Sprint just announced it will soon add the Kyocera DuraPlus handset to its lineup. The candybar supports the carrier's Direct Connect push-to-talk service and is ultra-rugged, meeting military-spec 810G standards for dust, shock, water, and other conditions. There is also a built-in LED flashlight.
Sprint put its first real smartphone on its Direct Connect push to talk network Thursday by confirming the Motorola Admiral. A A spiritual heir to the XPRT and Droid Pro, the Android 2.3 phone keeps the 3.1-inch display (at a higher VGA resolution) and BlackBerry-like form but is upgraded to keep in step. The phone now has a faster 1.2GHz single-core TI OMAP processor, and MIL-810G military-grade hardening against dust, water, shock, and temperature.
Sprint will launch an updated Direct Connect network on October, SprintFeed revealed on Friday. A leaked chart compares what the service will offer versus rivals like AT&T and Verizon (below). While cherry-picked by Sprint, it's clear the Sprint offering will have the most and best features. Pricing for the plan remains to be seen, however.
Sprint on Monday planned out the launch of the first CDMA phones to run on its equally new Sprint Direct Connect push-to-talk service. The new phones includes the Kyocera DuraCore and DuraMax, with a third device from Motorola to be announced later. Prices and actual release dates are also promised later.
Motorola has just announced the first phone that combines a sliding QWERTY keyboard form factor, support for Nextel Direct Connect push-to-talk and a rugged construction. The i886 meets the US military's 810G spec and is thus resilient to dust, shock, vibration, temperature and pressure extremes. Other features include a two-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, MP3 playback, group messaging and GPS navigation.
Wireless provider Sprint announced on Friday that it has added the Motorola r765IS rugged handset to its lineup. The iDEN push-to-talk device is MIL Spec 810F rated, making it heavily resistant to submersion in water as well as exposure to dust, shock, solar radiation and temperature extremes. NextMail compatibility allows it to send voicemail as e-mail attachments, and it has built-in navigation capabilities thanks to integrated GPS. Emergency calling modes ensure callers can get through from nearly anywhere and at any time.
Sprint on Thursday announced it will soon add four phones with Nextel Direct Connect support in more than 40 US cities. Each new phone will support the Nextel push-to-talk (PTT) network that connects subscribers in less than one second. Some of the handsets' features include call alerts and a Group Connect function over the PTT network that allows communication with up to 20 users at once. The phones can either use one phone number for both traditional calling and PTT functionality, or have a dedicated number for each.
Sprint today unveiled the LG LX 400, Motorola V950, and Samsung Z400/Z700 series phones, rounding off a landslide of announcements from the carrier at the CTIA Wireless 2008 Conference [1|2|3|5|6|7]. The LG LX 400 features a 1.77-inch main display, and works on both 1900 and 800MHz frequencies. It also features Sprint's Direct Connect push-to-talk network, as well as several multimedia communications options such as PCS Picture Mail, text, voice messaging, and email. Bluetooth connectivity and a 1.3-megapixel camera are also included.
Sprint will not only continue to support its iDEN network, it will attempt to breathe more life into it, the company's CEO says. Rumors have persisted that the company would shut down its push-to-talk technology, which was inherited through the purchase of Nextel and was once in widespread use with the likes of construction firms and taxi companies. Although iDEN devices are still used by millions of Sprint/Nextel subscribers, the Associated Press notes that business and technical issues -- namely dropped, blocked or garbled calls -- have led thousands of people to cancel their accounts.
