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How do you get the new Treo Pro free?  Two easy steps:  1. Move to the UK.  2. Sign up for Vodaphone.  In a move that is sure to have Treo fans jealous, Vodaphone is offering the new sexy black Treo Pro to its customers with different plans ranging from free to 340 pounds.

My hands on

Last week, we got to play with the Treo Pro.  My initial thoughts were quick response time, decent touch screen, thinner than I’ve seen a Treo (ever I think) and great looking.  While Microsoft does not have a Windows Mobile 6.1 fan in me, the OS is bearable for straight up business use.  Our Executive Editor, Adam Berger, thought Palm didn’t use the space on the phone wisely and with a few simple adjustments, could have offered up a much larger screen.

WiFi on a Palm

The Treo Pro is the first Treo to have WiFi.  Frankly, WiFi was lacking on the first Treo back a million years ago (give or take) and I find it kind of shocking it has taken this long.  Whatever.  It is here now and Treo fans can rejoice.  Other fancy specs include: high-speed data with UMTS/HSDPA3, instant-on Wi-Fi button, GPS, plays well with MS files & PDFs, functions as a high-speed modem for your laptop, chat-style view for SMS and MMS6, and a 2.0 megapixel camera with video capture round out the mix.

Back in the USA

Currently, Palm continues to duck my questions about a US carrier that might throw a subsidy in like a young flyweight fighter in the ring ducking my punches.  For now, we’ll have to be content coughing up $549 for an unlocked version; bulk buyers should contact Palm or their partners for bulk pricing.

If anything, Vodaphone’s offering should inspire hope in those wishing to see this phone become a hit at a US carrier.  Couple it with a low price, you’d think it would have to be higher than the $0-$99 Centro, so let’s say $149-$199 and you’ve got yourself a very competitive workhorse phone.

More as it comes.

Check it out at [Vodaphone] and [Palm]