I think Kyocera has the superior product. There are five main differences between the 7135 and the Treo (see Figure B), four of which are clear advantages for the former.

FIGURE B


The Treo is even smaller and uses GSM or CDMA networks. Roll over picture for a larger image.

The fifth difference--thumb-keyboard versus Graffiti text entry--is a matter of preference, but it may be very important to you.

There is one flaw common to both smartphones. Both vendors need to address it in a firmware upgrade. I'll go into that later.

Kyocera vs. Treo: the differences
Let's take a look at the differences that separate the Kyocera 7135 from the Treo devices.

User-changeable battery
The Kyocera device has a user-changeable battery. The Treo devices don't. I like to carry a spare, so I can count on power during my heaviest days of phone use--usually the days when I need the phone most. If you run out of juice with a Treo, you're out of luck until you get to a charger.

Memory card slot
It's the same story when it comes to a memory card slot. Kyocera has it (see Figure C), Treo does not.

FIGURE C


It's hard to see, but the memory card slot is at the bottom of the right side. Roll over picture for a larger image.

There are plenty of reasons to want plug-in memory (to carry a lot of files, or to add hardware such as a digital camera), but the business-essential reason is backup. The Kyocera 7135 comes with the free version of BackupBuddyVFS (at http://www.bluenomad.com/bbvfs/prod_bbvfs_details.html), which I set to run daily at 2 a.m. If I have a disastrous data loss, I can restore everything without returning to my desktop computer.

Analog phone service, along with digital
The Treo devices each run on two digital frequencies. The Kyocera 7135 does that too, but it can also place and receive calls using the older analog networks that still reach places outside digital range. With the Kyocera I had few gaps in service in a drive through California's wine country and along the coast. The Treo lost its signal much more often.

Combine these first three points and you have something basic: the phone works when you need it. The value of reliability--power, a phone signal, and data integrity--is hard to overstate.

MP3 player
The Kyocera has an MP3 player built in. Granted, it's a luxury, but it's certainly welcome on plane rides and in waiting rooms.

Keyboard
Some consumers will care about the keyboard a lot. There is room for only one physical keypad on a hybrid phone. Handspring chose a Blackberry-style thumb-board for text entry (see Figure D).

FIGURE D


For some users the Treo keyboard is a decisive advantage. Roll over picture for a larger image.

Kyocera chose a standard telephone pad. My friend Walter Mossberg at The Wall Street Journal gives this so much weight that he prefers the Treo. I disagree. Personally, I would rather have a phone with real buttons. When I have to write more than a few sentences, I use the folding Stowaway keyboard (see Figure E) that Kyocera licensed from Think Outside (at http://www.thinkoutside.com).

FIGURE E


Kyocera licensed the excellent Stowaway folding keyboard. Roll over picture for a larger image.