Oh! the joys of the Great Indian Grey Market! I got the Treo 650 recently for a fabulous amount of money, around 2/3rd of what palmOne wants you to pay for it officially at the shop, after discounts!
It turns out that the phone I purchased is a ’’branded’’ one. What this means is the phone is locked to a particular service provider and will not operate on any other network. What this also means is that the phone was most likely purchased for some ridiculous amount like 100 USD (~Rs. 4500/-) in the US. The phone can be ’’unlocked’’ by using some code that you can purchase online (eg: https://unlockcellular.com)
If you have seen my other review on the Treo 600, you know that I liked the antenna... In the Treo 650, they screwed up the shape and, overall the 650 does not look as good as the 600.
Regarding fit and finish I’d like to say that there are some bits that are very good; like the facia around the screen, the keys... the antenna. There are some parts that actually look cheap and tacky. Like the security sticker below the battery!
The same cannot be said for the software and user interface. The Treo 650 is miles ahead in these departments. There is a crisp display, nice bright backlight and keyboard light. The camera is actually usable. Then there is the Bluetooth. There are not many functional differences between the Treo 600 and the Treo 650. So I’ll not go into it. One thing about the software: It is buggy! Palm periodically publishes updates on their website, but it is a messy preposition to go through the ordeal of upgradation.
My suggestion to all those of you lusting for the Treo 650: you can purchase this phone abroad (esp the US) for almost 1/10th the official price in India. You can then pay a measly 20 USD (~ Rs. 850/-)to get it unlocked.
Then, if you feel like it, you can buy me a couple of Treo 650s too. Oh well! it never hurts to ask.