Two weeks now with this device so I thought it was time for an update. Here are my observations. The size and weight of this device is wonderful! Coming from the 650, it is a much smaller, much lighter device. It feels great in the hand. Corrected are the speaker level issues that plagued the 650. Even though I have VolumeCare installed on the device, it really isn’t needed. The extra memory seems to have made the device much more stable. The improvements made to the interface are slight in appearance, but have added quite a bit to the navigation and to functionality. Also, greatly improved is the BlueTooth Stack! I was using a Moto HS-850 with the 650! It was the best out of three I had tried. Not perfect, but still pretty good! I brought home the 680 and paired it with an H-500, with no noise issues at all! The same with a Plantronics H300! These very low end headsets both work very well with the 680. No noise or scratching and I am walking around the room about 25 feet away!

The only negative I can offer is the terrible battery life! If you don’t use a lot of data, you will probably get a full day out of this device without needing somewhere to plug it in! But if your like me and use IMAP email accounts (always connected) I think you will find the 680 a pretty large step backwards. I have read that there will be some high capacity battery options very soon! Critics have really ripped this device! Complaints include that its still a VGA camera, an eight year old Operating System that still can’t do WiFi, etc. Some critics refuse to even call it an upgrade over the 650! I guess this is where I disagree with them . . . . . but not strongly. I guess some people are wondering if you should upgrade. Well, I bought this device outright . . . No contract! I got a pretty steep discount and with Tax included I ended up with a little over $350 in it. I don’t feel like its $350 better than the 650! Its better, its lighter, there are improvements, but if your 650 is functioning properly, I wouldn’t forsake it for the 680. However, if you are needing to replace it, and want to stay within a GSM network, I would say smart move! Just plan on upgrading the battery ASAP if you need access to the data side of life! It is certainly better than the 650 in several aspects, only truly losing ground to the 650 in with the much smaller battery.
Of course, if your looking at the 700P from Verizon/Sprint, I think you might be even better off! Those have a little more memory, the larger capacity battery, and with that same design that has been available now for a while, accessories that are almost unlimited! I guess if you compare the 680 to something along the lines of the Moto Q, or the Samsung Blackjack, I still say there is no comparison . .  The 680 is a much “smarter” smart phone than the Q or the Blackjack.  Of course, those units are capable of running the new highspeed data transfer, but that is more than likely the only area that those phones offer something better than any Treo on the market.  Remember, with a Treo, you can view and edit Office Documents, and also use the touch screen.  With the PPC implementation for the Blackjack and Q, all you can do is view those office docs and no touch screen.  Don’t get me wrong . . I don’t dislike the Q nor the blackjack!  I think they are both very good Phones and offer a lot for the price-point.  But I will say, if your looking for the most bang for your bucks, I still believe that you will find it in the Treo.  I will stand by that today . . .  By the end of the year, with all the new models that should be introduced this year, I might be singing a new song . . . .