Verizon has had a bit of an affordability problem with its smartphone lineup. With handsets selling from $200 to $400 (with a two-year contract) and data plans running more than $100 per month, no one can accuse the carrier of being inexpensive. That's about to change with the Palm Centro, its version of the hot-selling device that's currently raking in the dough for AT&T and Sprint. For Verizon, Palm has fashioned the Centro in a classy cobalt blue that blends in well in business circles. Also, it's one of the first handsets that work with the carrier's new, lower-cost data plan, which is just $29.99 per month, instead of $44.99.

If you already know about the Centro from its previous incarnations, there won't be much of a surprise here. Like those earlier devices, this Centro measures 4.2 by 2.1 by 0.7 inches and weighs 4.2 ounces—actually a smidgen less than the AT&T version. It has a 2.2-inch, 320-by-320-pixel touch-screen LCD with a hidden, plastic stylus. The full QWERTY keyboard doesn't only look cramped—it is. On the other hand, its tiny yet rubbery keys engage with a positive click. I found typing on the Centro to be surprisingly accurate, all things considered.

The Centro has always been a good voice phone, and the Verizon version continues that streak. Compared directly with an original Verizon Motorola Q—a perennial benchmark for voice quality—the Centro is just as clear and punchy sounding. If anything, it had a bit more gain in both directions. Its reception also matched the good quality of the Q's both indoors and out. In addition, it's easy to hold for long periods due to its lightweight design and curved shape. The Centro sounded full and clear when paired with a Cardo S-800 Bluetooth headset, and its speakerphone was louder than I expected given the handset's small size.

Like the Sprint version, the Palm Centro on Verizon is a dual-band CDMA device (850/1900 MHz) that also supports the carrier's high-speed EV-DO data network. That means checking e-mail, browsing WAP sites, and downloading third-party software are all quicker than on the pokier AT&T version, which lacks support for the carrier's 3G HSDPA network. Still, expect speeds from 270 to about 550 kilobits per second, considering the Palm OS's lower real-world bandwidth. There's no Wi-Fi radio in this or any Centro to date. But given Verizon's robust EV-DO coverage, that's less of a problem than it is on, say, AT&T or T-Mobile handsets.

The handset also fares well as a mobile office. Palm bundles in DataViz's excellent Documents To Go 10 suite for viewing, creating, and editing Microsoft Word and Excel documents. It's the best in the business, especially with the Centro's high-resolution touch screen and stylus. Like all Palm devices, the Centro synchronizes well with both PCs and Macs. Its address book and calendar apps are clear and easy to manage, and it can run thousands of apps from third-party developers. On the other hand, its Blazer 4.5 Web browser butchers Web page formatting—WAP sites are your only option. And the lack of a bundled IM client is ridiculous, given this handset's consumer focus and full QWERTY keyboard, though its MMS mode has a convenient chat-style view.

In case you haven't heard, Palm OS 5.4.9 is getting pretty long in the tooth. The OS isn't multithreaded, so forget about doing more than one task at a time—except for a few things, such as listening to an MP3 track in the background. Also, the OS doesn't support voice dialing over Bluetooth--a real problem when driving. There's no support for GPS, which isn't too terrible since there are no Palm devices with GPS radios. On the bright side, however, the built-in version of Google Maps for Mobile does look amazing.

Multimedia capabilities are also very limited. Pocket Tunes works well as a basic music player, but you can't listen wirelessly over stereo Bluetooth. You can sideload media via the handset's microSD slot, which works with cards up to 4GB. There's no built-in video player—grab a copy of the discontinued, yet still available and free, TCPMP for that. You won't find mobile TV or over-the-air music options, either. The 1.3-megapixel camera has no flash or autofocus; it takes usable, well-balanced photos and records middling 352-by-288 video files. A continuous-talk-time test drained the Centro's 1150-mAh battery in 4 hours 23 minutes.

Palm has abandoned this operating system—one reason why our reviews of recent Palm OS–based devices have been less than stellar. On the other hand, the Centro is selling well on Sprint and AT&T, and at $99, I have no doubt that this model will also be successful. It's a capable "first smartphone" for anyone who wants to move beyond voice calls and texting.

The Centro exemplifies the classic case of a company that figured out how to buy extra time using its existing, aging product line. But that's not a sustainable strategy in the long term. Palm OS is actually losing capabilities; for example, its Java license expired in January, so you can't load in Opera Mini without an unsupported hack. And third-party development is grinding to a halt, as developers shift their energies toward platforms with a future. It's a strange prospect to buy a device knowing its OS will have no future support. But as a two-year play starting now, it's still a good buy. If your needs are limited to voice calls, reading WAP sites, e-mail, and texting, the Centro will delight with its well-designed interface, pleasing form factor, and, above all, its low price.

Compare the Palm Centro (Verizon) with several other mobile phones side by side.

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