Treo 650 & Bluetooth

[abendx]

i recently tried a treo 650 with sprint... i ended up returning it as i had a somewhat defective unit (i was burned with the 600.... four returns and i was done). as far as it worked with uconnect.... you can make and recieve calls, but forget about the extended feature set, such as voicemail, sms, battery, and signal displays.

i am thinking cingular (or any company that does not cripple the bluetooth implementation) is the only way to go with a bluetooth phone.... although it really comes down to whom provides the best rf in your area (for me it is verizon, whom cripples the bluetooth further than any other carrier ).

[Pwdr Extreme]

Update: The Verizon 650 DOES work just fine with my Uconnect, it makes calls, transfers calls etc. caller ID works, good clarity as well. I just wanted to be able to use some of the other features such as the battery and signal strength meter. I just got off the phone with PalmOne, they are currently working on an update for the Treo 650 and Verizon so that it will have the extra features. He didn't know how soon it would be ready. I'll let you all know when I know more.

So far I really like the phone, I figured out a couple issues I had, but I still miss the speed dial feature all my other phones had.

[dnth8daplaya]

thats crazy you said that bcuz a nextel rep told me that SPCS Customers will need to change their phones due to the direct connect..oh well, nobody really knows.. anyways I have the i860 and was wondering if there's a way it will work w/my bluetooth..I even went and bought the jabra earpiece, havent opened it yet tho..

[Jamesw]

Nextel's direct connect works off a system called Iden. Thus for iden is a GSM technology, and Sprint is the only company that has been CDMA from the get go. Sprint will never change over to GSM for the simple fact that they can cover more of the U.S than any carrier out there. Sprint has the walkie talkie right now, and it is called ready link. So if Sprint wanted to use Nextels IDEN network they would have to spend billions of dollars to convert everything over to GSM. The biggest difference between CDMA and GSM is roaming. This is why T-Mobile, Cingular, AT&T, and Nextel can advertise free roaming, and with Sprint and Verizon you have to pay for this.

Being able to roam anywhere in the U.S is a great thing, but in the past people became scared of the charges. If you look at a Cingular coverage map, it will say no service. Again this goes back to the whole roaming thing. When you are done with Cingular look at Sprints, they cover 95% of the U.S. This is something nobody else offers. So why would a Nextel rep out of all people say Sprint users are going to have to get new phones, when Sprint has better coverage and more customers. I believe Mr. Nextel was trying to get a sale out of you, without telling you the truth.

[dnth8daplaya]

no, they werent trying to get a sale,. I was just inquiring on a bluetooth from them besides the blackberry..I've been with Nextel for 10 years now..i'm loyal until i'm screwed over..so until then i'm good w/nextel.. I just need them to hurry up and get with the program and technology!! I need to use my bluetooth and handsfree stuff in my car lol..

[Jamesw]

Nextel has some of the most advanced phones out there. Just because there not bluetooth does not mean there not with the program. Tell me another company that has a phone that is "Water resistant" and you can hook a credit car scanner up to. Nextel is in my eyes a business product. There phones and plans are not designed for the everyday consumer. Nextel is releasing or already has a phone called the I890, this seems like a pretty decent phone and is not physically designed like there other ones. It seems they come up with one platform and just modify tiny things to call it something else, very similar to General Motors and no I do not hate GM.

I get alot of people everyday asking oh does Sprint have bluetooth phones, well yes they do. However when I ask that person if they know what bluetooth is they say no, or they say yes and they have the wrong idea. Not everyone needs this or wants it, I personally think its awesome but would never use it. Think about it, the bluetooth ear piece works off of a frequency just like your phone, only this frequency is much easier to pick up. So if you can hear someone talking, what is stopping someone else. I have been to several shows here in St.Louis that market new cellular pruducts, and picking up a conversation through bluetooth is all to easy.

[stunna55]

nextel sucks, you can never call anyone and no one can ever call you...thank God its going away soon, or at least getin some help...this is a interesting thread casue im about to buy this phone with sprint tom. and cant wait to use it with the car.

[Jamesw]

stunna pm what phone you are buying, and I can see what we can do for you.

[dsg049c]

I have the Treo 650 thru Cingular and the palm part of the phone is great but the phone part is a piece of .. You can never hear anyone I had to purchase a Bluetooth earpiece to get more volume.. As for the Uconnect, never had a problem as long as you get the updated download from the Palm website.. Oh P.S. Cingular sucks also.. Use to have Nextel should have went with Verizon..

[thematrixhasu]

Ok i read through everything and all of you are going on speculation i am a tech for sprint and nextel just recently nextel though since june. i knew of nextel technology but i been a sprint tech for 4 years now i am well versed in nextel technology first of all the 650 with sprint works perfectly with uconnect if you have the current firmware if you have the oringinal firmware than it will not work properly secondly the first sprint nextel phone will not be out till nov thirdly the tech that sprint works on is cdma and nextel is iden. iden is old and outdated thus the merger, yes the water proofing and direct connect are great but thats because its old tech with new materials, if you have 20 years to work on the same technology i hope you can make it water proof and of somewhat quality. direct connect is an old technology that uses old cb two way structure to communicate it old but not too many people still use it other than nextel thus the stability. now cdma is on its forth generation ev-do and is lighning quick, yes nextel phones will be phased out but they dont want you to know it, for the reason they have two phones left in their iden tech lineup after that all cdma-slash direct connect phones but iden will be phased out due to the age and speed limitiations so i hope that answers everyone questions.