Palm: Treo Pro Has Found a U.S. Carrier

Perhaps there's hope for Palm after all.

Palm recently announced in a quarterly conference call that its newest smartphone, the Treo Pro, would be serviced by a U.S. carrier. Though Palm did not name which carrier, hints are pointing at AT&T, according to a WM Experts story.

When the Treo Pro launched last month, some analysts said the device wouldn't fare well in the United States due to its lack of a carrier. An unlocked handset with no carrier meant no subsidy, forcing a customer to pay the full amount for the phone -- $549.

With a U.S. carrier servicing the Treo Pro, potential customers can expect to pay around $200 to $300 for the phone (if Palm wishes to compete).

The Treo Pro's key features include a 320-by-320 pixel touch screen, a QWERTY keyboard, Wi-Fi connectivity and built-in GPS. Wired.com reviewer Steven Leckhart wasn't a big fan of the phone: He found the touchscreen unresponsive even with the stylus (bleh), among other flaws.

And even with AT&T picking up the Treo Pro, the handset still faces major challenges: In particular, Palm needs to worry about Research In Motion, HTC and Apple -- three competitors who are dominating the U.S. smartphone market while Palm is falling behind.