BBerry 8350 and Moto V950

Sprint is readying an aggressive launch of several push-to-talk phones in the next few months that include the previously rumored BlackBerry Curve 8350, according to a roadmap leak from BGR. Documents confirm the existence of the smartphone as the BlackBerry 8350i and that it will not only use the iDEN push-to-talk network but should have features absent on other variants, including both the GPS and Wi-Fi that are normally kept separate in the Curve lineup. It also sports the latest version of the BlackBerry OS and manages to hide the normally prominent antennas on iDEN phones.

Also slated for release ahead of the 8350i is the previously leaked Motorola V950, now nicknamed the Renegade. The device will be a counter to the ruggedized V750 Adventure at Verizon and use its EVDO Revision A data for its instant talk functions as well as supply features normally reserved for home users, such as its two-megapixel camera and support for Sprint's Music Store and TV services. It should appear during the summer.

Launches in the early part of the year should also include two unusually high-end additions from Motorola, including an unnamed media device and the "Monolith," a device with a SureType-like dual-letter keypad that would mimic the BlackBerry Pearl. In spring, the handset maker will follow up with the toughened "Immersion," while Samsung will have a media-friendly device for push-to-talk chat.

By Electronista Staff