Given the large, ultra-sharp screen, graphically intensive OS and constant requests to its tightly integrated online services, one would expect that the Pre would be something of an energy glutton—at least moreso that the Centro and 800w, which share its battery. Given that even the Treo Pro, with a 1500mAh battery, isn't good for much more than two days of regular use, it looks like the Pre might fall into the iPhone/G1/Storm trap of requiring a full charge every night, or worse.

For reference, the iPhone's battery is a more generously apportioned 1400mAh unit, where the G1's power comes from a sad little 10001150mAh lithium polymer. PreCentral deduced the Pre's 1150mAh figure from the existing capacities of this battery type, whereas PalmInfoCentral was told directly by a PR rep to expect 1200mAh.

The news isn't all bad though, as there are already a plethora of cheap aftermarket batteries that were designed for the Centro and 800w, and will therefore fit the Pre. Additionally, if you're upgrading from another Palm device you'll be able to carry your current batteries as a backup. [PreCentral via PalmInfoCenter]

Is anyone filled with excitement, their Treo 700 series rattling in their trembling hands? [wmpoweruser] Thanks tipsters!

Shadowmite also says it has a micro USB connection, which brings Palm out from the proprietary connector rock. It may be incremental, but it's good to see Palm playing a bit of catchup with the smartphone heavyweights. [Shadowmite via Palm Infocenter]

In addition, there's a 2-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi hard switch, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, 802.11g Wi-Fi, microSD slot, 256MB memory, EV-DO Rev. A, aGPS (not a real GPS), a 320x320 resolution screen, and front-facing keyboard. The launch date is tentatively April, but this is all based on a guy's posting in a forum, which means it can all be a pack of lies at this point. [WMExperts via TreoNauts]

And while we hate to get ahead of ourselves, we're ready to celebrate that the Treo's antenna is officially dead. If the picture is fake, we're guessing it's a pretty good mock-up since the button layout more closely resembles that of newer Palm models like the Centro. But at least in my book, the Treo needs an extreme makeover (phone edition) to capture my heart again. Screw functionality, I wanted sliding, clicking and some sort of gesture hologram smell control. [treocentral]

Even if these dates are solid now (assuming these are actually real), providers are known to switch up dates for various reasons. Use the schedule as a guideline more than a definite calendar. [Phone News via Gadgets on the Go]

Lots and lots of improvements for Sprint users over what they can get right now with the 700wx, including EV-DO REV A., Windows Mobile 6, a 320x320 display (now supported on WM6), 256MB flash, 128MB RAM, a 1.3-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth, and an expansion slot.

The big ones are of course Windows Mobile 6, the increased speed of EV-DO Rev. A, Wi-Fi, and that larger screen resolution. The 320x320 resolution is square, yes, but nothing that Treo fans haven't gotten used to already. Plus, it's the first phone announced to support the 320x320 resolution that WM6 offers.

Sprint's aiming at a Q4 2007 release, but we'll see whether the phone's pushed up or back in the coming months. – Jason Chen

Thanks tipster!