Cingular Debuts Treo 750: UMTS, Windows Mobile 5

this past fall, was an instant hit with business minded users, as it’s Palm’s first GSM Treo running Windows Mobile 5.

The specs of the US version aren’t really any different than those we find from Europe: 240×240 touchscreen, 60MB usable RAM, 1.3-Megapixel camera, full-on QWERTY keyboard, and support for inexpensive, full-sized SD cards, meaning memory can be expanded up to 2GB (theoretically up to 8GB). It also adds the much-requested threaded text messaging (a standard features of the Palm OS Treos) and a dial-by-photo feature.

Even more impressive is that it’s the first Treo that runs on a GSM 3G network, with out-of-the-box support for Cingular’s UMTS network. With its built-in DUN support, the Treo 750 can be used as a mobile modem for your laptop via USB or even Bluetooth. What’s more, Cingular promises an upcoming upgrade that will allow the Treo to connect to its even faster HSDPA network, giving you DSL-like speeds from anywhere within Cingular’s 160 metro coverage areas.

The price, however, is still a little steep: $400 with a two-year contract, in-line with it’s CDMA brothers. While there are rebates of some sort on the way, we doubt anyone will get out of the store with one for much less than $350. When placed side-by-side with Cingular’s other Palm offerings, the Treo 680 for $200 or a 650 for $100, you get a full range of features and prices. If high-speed connectivity is your hot button, go for the 750. If not, the 680 or 650 are both solid choices, running the superiour Palm OS.

The real question for Treo users now is: What’s coming up in 2007? We’ve been hearing that Palm has a non-Treo product that’s supposed to be quite impressive, though what it is we’re not sure. There are also rumors of a new generation of Treos similar to the 750 but with outrageous features, and a slimmer, non-touchscreen line of smartphones. We don’t know what’s going on for sure, but we certainly home Palm gives us wags an interesting year.

Cingular [Carrier’s Site]