When it’s time to replace your Treo’s stylus, after your fingernails wear down to the nubs, you’ll find an amazing variety to choose from. Now here comes Smartphone Experts with another possibility: color. The company’s Solid Stylus three-pack includes the standard silver – like the original – plus a burnished gold, and (brace yourself) soft pink.

So, what’s with the pink? Good question, but I’ll have to confess. That rose stylus does look sweet nestled in my Treo 700p. The muted warm tone makes a great contrast with the Treo’s charcoal gray case. Okay, it’s a fashion thing, and fashion is purely a spectator sport – only the fans get a thrill. I’m not noted for stepping out in haute couture, or much of any other kind of couture, either. However, I love color, especially unexpected hues in odd places, a brash splash of something frivolous that lets the world know I’m hip, underneath this coarse exterior, but without getting too showy.

Usability

Although not identical, in the strictest sense of the word, to the Treo’s original stylus, Smartphone Experts’ replacement styli do come close. The silver one, in particular, looks right at home in my Treo 650’s stylus slot. My 700w has to settle for the gold, since I’ve ensconced the pink one in my 700p. I keep extra styli around all the surfaces I spend time near, and they somehow disappear. They’re not lost, just temporarily tucked under something, like my computer keyboards or a stack of (useless) papers. Extras, therefore, are always welcome.

I’m curious at the choice of colors, though, as they’re not even close to the Artic, Copper, Graphite or Crimson of the new Treo 680 rainbow. Doesn’t matter. The 680’s stylus is different, anyway. Too bad. The pink one would probably add the same pizzazz to Artic and Graphite that it does for my 700p.

Close as they are to the original styli, SPE’s do have some differences, and you might not take too kindly to some of them. Most notably, the top of the original Treo stylus has a smooth, gentle curvature, rather than a squared-off facet. It’s a small issue, but the smooth, polished original is, well, prettier.

The replacements also don’t quite fill the space on the outside case where the head of the stylus is supposed to blend seamlessly with the fluid lines of the Treo. It’s a delicate distinction, and an easy one to ignore. All of the color styli are also slightly shorter by a silly millimeter or so, and they taper toward their tips in a longer, gentler curve.

None of this has any effect on the product’s usefulness. I tried them all in all three of my Treos, and they all fit snugly and work flawlessly. I also tried to scratch the pink and gold finish, and couldn’t mark it. Tough stuff. I’m impressed.

---