MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Handspring Inc. next week plans to release a color version of its highly acclaimed Treo mobile phone/personal digital assistant.
The Treo 270, which operates much like the currently available gray-screen Treo 180, will sell for about $500—$100 more than the Treo 180 but $100 less than the company had originally planned. The color-screen Treo 270 will also have a longer battery life than the gray-screen Treo.
Handspring has partnerships with various carriers around the world to sell the Treo, and it is rumored the color-screen Treo will play a major role in Sprint PCS’ launch of its CDMA 1xRTT network this summer.
Separately, Handspring next week also plans to release the Treo 90, a color-screen PDA with a tiny keyboard that has no wireless capabilities. The device will not include support for Springboard expansion modules, which were available on Handspring’s older PDA models. However, the Treo 90 will include support for memory cards, which will allow users to back up their information. The Treo 90 will sell for about $300.
