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There is one significant problem with the palmOne Treo 650 smartphone we received for this review: the company's PR representatives are going to want it back.

Now that's a dilemma.

Why the reluctance at parting with the Treo 650? It is quit simply one of the best smartphones on the market.

Treo 650's compact size (4.4 x 2.3 x 0.9 inches) and its svelte form fits well in the hand, making it one of the most comfortable cell phone/PDA hybrids we've ever used—the unit also weighs in at a reasonable 6.3 ounces. Not only that, its interface makes computing or calling a breeze.

Sure, it's not perfect—apparently palmOne couldn't find room for Wi-Fi or a decent amount of storage—but it's awfully good.

The Shape of Things
The new smartphone's exterior isn't much different than the previous generation Treo 600's, but it has a slightly more rounded and more pleasing shape. Its keyboard curves up a bit at the ends and the keys are just a hair larger than with the earlier model.

Buttons are well laid out and are easy for one- or two-handed use. The navigational D-pad occupies the center spot below the screen, with buttons for home, calendar, dropdown menus, and e-mail around it. To the left and right of these buttons are the green start call and red end call buttons, which also double as power buttons.

The keys on the keypad have a nice rubbery feel and make a satisfying click when pushed. The ten keys that double as digits are dark blue, so you can easily find them when placing a call.

Dialing from these cramped keys is a challenge, so you might opt to use the on-screen dial pad. We found it easy to thumb-type messages with the keyboard, but the keys are a little small for phone dialing.


Front View - Onscreen Keypad

The left side of the Treo 650 holds a long curved button that seems like it should be for navigating through long documents or pages, but is actually a ringer volume control. Below that is a customizable selection button.


Left Side View

On top is a mute button, which lets you instantly silence your phone. We applaud any handset that makes the ringer controls so easy to access.


Top View

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