans with well-worn 750s awaits you. In the meanwhile, check another shot after the break.

[Via WMExperts]

Would you look at this. A very official looking page -- at a Palm.com domain, no less -- has unveiled the previously rumored Treo 850 as the Treo Pro. We're still digging the new look, though the keyboard does look suspiciously small in these shots. At a cursory glance we've got WiFi, a camera and a 3.5mm stereo jack. A couple more pics after the break.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Funny story -- these guys will be one in the same here in just a few months, but until then, you'll have to pretend there's absolutely no relationship between Palm's 700p (Verizon) and 700wx (Alltel). Jibber-jabber aside, those still rockin' either Treo may be interested in sucking down what's apt to be the final ROM update for both handsets on these carriers. As predicted, Palm didn't go into great detail about what all the respective Radio Patches were, um, patching up, but you know you can't walk around without the latest and greatest on your phone. That being said, tap the links below (choose carefully!) to get your download on.

[Via PalmInfocenter]

Read - Palm 700p (Verizon) update
Read - Palm 700wx (Alltel) update

Quick, you ever heard of WiAV Solutions? You know, the owner or exclusive licensee of several vague patents on the use of GSM tech in smartphones? The company that doesn't make anything or even have a web site, but files so many patent lawsuits that some companies have taken to pre-emptively filing suits for declaratory judgment against it? Yeah, well, get used to the name -- it's just sued RIM, Apple and Palm for violating ten patents on things like detecting the difference between silence and voices, mobile device power management, and altering music to accommodate voices. WiAV wants a permanent injunction on the sale of all devices that allegedly contain its tech, and not surprisingly, it's asking for damages and attorney's fees as well. There are some procedural hurdles to jump through here -- WiAV is Mindspeed's exclusive licensee for eight of the patents, not the outright owner, so it has to ask the court to join Mindspeed as a plaintiff as well -- and it doesn't sound like any of the companies are talking just yet, so we wouldn't expect this one to get resolved any time soon.

[Thanks, Becky]

Read - AppleInsider post on the suit
Read - WiAV's complaint [Warning: PDF]

Palm's nailed a bona fide runaway success just in the nick of time with its Centro series, hitting its second million in global sales in about half the time it took to reach the first million (thanks in no small part to a new round of carrier launches, we'd imagine). Makes sense: it's small, it's really reasonably priced for a smartphone, and while it's not stylish by any stretch of the imagination, it still manages to beat the pants off the Treo line's tired, buttoned-up look. CEO Ed Colligan's using the opportunity to thumb his nose at the competition a bit, though, and that's where we get a little worried. Instead of hearing things like "whew, thank goodness, the Centro gave us the cash infusion we desperately needed to fuel work on Palm OS 2 and a compelling product line revamp," we're seeing him spout off about how the Centro's easier to use and "less pretentious" than the iPhone, ribbing Apple over the fact that the Centro's been 3G since the beginning, and talking about how easy it is to get the 411 on your peeps with the Centro's supposedly best-in-class Facebook app. It's great to be proud of a successful product, no doubt, Ed -- but let's not forget that your most direct competitor, RIM, isn't exactly standing still. Can we trade this revelry and trash talk for even a super-brief Palm OS 2 demo, pretty please?

Screaming names into Jawbones -- while undoubtedly relaxing and a great source of stress relief -- hasn't been particularly effective at accomplishing anything for early 800w owners on Sprint who've discovered that their devices don't support voice dialing via Bluetooth out of the gate. Fortunately, Palm's been crazy on the ball with this one, releasing an update this week all quick-like to get the feature enabled. Don't let that stop you from screaming random names in public, of course.

[Via wmpoweruser.com]

So Palm, what exactly have you been up to lately? Besides pumping out that tired, ho hum 800w, of course. The snoopers over at monoNews went and dug through your latest 10-K filing, and it seems as if that noteworthy Elevation Partners deal wasn't the only agreement you were wrapped up in during the past little while. As a matter of fact, we're seeing that during February of 2007, you "acquired the assets of two sole proprietorships [at a cost of $19.2 million] focused on mobile computing and media devices, one a developer of user interface environments and the other a developer of email software applications." Oh, and in October of last year, you "acquired substantially all of the assets [for $500,000] of a corporation focused on developing solutions to enhance the performance of web applications." Curiously, you nonchalantly failed to mention any names, but it's pretty clear that those new pick-ups weren't utilized in the last 16 months or so.

[Via mocoNews, image courtesy of DayLife]

We'd been hearing rumors about the Treo 800w for what seemed like ages. Between the clatter of "Zeppelin" talk, glimpses of a new model during Gates' last CES keynote, and the ever-persistent idea that a fresh new Palm phone is just around the corner, it wasn't exactly a mind-blowing surprise when the new model finally came to light (of course, Sprint selling it a day early didn't help either). Now we've had a chance to spend some quality time with the company's latest foray into the world of Windows Mobile, and we'd like to share our deepest thoughts and inner-most feelings on the device.