Brighthand’s editor Ed Hardy published an editorial today, calling on palmOne to release a low cost Treo smartphone as soon as possible. I agree that the world needs a Treo somewhere near the palmOne Zire 72 price point, but I think Ed Hardy misses several points about why competing Microsoft-based smartphones are so much less expensive at the moment:
- The Motorola MPx200 needs to be priced at a severe discount, so long as it’s a 900/1800/1900 GSM/GPRS phone that is only available on AT&T Wireless.
- The Treo 600 has an extra premium due to its limited availability. For instance, Amazon.com only really stocks the Sprint PCS model. I believe that T-Mobile USA would promote a Treo if it could sell the model exclusively, as it currently sells the Nokia 6600. Such a model would have to be similar enough to Treo models sold by other carriers to create price competition between them, yet it would still have to be distinctive enough to drive customers into stores looking for it.
The lack of at least a T9 keyboard on a low cost Treo would be a serious downer for me. The biggest reason I picked up a Treo 180 in the first place was to use SMS to communicate with my wife. I also use SMS for custom database access routines that I’ve written, and I wouldn’t want to have to use a stylus to send an SMS message.
I think Ed Hardy makes a lot of good points and his column is worth reading. I think he’s right about the absence of Bluetooth being a show-stopper in Europe. I’d definitely cut extras like the camera. I’d also consider dropping the SD slot from the design if it noticeably reduced the price.