Palm Pre (via Sprint) stands confident to outsmart iPhone and the likes

You definitely need a second thought if you think iPhone is the most sophisticated mobile phone on hand. Did you say HTC Touch? Not even this one! Instead, Palm stands a great chance to provide these supposed techie-gadgets a sturdy contest for sure at CES ’09. Well, Sprint alliance enables Palm to introduce its new lustrous Smartphone dubbed as Pre. It has a wholly new interface and Palm WebOS makes it exemplar hardware sculpt.

Technical Specifications: A 3.1-inch 320 x 480 multi touch display with a silver center button, a full QWERTY keyboard, TI’s new OMAP CPU, EV-DO Rev, 802.11b/g WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth with A2DP and 8GB of included flash storage, 3 megapixel camera with LED flash, microUSB plug and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Pricing & Availability: Palm Pre will be released in the US exclusively via Sprint by the first half of 2009, but there’s still no word on exact release date and projected pricing.

[Via: Unwiredview]

BlackBerry Bold From Sprint Coming in First Quarter of 2009

All of you fans of the yellow and black (or is it gold and black?) will be pleased to know some new BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Bold info on Sprint (NYSE: S). One of Engadget Mobile’s trusted sources has let them now that Sprint will be replacing the BlackBerry 8830 with a CDMA version of the BlackBerry Bold. All of the 8800-lovers out there grasp on to your device tight… Or maybe go pick a new one up at Sprint while you can, because you might not be able to in the near future.

The new Sprint BlackBerry Bold will apparently feature EV-DO Rev. A, lots of memory, and of course a camera (which will be a feature many 8800 users might not want?).

It’s still early days with this one, but look for more news to drop on it soon. All reports seem to lead to the Sprint BlackBerry Bold dropping in the first quarter of 2009.

[Via: EngadgetMobile]

Sprint's Sierra Wireless Compass 597 is tiny and sleek - USB EVDO Rev. A modem with style

If there's one thing that gets attention in the tech-world, it's Apple products. So, it makes sense that Sierra Wireless wanted to leverage the MacBook Air's "hotness" to publicize their newly announced Sierra Wireless Compass 597 EVDO Rev. A USB modem.

The MacBook Air initially got my attention. Then I noticed the yellow-lit USB dongle sticking out of the Air's notoriously slim and widely incompatible USB port. The Air's design necessitates that everything be as slim and small as possible, and as such, the ultra-portable notebook from Apple suffers from a too-small USB port - many USB dongles and flash drives just don't fit in the port.
So, imagine my surprise when I saw this super slim USB modem stuck into the side of the MacBook Air!

Sierra Wireless has kept the formula simple with EVDO Rev. A allowing 3.1Mbps download speeds and upload speeds of up to 1.8Mbps, and built-in GPS allowing, well, GPS-related stuff. The included microSD card slot makes the Sierra Wireless Compass 597 a microSD card reader, too.

The bright-yellow indicator light on the tip of the Compass 597 lets you know when you're locked on to Sprint's network, and adds some pop to the otherwise nondescript USB modem.

Expect a Q2 2008 ship-date for the Sierra Wireless Compass 597. I'm waiting on my review unit to come in, so stay tuned to see how this slim little USB modem performs in the real world!

[Source]

Hands-on with the Samsung Instinct - Sprint's answer to the iPhone

Everyone wants needs an iPhone competitor. In a market flooded with notions that sleek and slim smartphones with a rock-solid and intuitive interfaces are the way to go, no carrier can afford to ignore the touchscreen craze that's sweeping the mobile space.

And, Sprint has just announced their own attempt to woo the touchscreen crowd with the Samsung Instinct.

Sprint's Samsung Instinct wasn't available at Sprint nor Samsung's booth for some reason. I had to wait until an evening-event to get my hands on the Samsung Instinct, where Sprint had a handful of reps ready to showcase the new Sprint touchscreen handset.

Packed with a 2 megapixel camera, GPS, FM radio, EVDO Rev. A (the first Rev. A device on Sprint, according to the Sprint rep), 3-inch touchscreen (pressure-based and flush with the face of the device), and microSD card slot, the slim touchscreen offering from Samsung should help Sprint regain (or at least retain) some of its lost customer base. The Samsung Sprint measures a svelte 2.17 x 4.57 x 0.49 inches and tips the scales at a rather solid-feeling but still light 4.4 ounces.

The Samsung Instinct looks and feels much like the Samsung F700 Croix/U940 Glyde, without the sliding keyboard (of course) and without the award-winning Croix interface. The haptic feedback on the Samsung Instinct is the same pseudo-haptic feedback system that Samsung likes to use on their touchscreen handsets - the entire device vibrates with every touchscreen input. The vibration feedback novel at first, but then gets annoying quite quickly.

Overall, the pressure-based touchscreen was nice and firm - there was very little touchscreen "squish." The display's flush design helps to keep the Samsung Instinct's lines clean and smooth, and the LED backlit navigation buttons added a bit of flair to the device. As an iPhone competitor, this is probably as good as it's going to get for now (on Sprint). Capacitance touchscreen technology would have made the Samsung Instinct a little snazzier, and the UI could use some refinement. But in the end, if you want to get in on the full-body touchscreen craze, and you want to stay with Sprint, the Samsung Instinct is probably your best bet.

Booth reps said that the Samsung Instinct should be launching in June at a price point that is sure "to surprise" us all. I'd put money on the Sprint Samsung Instinct commanding a mid-$200 price tag with new contract.

[Source]

Sprint keeps riding the data-wave with CDMA/EVDO variant of HTC Shift

Sprint is really looking to expand its data-side services, and it makes sense, given their struggles in the traditional voice-call market. Sprint is apparently going to pickup the CDMA/EVDO version of the HTC Shift. We knew that the HTC Shift was a-comin' in GSMCDMA flavors (thanks, FCC) , and it seems that Sprint will have the honor of offering this hybrid mobile device to US customers. The 7-inch touchscreen display, QWERTY keyboard, 800 Mhz processor, 1GB RAM, a 40GB hard drive, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 that we see in the GSM HTC Shift remain unchanged.

Of course, we'll be seeing Sprint offer a CDMA/EVDO radio in their own version of the HTC Shift - as the HTC HTCX9000 Shift CDMA.

Look for a $1500 price point when it drops. Pre-order yours today at Amazon.com.

[Via: jkOnTheRun]

Sprint Samsung Ace Smartphone Hands On

I just received the Samsung Ace from Sprint today for review. Before I delve into my testing, there are things that just have to be done 1st. The 1st is photos and video of the device. While I finish off the video, I thought I would share a few photos to get us started.

The Samsung Ace is available right now from Sprint. After rebates and such, you can get out the door with a 2 year contract for $200. The Samsung Ace is very similar to the BlackJack II, which was released on the AT&T network. The cool thing about the Ace is that it’s a “World Phone”. It operates both CDMA in the USA and GSM overseas using a Sim Card. Yes, I tried my AT&T Sim and it didn’t work.

For more info about the Samsung Ace, visit Samsung or Sprint. Read on for some more photos.

[via Mobilitysite]

Motorola i570 Nextel phone released today

Nextel, Sprint’s homely-yet-dependable half-brother, has decided that it’s time to party like it’s 1999 with the Motorola i570.

It’s got Direct Connect, Group Connect, Direct Talk, Direct Send, GPS, a 64k color internal display, monochrome external display, rugged design, speakerphone, and a bunch of other stuff that you’d expect from a phone that works first and foremost as a phone, leaving little time for gallivanting around like its flamboyant brothers and sisters on the Sprint network.

It costs a penny shy of a hundred bucks with a two year contract, which includes $150 in instant savings and a $50 mail-in rebate. Available today.

The Motorola i335 was also recently introduced. It’s $29.99 for new subscribers and features Bluetooth and a slim, candy bar style housing.

Sprint Nextel homepage [Sprint.com]

Sprint to launch BlackBerry Pearl 2 on Thanksgiving Day weekend?

The story of the BlackBerry Pearl 2 release slowly starts reminding me on the iPhone launch, except that RIM can’t generate as much as buzz as Apple can.

First, we thought the next Pearl — also known as BlackBerry 8130 — is coming to AT&T and Vodafone this September. Later, Sprint’s 2007 and 2008 product roadmap revealed we could expect the RIM’s stylish baby to hit the streets on November 4. Now, we have a new piece of information, suggesting Pearl fans will have to wait for the end of November (Thanksgiving Day weekend) to get their hands on the next iteration of Pearl.

Apparently, the Pearl 2 will add GPS and a new media player on top of the existing BlackBerry functionalities. And while this is kinda cool, we still want the built-in WiFi as well!

[Via: BoyGeniusReport]

Sprint get's touched by HTC - Sprint Touch

With AT&T and their iPhone putting the squeeze on other carriers’ subscriber base, it makes sense for them to scramble for the next-best iPhone alternative. As of now, the coolest touchscreen competitor in The States is the HTC Touch (and it’s CDMA brother, the HTC Vogue). And, it looks like Sprint wants in on the TouchFLO game. The CDMA Touch (again, the HTC Vogue) has been confirmed on the Sprint network as the appropriately named Sprint Touch.

As expected, the Sprint Touch will be rocking the same 400Mhz processor, 2.8 inch screen, quad-band GSM radio with EDGE, Bluetooth 2.0, WiFi, microSD slot, and 2 MP shooter as all the other “Touches” in the world.
But, Sprint has decided to make some proprietary changes to the TouchFLO interface. The TouchFLO cube will sacrifice one of it’s “faces” for a Sprint Software Store - weak. But, the improved keyboard and upgradeable EVDO (to Rev. A, naturally) helps even things out.

All you Sprint loyals keeping an eye out for this thing to drop had better stay tuned, we’ll keep you in the loop.
[Via: WM Experts]

Google and Sprint team-up on WiMAX For Mobile Web

Yesterday, Google and Sprint-Nextel announced that they are in the works of offering Internet search services via a web portal that the latter is developing for its WiMAX high-speed wireless service.


The latest partnership is by far the search giant’s closest alliance with a leading US mobile service provider. The new joint venture is anticipated to augment internet access over Sprint’s new network and enhance use of Google’s search and communications services on mobile devices.

“This seems to be a bigger deal than what [Google has] done in the past, more comprehensive,” observed Pacific Crest analyst Steve Weinstein, who expects wireless services to be a “very material driver” for Google by late 2008 and early 2009.

Even though Google has penned deals with overseas mobile providers, analysts claim it to be much behind Yahoo Inc. in the U.S. mobile Web market.

According to Google, wireless is a key to its growth and its strategy of selling Internet advertising.

The Mountain View, Calif., company is in the midst of a lobbying battle over rules governing an upcoming U.S. government auction of airwaves.

With this deal, Google becomes Sprint’s exclusive search provider for WiMAX service, maintained Sprint’s chief technology officer, Barry West. Adding, that the agreement should help raise Sprint’s image as a provider of wireless Web services.

“If you think of the Internet you automatically think of Google,” West said. “Obviously having a powerful partner on the Internet helps us become synonymous with the mobile Internet.”

Spring will be combining technology for discovering user location with the help of Google tools on devices running on a high-speed network Sprint was building based on WiMAX technology. The Google tools would be the ones such as email and chat

Though WiMAX offers Web access speeds five times faster than typical wireless networks, all the same it much slower than wired broadband.

This service would be free for access, and will earn its revenues through search-related advertising. Google and Sprint will share advertising revenue.

Sprint intends using the up-and-coming WiMAX technology to better compete with rival wireless and wired broadband networks.It plans to test the WiMAX service in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington by 2007-end, with a goal of achieving coverage for 100 million people by the end of 2008. The company is hoping that users will in due course use the service through WiMAX-embedded devices like laptops and cell phones.