The palmOne Zire 72 is an upgraded version of the Palm Zire 71 that was introduced in 2004. New features include Bluetooth, voice recording, and video capture with sound. The joystick was removed and replaced with a recessed pad similar to that of the Tungsten models, and the camera was upgraded from 0.3 to 1.2 megapixel. The Zire 72 has 32MB on-handheld RAM (25MB usable) instead of 16MB, a 312 MHz Intel PXA270 Processor instead of a TI OMAP Processor, and weighed 4.8oz as opposed to 5.3oz for the Zire 71. It featured Palm OS 5.2.8, versus 5.2.1 for the Zire 71.

The Zire 72 was available in two models. The standard Zire 72 had a bright blue painted body with silver back. The Zire 72s Special Edition was an all-silver model.

The Zire 72, while it had more features than the Zire 71, was hit with a lot of criticism and friction over time. Some users reported problems with the camera. The screen quality was reported to be not as good as that of the Palm Zire 71. Many users complained of the blue paint chipping and peeling.

Building on the success of PalmOne's Zire 71, the Zire 72 is the first Palm-based handheld that could capture digital video with sound and shoot digital still photos. This special silver version of the Zire 72 also featured a 320 x 320-pixel colour screen for optimal playback of video and photos as well as voice recording capability and an MP3 player. The Zire 72 featured Palm's suite of information management applications and the ability to edit Word- and Excel-compatible files and synchronize with Microsoft Outlook (Windows only).

Our machine includes software for Windows and Mac, manual, power supply and soft case, and was kindly donated by Alastair Wells from Netherhall School, Cambridge.