So it wasn't the Centro after all, but the Treo 500v - a 3G Windows Mobile smartphone for consumer, rather than business users.

The Treo 500v bears many of the design hallmarks of Palm's current Treo range, but is sleeker and much slimmer than any other model. It runs Windows Mobile 6 Standard (so no touch-screen or stylus), but the operating system has been extensively modified by Microsoft to make it more consumer friendly.

The handset is 3G with UMTS, but there's no HSDPA for fast downloads - this was deliberately left out to meet a consumer-friendly price point, according to Vodafone. There's no Wi-Fi either (no surprises there, given the target audience), but while there is a 2-megapixel camera, there's no secondary camera for 3G video calls (again, not a big deal, in our opinion).

The 320 x 240 screen is a step up from the 240 x 240 displays on Windows Mobile-powered handsets and while the small Qwerty keyboard lacks the distinctive curve of Palm's other Treos, it's still just as usable. Battery life is a claimed four and half hours' talk-time and 10 hours standby.

Microsoft sees the Treo 500v's modified user interface as an important step for making Windows Mobile more accessible to consumers. The changes amount to little more than a glorified program launcher, but it looks great and works well. The usual Windows Mobile 6 Standard interface is still available, but it's unlikely to be needed by the average consumer - just about every feature of the handset is accessible through the bespoke interface.

Sadly, it's not all good news and two essential Treo elements are notable by their absence - the physical switch for putting the handset into vibrate mode and the killer threaded SMS application that makes text messaging a joy. Both are real USPs for Palm handsets, so it's a mystery why they're missing here. Equally inexplicable is Palm's insistence on fitting 2.5mm headphone sockets on its handsets rather than a standard 3.5mm socket.

The Treo 500v will be available from 1st October from Vodafone in the UK and will be free with a pay monthly contract.

We're hoping to get a review model in the next day or so, so we'll post a full review in the next few days but in the meantime, here's the full text of the press release:

Palm launches Treo 500v on Windows Mobile 6 for Vodafone customers
Mobile High Speed 3G/UMTS Internet Access and Multiple Forms of Communication
Combined in One Compact Handset

 LONDON, September 12, 2007– Palm Europe Ltd today announced the Palm® TreoTM 500v smartphone which combines multiple forms of communication and multimedia capabilities with high speed 3G/UMTS mobile internet access, allowing users access to popular websites such as MySpace, YouTube and eBay whilst on the move. The new Palm Treo 500v smartphone will initially be available exclusively to Vodafone customers from October.

The Palm Treo 500v smartphone runs on a Windows® Mobile® 6 standard platform and has a full keyboard, large screen, video streaming capability and a comprehensive multi-messaging functionality covering Instant Messaging, SMS, email and phone and personal information management software in a new design(1). The compact form factor is available in two colours: glacier white and charcoal grey.

It will initially be available to Vodafone customers in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK and Vodacom customers in South Africa.

John Hartnett, Senior Vice President, Global Markets and Windows Business Unit, Palm Inc, said, “We are pleased to be one of the first partners to provide an internet ready Vodafone live! smartphone. The Treo 500v is priced to enable a broader audience to experience the internet and email on the go. Today’s generation has really embraced the internet as a way of keeping in touch with friends and family, seeking out entertainment and managing their day to day lives. We can offer users the choice to do what they want, how they want, when they want.”

“The new Treo 500v adds a third internet ready Vodafone live! and Microsoft® Windows Mobile® device to our recently announced Global Handset range” said Jens Schulte-Bockum, Global Terminals Director, Vodafone Group. “When combined with our high-speed 3G/UMTS network and fast access to the internet, along with great browsing and messaging support, we are confident the Palm Treo 500v will appeal to the growing group of consumers looking for the same functionality and ease of use our business customers continue to enjoy from this type of premium device.”

With the Palm Treo 500v smartphone customers can also manage documents using mobile versions of familiar Microsoft applications like Outlook, Office, and Windows Live™ for Windows Mobile. In addition users can share the Treo 500v smartphone’s data access with a laptop, so they can stay connected anywhere within wireless coverage.

“With the launch of the Treo 500v smartphone, Palm is delivering the benefits of Windows Mobile 6 to an increasingly broad range of users across Europe, providing them with access to important information and personal applications, such as Windows Live, to help them manage work and life on the move”, said Tony Mestres, General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Communications Business. “This latest phone is another example of our joint commitment to extend the range and choice of Windows Mobile phones on the market for users”.

Treo 500v Features and Benefits

All-in-one smartphone with messaging, email and web
Full keyboard for fast and easy typing
Automatic delivery of Hotmail/MSN, Yahoo!, and Gmail, email as it arrives1
Large, high-resolution screen
Internet Explorer Mobile full-featured browser1
Access to Google Maps and eBay1
Vodafone live! for news, sports, and entertainment on the go1
3G/UMTS network
Planner with address book, calendar, to-do lists, and more
View Microsoft® Word, Excel®, PowerPoint®, and Adobe PDF files
Windows Media® Player Mobile for music and videos
2.0 megapixel camera captures video too
150MB of memory, expandable with microSD expansion card2
Windows Mobile® 6 Standard software
Microsoft® Direct Push technology for delivery of Outlook® email1
Bluetooth® wireless technology
Device available in two colours: glacier white and charcoal grey

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