Let me start off by saying that these two devices are entirely different beasts. I was inspired to write something after reading an article off of a Cnet blog where a columnist decided to provide her comparison between the two devices. Since I have owned endless amounts of phones in my life I thought that I should contribute my 2 cents to the online community if they are in the situation where they must decide between the two devices
Since most people fundamentally care about the impact a phone makes on their pocket I have included the visual comparison in person and using www.sizeasy.comwhich is a great website for creating 3 Dimensional pictures. The thickness of the Centro is offset by the additional length of the iPhone so either way you go you will be able to carry both phones in your pocket. However when I have shown both devices to traditional flip phone users I had a unanimous vote for the Centro. They claimed that the overall length and height of the iPhone were too large for their tastes and preferred to sacrifice some thickness for the smaller dimensions on the Palm Centro.
Palm Centro vs iPhone part 2 : Features
You main differences in features stem from service providers and the antennas on the two devices. Sprint Nextel is focused on delivering the fastest mobile Internet to their handhelds (smartphones, flip phones, pocket pcs). AT&T and Apple had the capabilities to provide their fastest Internet 3G service, but they made the decision to focus on battery life and include Wifi to cover the gap in high speed mobile data. If AT&T was partnered up with more locations for free Wifi hotspots like T-mobile and Starbucks have done then this would be a much more useful feature for on the road Internet access, but their hotspots are limited. The Palm Centro 3G service through EVDO Rev 0 is excellent and their roaming on other CDMA networks such as Verizon provides solid high speed data nearly everywhere you visit with a major city.
AT&T Edge test speeds : 100-130kbps
Sprint EVDO test speeds: 420 - 900kbps
These tests were both done in full service areas in Los Angeles, CA. I have hit peak speeds of 150kbps with AT&T Edge and 1024kbps with Sprint EVDO on other devices, but for the purpose of the comparison on these two devices these were the average speeds recorded.
Clearly the advantage in data service is with Sprint and this could be the deciding factor in a phone purchase. Also you should take into account that Sprint offers much cheaper unlimited data plans for their phones and if you sign up for a Sprint Employee Referral Offer plan (SERO) you will receive unlimited data and texting free with your plan of 500 minutes, 1250 minutes or 2500 minutes. To login to their website you will need a Sprint employee email address which you can get on any business card from a Sprint store or use the generic email address savings@sprintemi.com
Palm Centro Vs Apple Iphone Part 1: Size
Multimedia
The iPod was the king of portable media and recently video and the iPhone is no different. If you use iTunes clearly the best implementation of taking iTunes to go is having an Apple device so it is no surprise that you will want an iPhone if this is your main concern for a cellphone. The Palm Centro offers PTunes which is included in the onboard software suite: Ptunes can read your MP3s on your microSD storage card and let you browse by Artist, Album, Category, Song title and has all of the appropriate shuffle, repeat and playlist configuration options. The speakers on the Centro are loud and capable of playing decent quality music similar to the iPhone.
As far as the cameras go, the iPhone packs the 2 mega-pixel no-flash camera and the Palm Centro has the same 1.3 mega-pixel camera we have seen since the turn of the century. The advantage is clearly for the iPhone as far as the camera is concerned, but video is a different story. The Centro is not the best video recording phone I have used, but it does have video which the iPhone currently does not support. There are hacks being implemented that provide video recording capability using the iPhones camera but they are in the beginning stages and require you to jailbreak your iPhone for 3rd party applications.
Keyboard
The keyboard situation has consequences in either route you choose. The Palm Centro has one of the smallest QWERTY keyboard I have ever had to use while the iPhone lacks the tactical feedback of a hard keyboard and relies on auto-correction in its onscreen keyboard. From my experience typing on the iPhone I was able to hit 38WPM after correcting mistakes in my typing on a fairly consistent basis, the problem was all typing needed to be done in an ideal environment where I was sitting down or resting the iPhone on a counter. The Centro, although small in the keyboard spacing, was able to provide a slightly faster typing experience and I was able to type in nearly any situation. The worst force affecting the Iphone is caffeine; the jitters of early morning coffee severely impede on iPhone typing ability.
Cost:
Apple iPhone 399.99 vs Palm Centro 99.99. If you want an 8GB MicroSD card you will need to spend an additional $120 dollars bringing to total cost of the Palm Centro up to 220 dollars, but still 180 cheaper than buying an iPhone. Also if the Palm Centro supports additional memory capacities you will be able to take advantage of greater storage since the iPhone is lacks any additional storage capacity beyond its built in 8GB.
Speed:
Both the Centro and the Iphone are quick devices and I have nothing negative to say about the overall device speed. You can easily multi task on both devices and they both suffer from a forced waiting period when sending a text message. On the Centro you are limited to 160 characters when sending a text message while on the iPhone you can create a several hundred character length text message and the message will automatically be broken up into parts and sent as separate messages. However, both devices force you to wait until the messages are actually sent before typing additional text messages. This is one area I despise on both devices.
Software
If you are going to jailbreak your iPhone and use 3rd party applications you really have a large library to choose from. Also with the announcement by Apple to release the Software Developer Kit early in 2008 there will be and endless supply of applications you can use on your iPhone. If this was back in June when the Iphone released I might have a different outlook on this category since the Palm OS has been around for ages and has thousands of applications. But since we are focused on a comparison today, the two devices are pretty evenly matched on the software end.
GPS
Neither device supports onboard GPS. There is a device which will attach to the iPhone which will provide GPS capability and there are GPS recievers that can be used with the Palm Centro so neither category has an advantage. Both the devices are capable of using cell towers to triangulate positioning either currently or will be providing this feature soon. The myLocation feature in google maps is available on the windows lineup of the Palm Treos and will be making its way to the Palm Centro shortly as I reported in a previous article. The iPhone 3rd party software library also has an application which will provide GPS via Google Maps if you are inclined to do so.
Email and Web
Web browsing on the Centro comes from the Blazer browser. Anyone familiar with a Palm device in the past 4 years has used the Blazer browser and either grown to hate or despise it. One key feature to note is that the Blazer browser does support full YouTube browsing so any advantage to the iPhone having a dedicated Youtube application is ignored. Also the Palm OS has support for the Xvid codec so if you plan on downloading movies through torrents you will be able to play these files off your Palm Centro. The iPhone would require the use of a conversion tool to play xvid files and it would not be as simple as dragging and dropping the movies on your storage card like you can do on the Palm Centro.
The actual Web browsing on the devices is obviously better on the Apple iPhone in combination for its massive screen and the Safari web browser. The downside is that it may take you a few minutes to pull up a page if you are outside Wifi coverage or trying to conserve battery life and have Wifi disabled. The AT&T Edge network is no match for 3G EVDO coverage on Sprint’s network.
Email has come a long way on the Palm OS now that they have full activesync Microsoft Exchange support. The iPhone has Yahoo push mail support, but it really is not push email even though it advertises that it is in the name. I receive email much faster through a standard imap account on the iPhone than I ever recieve email on my yahoo account with push enabled. This seems to be an area where Apple and Yahoo are still working out the kinks, but I hope they do figure out a solution so that instant email could be possible. Especially when devices like the Sidekick have had instant push email for ages. If you rely on corporate email you have some choices with the Iphone through a 3rd party vendor to provide a substitute push email service or you can forward your corporate email to a yahoo account and attempt to receive push email notifications. However these options are not as nice as having the activesync support on the Palm Centro which will allow full synchronization of contacts calendar and email on the go.
Palm Centro vs iPhone part 3 : Conclusion
The Iphone is a beautiful device and the Centro is feature packed with an affordable price tag. Both devices can do the same things, but have differing levels of productivity when it comes to email and Internet speed. The iPhone was designed around the multimedia lovers who already had an iPod and a cellphone, but wanted a combination device. With the addition of exchange support and 3G service by AT&T the next generation iPhone will be an excellent option for corporate America as well. Most of the people I know who are required to carry Blackberries for work hate having the device and at least with an iPhone they would be able to have their movies music and tv shows on the go to entice them to actually keep the device on them to read emails. The Palm Centro is a delight to carry around and it can do anything the iPhone can do and more for nearly half the cost of an Iphone even with the purchase of an 8GB MicroSD card. You will not have the huge screen or touchscreen technology of the Iphone, but you will have some extra money in your pocket and faster/cheaper data access on the Sprint Network. The first thing I always recommend to someone looking to buy a phone is to choose their network first, their phone second. So let the network service in your area and your needs in terms of data speed be the first factor in your decision. If AT&T has the best service in your area then it would be worth holding out for the 3G iPhone and exchange support if you need it and getting the Palm Centro on the Sprint network with a 1 year contract in the meantime.
{ 8 trackbacks }
{ 24 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m sending u this comment from my iPhone. It’s not the features that make the iPhone a great device- it’s being able to actually use all of them without having to read a manual & the rich enduser experience. I’d put $ down that the palm phone can’t boast that.
OMG-I forgot to mention the integration. You really need to play with an iPhone for a couple of weeks to see how the tight integration saves you a great deal of time and effort.
“it’s being able to actually use all of them without having to read a manual & the rich enduser experience”
That’s a very true statement, the iPhone is simple to use and it feels almost natural. That’s probably the biggest reason it is selling so well right now. And its the same reason the iPod became the household name in mp3 players. Personally I own the iPhone as one of my phones, but not the Centro anymore. I used the Centro for the 30 day trial and ended up giving it to my girlfriend as a gift and she loves it.
Even if you can access the internet on the Centro, would you use it? I don’t think so. It’s ability to display the net is crap compared to the iPhone. With the iPhone, you have real HTML rendering. It is fabulous. iPhone users use the net more than the other smartphones combined as a result.
In regard to the Network - since Sprint and Verizon aren’t GSM, you cannot travel with your phone outside the U.S. and expect it to work. GSM phones such as on AT&T and TMobile are standard in Europe and much of the world.
AT&T has the largest coverage area. Verizon’s touted 3G speeds are not available everywhere - such as in the Monterey area. Sprint has an even smaller coverage area to AT&T and Verizon - thus 3G won’t work for it everywhere either.
Because Verizon and Sprint have to use non-standard signals, you cannot text message everywhere. You can’t text, for example, to the Czech republic from Verizon. Verizon has a limited number of European countries it covers. AT&T phones can text nearly all over the world. Verizon can’t. Texting is very popular in the world as an inexpensive way to communicate. Since Verizon’s network can’t do it well - it is a HUGE disadvantage.
The cost of DATA was not listed in your report. This is a huge mistake. The cost of unlimited data access/unlimited internet on the iPhone is $20 a month. The cost of unllimited data on Verizon is $70 a month. This is a huge difference. Sprint’s cost of data is also expensive. Over the span of two years, the cost of the Centro will outstrip the cost of the iPhone. Then the iPhone will be even cheaper as the years go by because data on it is much less expensive.
The iPhone rules.
All you’ve done is list a bunch of features - anyone who can read can see the specs also but the key is the iPhone is usable - sure, the Centro can in theory surf faster because you are in the fast lane but if you’re driving a motor scooter, what does it matter?
The iPhone conforms to u; while all others make you conform to them- this is especially true of Nokia phones. They have many features but require a Phd to use them. The Palm is most likely the same thing. What happens with these phones is that you never use all of the features and eventuallly even forget to charge them and end up missing phone calls. I’ve probably misses about 90% less calls since owning an iPhone
As far as the data goes, the Centro is on the Sprint Network where unlimited internet access for 3G service starts at 15/month. Verizon is very expensive and unless you plan on using a device like the Voyager with a Nationwide Premium Plan you can’t really compare a Verizon PDA/Smartphone/PPC cost per month with the iPhone.
If you take a look at http://www.sprint.com/sero you can get 500 minutes, mobile to mobile, 7pm nights with unlimited nights and weekend minutes, unlimited internet, unlimited text messaging, and unilmited picture messaging for $30.00
Price for access is cheaper through Sprint then with AT&T and service quality varies by area so it wasn’t really a good area to discuss. I was actually trying to leave the comparison open for interpretation. Personally I own an iPhone.
What is it with iPhone users that they take even the slightest criticism of the product as some kind of personal offense? Geez, get over yourselves. It’s a great product, but not the right match for everyone. Quit making up ridiculous arguments to cover for it.
- Palm OS hard to use? Palms are legendary for ease of use; look it up.
- Network use outside the US: are you really arguing that taking your locked iPhone (no SIM switching!) to Europe and paying exorbitant roaming fees is a great feature?
- Web surfing: some of us, who use laptops all day long, truly don’t want to do heavy surfing on a phone. Maybe I’ll check the news, some sports scores and one or two sites; the Centro does that quite well. If you really care to browse the web for hours on a phone, then the iPhone is the way to go.
iPhone is a great, revolutionary product, no doubt. But it’s not perfect, so please stop getting all uptight if someone points out a few of its weaknesses!
I found your blog via Google while searching for apple ipod shuffle accessory and your post regarding Vs iPhone: Palm Centro and Apple iPhone face off | Cellfanatic looks very interesting to me. I am very impressed with your site. The quality of the design and content makes it a real winner! Thanks again for a great site and a great resource on the net.
PalmOS hard to use?
It makes the iPhone seem confusing and difficult people…
I just bought a Centro two days ago, and it isn’t that hard to use. Then again, I have AT&T, so I might get an iPhone when my contract runs out.
I have had palm OS products for a long time and mostly I use medical software. I am trying to decide between centro and iphone and I wonder if you guys have any coments on it.
Thank you for this objective review, I think you hit the main points quite well.
I don’t think there’s any doubt the iPhone is a better product. But when you factor in cost and things like a replaceable battery, tactile buttons, expandable memory, and available apps without hacking the phone, I think the Centro is the obvious choice for people like myself who use their phones mainly for work.
Sure, the Centro has many flaws. The OS is old, syncing and managing files is more difficult, and it isn’t as pretty. Also I hate the battery cover and lack of voice dial. But at least it has a removable battery cover. Software development isn’t free, I think the price reflects that. 8GB cards are as low as $30 now, so it is really hard to justify the cost of the iPhone when there are so many capable phones around for under $300. The biggest advantage to the iPhone is Safari and the large screen, but really, who actually spends large amounts of time surfing the web on a mobile? The Centro’s web capability works fine.
I don’t understand why some people refuse to see the flaws in the products they buy. I like my Centro, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to pretend it’s the absolute best smart phone out there for anybody and everybody. It isn’t. There are many good smart phones out there now, each with different strengths and weaknesses.
Good comment on choosing your network first, AT&T isn’t even available here and has large service gaps throughout the upper midwest.
Sorry, a bit long, but more constructive than most of the threads here. I’m an IT guy, but believe I have the ability to provide neutral comments both from a technical and non-technical perspective.
I use to own a Handspring Visor and have always found it easy to use and have become addictively reliant upon. I was naturally use to the Palm OS, so I easily adapted to my existing Treo 650. I just bought the Centro for my wife and she loves it. She too use to own the Treo 650. I’m also seriously considering the Centro too. Personally, the iPhone is not on my list of considerations. If anything else, I am debating between the Centro and Blackberry line of products…specifically the Curve.
I’ve been a PC guy all my life, but have worked in Mac labs and appreciate the capabilities found in Apple products like the iPod. I agree with many veteran smart phone owners that this version of the iPhone has just scratched the surface. However, I have not been convinced of it’s high sticker price considering what it still lacks and are important to me. I might consider “iPhone 2.0″ when it comes out. I do believe it’s a cool little gadget for new smart phone users.
In defense of the Centro/Treo/Palm OS line of products, there’s a reason Palms keeps bringing the OS back, even when they tried to push Windows Mobile…the demand of course. People kept asing for the Palm OS when new Treos were appearing on the shelf with Windows Mobile. Also, I’ve dropped my Treo NUMEROUS times over the 2+ years I’ve owned it now. The Centro is built similiary and seems to be just as sturdy. I can’t say the same for the iPhone. My brother-n-law dropped his iPhone ONCE, and the screen is cracked.
Here’s the percentage of how I use my phone:
35% - phone calls
10% - text msg
20% - calendar/reminders (super fast and easy to use)
20% - contacts (also super fast and easy to use)
15% - games and other misc apps
The things I was hoping the Centro would come with (after using my Treo) are:
- GPS
- Application threading
- Better webpage rendering and Java support
In the end, I think I’m still in love with the Palm OS because of the numerous amount of applications available (a lot which are FREE) and the flexibility/tweekability of the Centro/Treo. One of my favorite features of the Treo/Centro is the Bluetooth dial-up connection…with a laptop and Treo (and I think Centro too? Haven’t tried with Centro) and the caching capabilities of Internet Explorer, browsing the web in the middle of nowhere is fantastic. I’ve definitedly used my Treo to it’s fullest extent and has been the best phone I’ve every owned. It’s been the Market leader for a very long time and it’s follower, the Centro, appears to be continuing that pattern. Again, remember that I’m an IT guy and like the ability to hack my phone and do many cool things with it.
Hope my two cents helped.
Cost comparison should be…
iPhone $199, $299 and $399 for 8GB,16GB, 32GB
Centro $99.99 for 64MB. Like you mention 8GB MicroSD for 120 = $220
Apple to release the Software Developer Kit creating the endless supply of application for iPhone is an amazing point. I think Centro have to release early to prevent iPhone snatching out the market in July 11?!
Smallest smartphone? Really?
That is really funny…
Interesting that the measurements for the centro are in inches and the iPhone in milimeters…
So, now, all in milimeters:
iPhone = 115 x 61 x 11.6 = 81374
Centro = 106.68 x 53.34 x 17.78 = 101,173.7
Which one has larger volume?
Besides that the iPhone is thinner.
Not to mention the fact that the Centro does not have memory like Lili said.
Amazon has 8GB cards for around $30. Not $120. The new iPhone is even more expensive than the current one when the cost of the new two-year contract pricing is taken into account. Sprint contract is less for a much lower overall cost.
Some people see the initial purchase price and are thinking exactly what Apple wants them to think, that it’s a great deal. Smart shoppers can see this is just a ploy. But companies don’t make much money on smart shoppers, so it’s good business sense.
But this comparison is not about the 3G iPhone. It’s about phones available back in January.
Mario, that is interesting but the phones are not perfect cubes. I like the iPhone better in my pocket and of course for viewing things, but I prefer the Centro size in interactive use. For me, it’s more comfortable to hold. Both are a good size, I think the size of the Centro minus about 4 mm thickness would be ideal. Much smaller becomes impractical for a smartphone that gets used for smartphone functions. Rather than shrinking the size more I’d rather see Palm shrink the internals to make room for a bigger battery. It’s really not a true smartphone with the current battery life. Although with its limited functionality the iPhone really isn’t either.
As far as apps go, Apple will almost certainly overtake Palm in new development, but if you want great apps TODAY, especially for business use, Palm is the way to go. If you want to wait around and HOPE somebody comes out with the iPhone apps you need, that’s a risk.
I’m a professional in legal area, and a long time Palmist. Actually, I own a Centro and a TX.
My wife got an Iphone and I played a lot with it, but, seriously, I think that actually nothing can beat the Palm OS in professional use.
My opinion is that Iphone is a charming toy, but just a toy after all. No serious use possible.
oh please, sorry, but phone “volume” has no bearing on how one likes the fit of the phone. I understand that there are 2 sides to every comparison and those of us that use one or the other type of device are a bit biased. it seems as if the reality is how much one can spend and which phone has appeal with each individual.
I have an 8GB iPhone 3G and just got wife a Palm Centro. She likes the Centro, I can’t stand it. The iPhone is absolutely amazing! I had hardware issues at 30 days and they replaced the iPhone at the apple store on the spot! No questions asked!
I curse her Centro every time I use it. Wish I would have bought a 16GB iPhone and had given her my 8GB. I’m not sure there is anything about the Centro that I like. Ok, there’s one thing, the USB cable is a bit longer :]
Shawn
My Treo 680 just crapped out and I’m trying to get some info to make my next purchase.
My favorite feature on the 680 and my 650 before it, has been the ability to read ebooks. I have read a hundred books or more on it over the last 5 yrs or so. They are easily legible and can be read in the dark, which can be very convenient. If I find myself in a doctor’s waiting room, or I’m using mass transit, or just waiting for a meal in a restaurant, I can occupy my mind with a great book. I don’t know if the iPhone has such a feature.
I use MobiPocket Reader which allows me to bookmark and highlight and add notes to my ebooks. Unfortunately, largely due to DRM crap, it can be a real hassle to use, due to PIDs changing and having to redownload books, which sometimes refuse to cooperate, and I feel that MobiPocket has not made a sufficient effort to handle these issues in a manner that would take some of the burden off the user, although that is an issue for another post.
If I buy an unlocked Centro, what are my options for 3G? Is AT&T not even in the running? I had understood that you could somehow, with an unlocked phone, have an AT&T account and still get 3G. I haven’t been able to track down a succinct explanation of what “unlocked” truly means. Do I still have to get a contract with a provider? Or can I somehow pay as I go? How do you use and unlocked phone?
Both great devices, but as others have said, they really appeal to different types of users. I love the palm operating system and though it may be “old”, it is very reliable and behaves well with my PCs. I love the host of applications readily available, which is not the case with the iPhone version 2. Along with the applications comes the ability to customize your phones performance with the Centro. The Centro is indestructible (nearly), a big advantage. After continued usage, the battery performance improves (maybe I use it more efficiently); I am getting two to three days between charges easily. I HATE Blazer, though I don’t need to use it much; I really wish there was a better browser available. GoogleMap works great on the Centro; nearly GPS like, but not quite.
“I’m sending u this comment from my iPhone. It’s not the features that make the iPhone a great device- it’s being able to actually use all of them without having to read a manual & the rich enduser experience. I’d put $ down that the palm phone can’t boast that.”
Actuallyy, the Palm OS on the Centro is on of the easiest operating systems ever made. As for James Katts’ comment on the iPhone’s ability to be used in other countires, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard a few reviews saying the Palm Centro can be used all over the WORLD, well, I know the Australian version can. Not just europe like the iPhone.
I agree the iPhone is a great phone, but it’s not perfect and it does have faults. (Especially in the price range) So give the Palm Centro a break, I’m pretty sure it could put up a fight in the features range compared with the iPhone.
My daughter has an iphone 4gb. The reason I prefer the centro is the removable battery, the real keyboard, the micro sd card, no requirement to purchase data package, and availability of lots of free software add ons. I think the centro is a better business machine, but she is OK with her iphone. Isn’t America great?