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Handspring Press Release Archive
Handspring Brings Color To Treo Communicators
Treo 270 adds full-color display, backlit keyboard and greater battery life to Treo communicators
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF. (May 28, 2002)—- Handspring, Inc. (NASDAQ: HAND), a leading innovator in personal communications and handheld computing, today introduced Treo 270, a compact, full-color wireless communicator that integrates a mobile phone, wireless applications like email and Internet browsing, and a Palm OS organizer all in one. Treo 270 also has a built-in, backlit QWERTY keyboard and enhanced battery life. Treo 270 is available for $499 with GSM service activation or $699 without a service plan. In a separate announcement today, Handspring also introduced its first Treo that is not a wireless communicator: the Treo 90, a sleek, lightweight organizer with a built-in keyboard and a full-color display.
Treo 270 is available now from Handspring's Web site at www.handspring.com and will become available through authorized Handspring retailers in the coming weeks. In addition, Treo 270 will be available throughout Europe and Asia where Treo 180 and 180g are already sold. Handspring expects to announce availability in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Latin America in the months to come.
"While Treo 270's bright color display adds richness to color applications like Internet browsing and games, it also significantly improves text-based applications like e-mail because of its enhanced readability," said Joe Sipher, vice president of product marketing at Handspring. "Our development team also found a way to improve Treo 270's battery performance relative to our monochrome Treo 180 without compromising on its size."
For the next three weeks, Handspring is making a special offer on the Treo 270 for owners of its VisorPhone Springboard module. People who currently own a VisorPhone can purchase Treo 270 for $499 without activation of a new service plan. For details on this special offer, visit www.handspring.com.
New Features
The Treo 270's large, colorful touch screen sets the product apart from other high-end mobile phones. The color display also offers better clarity and readability of text and graphics, ideal for Web browsing, viewing photos and playing games. The built-in, backlit QWERTY keyboard enables people to use the device with one hand, even in low light conditions, while also providing faster and more familiar data entry and navigation. The Treo 270's increased battery life allows up to three hours of talk time and 150 hours of standby time.
Full-Featured Mobile Phone
Treo 270 offers all of the capabilities previously introduced with Treo 180. It is a full-featured mobile phone designed for one-handed operation. It includes such features as Instant Lookup of phone numbers and contacts usually in three keystrokes or fewer, 50 speed dials, a traditional dial pad on the keyboard, call log, easy three-way calling, caller ID and speaker phone. It is a dual-band GSM world phone that can roam internationally.
Wireless Messaging, Email and Internet Access
Treo 270 is also a wireless messaging device capable of sending and receiving SMS text messages and email. Earlier this month, Handspring introduced Treo Mail, a new wireless email service designed exclusively for Treo communicators that gives individuals mobile, secure access to corporate email or POP3 Internet accounts. Treo Mail may be purchased from www.handspring.com. Additionally, Treo 270 includes a new version of the Blazer Web browser that allows one-handed navigation of Web links and pages with the rocker switch and enables in-line editing. Web browsing and email retrieval require Internet service either through a wireless service provider or an ISP, as well as a GSM wireless plan that includes data services. SMS may require a separate plan as well. Compatibility with next generation GPRS wireless data networks will be available later this year. The cost for the GPRS upgrade is included in the product price.
The steel-gray Treo 270 measures only 4.2 x 2.8 x 0.82 inches and weighs just 5.4 ounces. The communicator has 16MB of memory and a rechargeable lithium ion battery. It is compatible with the thousands of Palm OS applications currently available. Because Treo 270 has the same dimensions as Treo 180, it is compatible with all of the same Treo accessories, including the USB Charging Cradle, USB HotSync Cable, Serial HotSync Cable, Car Lighter Adapter, Travel Charger Kit, Stylus 3-pack and Action Pack Case.
About Handspring
Handspring is a leading innovator in personal communications and handheld computing. The company develops, manufactures and markets the Treo wireless communicators and Treo 90 organizer, the Visor expandable handheld computers, and client and server software for fast Web access from handheld devices and mobile phones. Founded in 1998, the company established itself as an industry leader with its Springboard platform, which provides a simple and easy method for hardware and software expansion. Today Handspring sells its Treo and Visor line of wireless communicators and handheld computers and Springboard expansion modules and accessories at www.handspring.com and through select Internet and retail partners in the United States, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the Middle East.
CAUTIONARY STATEMENT
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including those relating to: the ability of Handspring to effectively launch and market the Treo 270, the availability of voice and data wireless service plans from GSM carriers, the timing and availability of the GPRS software upgrade for Treo, and Handspring's ability to qualify Treo 270 for use with GSM wireless operators. Actual results may differ materially due to a number of factors including, among others: future economic conditions; consumer acceptance of and demand for Handspring's Treo communicator products; the availability of Treo communicator products in the US and internationally; the timing of the build-out of advanced wireless networks and the quality and scope of voice and data service coverage offered by wireless carriers; the degree to which wireless carriers will facilitate the successful introduction of Handspring's wireless products; and the rapid pace of technological change and competitive developments in the handheld computer and wireless communications industries. The matters discussed in this press release also involve risks and uncertainties described in Handspring's most recent Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. Handspring assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.
Handspring, the Handspring logo, Treo, Visor, Blazer, Springboard, and the Treo logo are trademarks of Handspring, Inc. and may be registered in some jurisdictions.
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