May 16 - 12:35pm EDT   An early photo of Palm's upcoming Treo 800w smartphone has leaked online, accounts say. Posted by a Palm OS hacker, the image appears to resemble both renderings and Sprint's own press image, depicting a device which takes styling queues from its cheaper cousin the Centro. Unexpected however is the color, as the photo model is blue, and previous indications have pointed to a "charcoal" exterior. The hacker adds that the phone uses a micro-USB connector. [full story]

April 21 - 11:15pm EDT   Palm maybe looking to test its rumored WiFi-equipped Treo 800w, according to new reports. An email, sent to select individuals calling for Sprint customers who will use Bluetooth devices and have access to WiFi, was sent to potential beta testers, Engadget reports. The email sought "seasoned business professionals" who "commute and spend a ton of time working on email and on the phone." The report suggests that Palm may be looking to roadtest the Treo device ahead of its expected Sprint launch this summer. Preliminary specs indicate that the device will include Sprint's latest 3G EVDO Rev A network as well as integrated Wi-Fi and GPS functions; it is expected to replace ... [full story]

April 21 - 12:55pm EDT   Three of the most dominant smartphone makers in the US are all suffering from low supply of their devices at the same time, Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt says in a new investor's note. In addition to the still ongoing iPhone shortage, McCourt also observes that Research in Motion's standard BlackBerry Pearl has not been reliably available at retail at AT&T since March and may only begin to offer the Pearl 8120 to home users by April 24th at the earliest. [full story]

April 9 - 2:25pm EDT   Both Palm and the BlackBerry's creator, Research in Motion, are likely to feel a continued squeeze on their bottom lines as a result of the iPhone, according to separate investment notes from Needham & Co. The financial researchers note that both smartphone producers are most likely to feel added pressure because of the emergence of the consumer smartphone market, which doesn't share the same values as the business market. Services such as near-instant "push" e-mail are only a small factor for most home users, according to analyst Charlie Wolf. While that feature has helped the BlackBerry cement its position in the workplace, most home users are equally concerned ... [full story]

March 28 - 1:15pm EDT   What appears to be a leaked slide from a Sprint presentation reveals an intended launch date for the Palm 800W along with some preliminary specs that include Sprint's latest and fastest 3G EVDO Rev A network as well as integrated Wi-Fi and GPS functions. As previously suggested, the 800w will replace Palm's current 700w in the Sprint range when it arrives, as indicated by the image, sometime in July. [full story]

March 21 - 2:30pm EDT   No new Treo smartphones are expected to appear until the summer, Palm chief Ed Colligan said late yesterday during the conference call for the company's latest quarterly results. The company founder warned that quarterly losses were likely to continue during the spring quarter as the Sunnyvale, California-based company would not have an updated model during the period, which runs until the end of May. Palm will primarily focus on expanding the reach of the Centro to Europe and other carriers until it can release a new Treo before the end of the summer, Colligan said. [full story]

March 20 - 5:15pm EDT   Palm had the single strongest quarter ever of phone sales in its company history, the company said on Thursday afternoon. Over 833,000 phones were sold by the California designer in its February quarter, which represented a full 13 percent boost over the same period a year before. The company attributed this primarily to the success of the Centro, which launched with Sprint late last year as well as AT&T in February and is widely believed to have brought in more users with a lower $99 price and a more home-oriented focus than the more professional but struggling Treo line. [full story]

January 28 - 3:45pm EST   Palm, maker of famous smartphones such as the Treo and the Centro, says it will close seven of its eight retail stores in February. Of the outlets, only the one in Sunnyvale, California will remain, NewsFactor writes. By the end of the company's third fiscal quarter, it will also have closed 26 of its Airport Wireless locations, considered "stores within stores." [full story]

January 25 - 12:45pm EST   Specifications for a version of the Treo 800w running on CDMA phone networks have slipped out with new details about the device as a whole, according to a leak. While a version for GSM networks such as AT&T and Vodafone has already been spotted, the new device would support service for carriers such as Sprint and Verizon and would also bring faster EVDO Revision A mobile Internet access that provides as much as 1.4 megabits per second in real download speeds. Rather than true GPS, however, the tip hints at assisted GPS using either EVDO or the phone's 802.11g Wi-Fi connection to help fix a location. [full story]

January 18 - 2:10pm EST   Increasingly larger cellphone producer HTC is taking control of making smartphones for a few of its larger challengers, a report in Taiwan's Commercial Times says. Without naming specific models, the trade paper says that Palm, MWG, and Dubai-based i-mate are all pushing their assembly orders back to HTC after previously turning to other contractors or their own factories. The reversal is not explained but should help HTC's manufacturing for others account for over 10 percent of the firm's bottom line, representing a significant boost for a company increasingly known for its own devices. [full story]

January 7 - 9:55pm EST   Palm's major overhaul of its Treo smartphone known only as the Drucker has been spotted, say observers of Microsoft's CES keynote. Although appearing only briefly, the device clearly resembles a cross between a full-size Treo and the smaller Centro or its European Treo 500 cousin; the handset is thinner than older devices but wider. Only some details are revealed in the shot, though it confirms the use of Windows Mobile 6 (likely 6.1 by launch). [full story]

January 5 - 8:10pm EST   (Updated with Palm Wanda) Both HP and Palm are set to launch new phones this year that will escalate the competition in the smartphone business, according a series of BGR leaks from European carrier Vodafone's 2008 roadmap for the UK. Codenamed the Silver, HP's device will be styled after Research in Motion's BlackBerry Pearl and even include the latter's SureType keyboard, suggesting support either for RIM's own "push" mail or a close emulation of it through Office Mobile. However, the Silver will allegedly outperform the Pearl with a far faster 7.2Mbps HSDPA connection and both GPS as well as Wi-Fi in a single device. It should sell for ₤250 ($368) and ship ... [full story]

December 19 - 2:40pm EST   Palm's profits have turned to sharp losses in the company's second fiscal quarter as it struggles to revitalize its smartphone business, the company announced today. Roughly falling in line with the company's already lowered expectations, the company's three-month period ending November 30th saw the company lose $9.6 million on sales of $349.6 million. Palm earned $12.8 million on a considerable higher sales number of $392.9 million in the same quarter a year ago, according to the report. [full story]

December 17 - 10:05am EST   Verizon this morning confirmed previous rumors by releasing its version of the Palm Treo 755p. The smartphone is a considerably more streamlined, faster version of the company's now-outdated 700p with an internalized antenna and 128MB of RAM. Software is its main focus with support for real-time 'push' e-mail from Microsoft Exchange servers and a built-in Google Maps tool for mapping and associating contacts to physical locations. [full story]

December 14 - 11:30am EST   Palm's Treo 755p smartphone will at last reach Verizon by early next week, according to shots obtained by Engadget and new price info from BGR. Although already available through Sprint since May, the upgraded version of the 700 series should bring Google Maps, a stealth antenna, and the ability to receive 'push' Exchange e-mail through the Palm OS instead of Windows Mobile. [full story]