Palm just unleashed its long-rumored Treo 500v for Vodafone subscribers in Europe, and

yes—it boasts the new, flatter style that we’ve been seeing in many a fuzzy photo. Peek

inside, however, and there’s not much new going on.

Set to arrive in Europe and South Africa next month (no word on pricing or a U.S. release,

but I’m sure we’ll see it here in the near future), the 500v’s new shell represents the

most significant Treo redesign in years. Flatter, and with more-rounded edges, the 500v

(not to be confused with the upcoming Centro for Sprint) bears a striking resemblance to

the Dash on T-Mobile, and it’s a welcome change for a phone that’s looked more or less the

same since 2002.

Beneath the new shell, however, we’re still talking Windows Mobile 6—the stripped-down

version of WM6, actually, which means no touch screen or stylus (instead, you navigate with

the soft keys and the four-way mouse). You get a decent suite of mobile Office apps,

including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, plus push e-mail, SMS, instant messaging, and mobile

versions of Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer. Hardware-wise, the 500v boasts

access to European 3G UMTS networks for speedy data access, plus a two-megapixel camera,

Bluetooth 2.0, 150MB of built-in, user-accessiible memory, and a slot for microSD memory

expansion.

It’s a solid phone all right, but there’s nothing here that’ll set the world on fire—and

Palm could really use a barnburner in the wake of its failed Foleo smartphone companion.

That said, we’re supposed to see a Treo with a new, Linux-based OS before the year is out,

and maybe that’ll reverse Palm’s fortunes.

What about you—interested in the 500v (or a U.S. version of it)? Or have you had enough of

the Treo line?