Home > Reviews > Manufacturer > Palm Centro Cell Phone Review

Palm Centro Cell Phone Review - Tour & Design

Alfredo Padilla Published on October 25, 2007 Comment on this

Intro Making/Receiving Calls Software Other Features

Tour & Design Messaging Battery Life Value & Comparisons

Audio Quality Organizer Connectivity Conclusion

Imaging Multimedia Hardware Ratings & Specs

Front
The front of the Palm Centro has a slightly new look for Palm, especially with the control keys, which sit on a silver band across the phone's waist. Below the control keys is a diminutive QWERTY keyboard and above them a 2.2-inch square screen. Above the screen is the phone speaker and a small LED indicator.

Left
The left side of the Centro has two volume rocker keys near the top of the device and a user customizable shortcut key just below it.

Top
The top of the Centro holds the typical Palm ringer/vibrate switch.

Bottom
On the bottom the Centro has the same set of connectors we've seen from other Palm devices. From left to right is a 2.5mm headset jack, Palm's proprietary Multi-Connector, and charging port. There's also a small pinhole for the phone's microphone.

Right
On the right side we see the lanyard loop (on the left) and the Infrared window.

Back
Most of the back is taken up by the battery cover. Above the cover is a silver housing with the lens for the 1.3-megapixel camera, self-portrait mirror, and loud speaker. At the top left you see the top of the stylus, and opposite it is the cover for the external antenna port.

Battery Out
When you remove the battery cover you reveal an 1150 mAh battery. To the left of the battery is a slot for Micro SD cards, which you can thankfully remove without taking the battery out.

In the Box (4.5)
The Centro ships with a software CD that includes Palm's synchronization software, a wall charger, USB cable, and stereo headset. This is a decent selection of accessories — about the only thing we would have liked to see is a Micro SD card to get you started.

Handling (5.0)
One of the first thing you will notice about the Centro is its small size compared to Treo models. The Centro measures 4.22 x 2.11 x 0.73 inches, compared to the Treo 750's 4.44 x 2.3 x 0.8 inches. The small decreases in each dimension make for a device that fits in your hand much more comfortably. The Centro is also more than one ounce lighter than the Treo 750, which makes it easier to hold up to your head for long calls. The curved edges of the Centro also make it easier to hold in the hand. It should be noted, though, that the Centro is still significantly larger than a regular phone, such as the Razr or LG Chocolate.

Portability (6.5)
The Centro's smaller size makes it a bit more portable, but as we mentioned above it's nowhere near as small as a Razr or Chocolate. The Centro is also still a little bit thick at 0.8 inches, so don't expect to be able to fit it in your pocket when you're wearing a tight pair of jeans. Normal pants or jacket pockets should be fine, though, as will most bags.

Aesthetics (4.0)
The Centro is available in two colors, black and red. Obviously aesthetics are a personal matter — some may like the Centro's design, but we're not particularly impressed. The layout on the front seems unbalanced, and despite the curves and smaller size, it seems a little chunky.

Durability (7.0)
The Centro feels pretty solid. We detected no major creaks or obvious flaws in the construction. Our only concern is that it feels rather plasticky and may scratch easily. It's no BlackBerry, but Palm has a history of building solid phones, and we'll give them the benefit of the doubt here.

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