Palm brings Centro to Verizon Wireless

Palm got a nice distribution boost Thursday in a deal with Verizon Wireless.

The companies said (statement) that Palm's Centro--the one bright spot for

The Centro has been a big hit for Palm, which is getting thumped by rivals such as Research in Motion and Apple. The Centro's success is good news, but it dings profit margins because it's $99. Meanwhile, Palm hasn't been able to buffer the slim Centro margins with its Treo line, which needs a refresh.

Centro, which will be in cobalt blue, will run on Verizon's high-speed network and can be used as a modem for Verizon's BroadbandAccess Connect service. I'm a Verizon customer and basically use the phone as a modem and must admit that the Centro is in the running to be a replacement.

The Centro specs are the same as before, but for Palm the Verizon deal is a win. Palm made out pretty well with the Centro on Sprint, but it's never good to hitch your wagon to one of the weaker wireless carriers.