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When Handspring first announced its Treo 270 Communicator last year, it unleashed the first truly usable PDA/Phone combination for the Palm operating system. With the release and announcement of a bevy of new Palm OS smartphones since then, including the Palm Tungsten W, Kyocera 7135, and Samsung's SPH-i330, SGH-i500 and SPH-i500, the Treo no longer sits on the top of the heap in terms of features. And with no new Handspring device reportedly due till sometime this summer, the Treo 270, along with its Sprint PCS cousin, the Treo 300, must maintain its place as Handspring's flagship device in an increasingly competitive market.

Nevertheless, the Treo 270 is still worth considering for those looking for a Palm OS PDA/phone combo, as it has enough features and good enough phone capabilities for many potential users. In addition, Handspring has done a good job of making the Treo 270 available worldwide, making it one of most ubiquitous Palm OS smartphones on the market.

In the U.S, Handspring recently announced a version of the Treo 270 co-branded with T-Mobile for $399 with service activation and a $100 mail-in rebate. It is also available for $499 from Cingular (which we tested here) or $699 unsubsidized. The price of phone/internet service plans vary. For instance, Web access costs from $9.99/month for 2MB of downloads to $34.99/month for 20MB for T-Mobile. This is on top of the phone service costs.