Ooooh! Palm has officially come out and announced the Treo 500V on Vodafone. Available next month, the device features Windows Mobile 6 and has 3G/UMTS for fast web browsing and, well, IMing and watching your Slingbox. Vodafone customers in Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, the UK and South Africa will all be able to choose between either the glacier white or charcoal grey models.
Says SVP John Hartnett:
“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.”
Sounds like this is a huge European move for Palm. Other features the 500V will include are IM, “push” email for MSN, Yahoo! Mail, and Gmail, Vodafone Live!, Pocket Word, Excel, Powerpoint, 150MB of memory that’s expandable via microSD, Bluetooth, and a 2.0-megapixel camera. No price was given, but don’t expect a fabulous deal or anything on Palm’s new cash crop.