Camera

The Centro's 1.3-megapixel camera is probably good enough for users who are more interested in the phone's smart phone capabilities, and the photo quality is decent. The Treo models that came before the Centro also feature 1.3-megapixel cameras, but there are higher resolution smart phones available such as the BlackBerry Curve with a 2.0-megapixel camera, with flash and 5X zoom.

In comparison, the Centro has only 2X zoom and no built-in flash. At least the Centro's relatively simple photography options are easy to access. Users can access the camera and camcorder functions by scrolling down through the phone's applications, with the central navigation key.

Photo quality is decent. The Centro produces sharp images, but indoor photos with limited light tend to have a bluish tint. Overall, though, the color balance was good. As for taking photos or videos in the dark, forget it - without a flash, the Centro is limited and the quality of the photos really depends upon the lighting.

Video quality is also decent, although clips taken in dim, indoor light were also slightly bluish. The microphone at the bottom of the phone did a good job of recording sound, and even picked up background music well enough for it to be recognizable. The large speaker on the back of the phone also did well reproducing recorded sound.

The lack of photo and video editing tools is one of the Centro's shortfalls. It's a good thing the image quality is okay, because without a flash or editing tools there is no way to adjust for lighting and other conditions. There is a small self-portrait mirror next to the photo lens on the back of the phone, which is just large enough to make sure the photo will capture a face but insufficient to check one's appearance.

Basic Features

The Centro runs Palm Operating System 5.4.9, which is an easy system to use for basic tasks. On the Centro, it also packs a lot of shortcuts and options for customization that take a while to uncover.

The Centro runs on a Li-Ion battery, which generally provides about 3.5 hours of talk time or 300 hours on standby.

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