Sprint pulls iDEN handsets from retail, continues to sunset legacy Nextel network

Posted on 06/06/2012 by Joseph Volpe

With only one year to go before iDEN bites the big one, Sprint's making sure subscribers steer clear of devices that run on the legacy service. The aging tech, famous for its walkie talkie-like feature, is now one foot solidly in the grave as the carrier's removed all compatible handsets from its lineup, as well as subsidiary Boost Mobile's. That those particular phones and accompanying network have reached a grand EOL status should come as no surprise -- the operator's been quite public about plans to shift existing push-to-talk subs to its newer CDMA-based DirectConnect service and clear up spectrum for a planned LTE rollout. Clearly, Hesse and co. have seen the future and they're no longer content to play catch up with handicapped smartphones.

Sprint pulls iDEN handsets from retail, continues to sunset legacy Nextel network originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera Rise ascends to heights of FCC acceptance

Posted on 06/06/2012 by Brad Molen

Kyocera and the FCC have become buddies lately. A couple weeks ago the waterproof Hydro got the go-ahead for United States use, and today we witnessed its brother, the QWERTY slider known as the Rise, make it through the government's hallowed halls. While it doesn't give us any information as to the phone's destination or any additional specs, we at least know it's one step closer to possibly getting some play time on a CDMA carrier's shelves. As a refresher, the Rise (also known as the C5155) features a Qualcomm MSM8655 SoC with a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch 480 x 320 IPS LCD panel, a 3.2-megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1,500 mAh battery. Oh, and a lightly-skinned version of Android 4.0. Hopefully we'll see this show up on a prepaid lineup near you sometime this summer, but we'll keep you posted as we hear more.

Kyocera Rise ascends to heights of FCC acceptance originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virgin Mobile may be next up for pay-as-you-go iPhone parade on July 1st

Posted on 05/06/2012 by Jon Fingas

It might be that Cricket's iPhone deal is just the tip of the prepaid iceberg: insiders reportedly say that Sprint's pay-as-you-go brand Virgin Mobile will be taking the Apple plunge as well. Details of what it will cost are still very much unknown, although we'd look to Cricket's $500 unsubsidized iPhone 4S and $35 monthly plan as strong clues. If the WSJ's connections are accurate, though, we could see a Virgin iPhone for the US as soon as its northern neighbor Canada blows out the birthday candles, on July 1st. At this rate, the only American carrier of any kind without an iPhone will be T-Mobile, and it's clear that this glaring exception is eager to hop onboard.

Virgin Mobile may be next up for pay-as-you-go iPhone parade on July 1st originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint sets a best-before date for iDEN push-to-talk: June 30th, 2013

Posted on 29/05/2012 by Jon Fingas

Amidst all of Sprint's eagerness to phase out its iDEN network, the carrier hasn't given us a hard cutoff date to mark on our calendars until now. If you're still rocking that Motorola Titanium, you may have to drop your Nextel push-to-talk dreams as soon as June 30th, 2013, the earliest possible date Sprint says it could shut down the legacy service. Government customers will be getting a friendly paper reminder on June 1st of this year to make sure they're using CDMA Direct Connect phones like the Admiral well in advance. The switch-off will mark the end to a long and troubled chapter in the Sprint Nextel era, but if it helps bring about 800MHz LTE sooner, we're all for it.

Continue reading Sprint sets a best-before date for iDEN push-to-talk: June 30th, 2013

Sprint sets a best-before date for iDEN push-to-talk: June 30th, 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kyocera Hydro bares all for the FCC

Posted on 23/05/2012 by Joseph Volpe

What's a spankin' new Android phone to do hot off its CTIA 2012 debut? Why, stop by the FCC for an inside-out coming out party. The Kyocera-crafted handset outlined in the docs looks to be the recently unveiled Hydro, as the device's model number -- C5170 -- matches that of the unit we got hands-on with in New Orleans. The filings don't spill much of the middleweight mobile's guts, but we were able to discern radios for CDMA 1900MHz, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth, as well as the existence of a 1,500mAh battery. We're still in the dark as to where this waterproofed, ICS-laden phone'll end up, but if our magic 8-ball's any indication, all signs point knowingly to Sprint. Hit up the source below to rifle through the RF tests for yourself.

Kyocera Hydro bares all for the FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 04:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint Galaxy Nexus review

Posted on 10/05/2012 by Terrence O'Brien

Third time's a charm...
Three's a crowd...
She's once, twice, three times a ~~lady~~ Nexus...
Three's a magic number...
Good things come in threes... or is that sneezes?
Okay, so maybe there isn't anything clever we can say to get you hooked, but do we really need to lure you in at this point? The Galaxy Nexus is, arguably, not only one of the best Android phones on the market, but one of the best phones, period. So, there's no reason to expect the Sprint variant ($199 on contract) would be anything short of incredible. Still, there's only one way to find out. Follow along after the break as we put the newest member of the Nexus family through its paces and see how it stacks up against its Verizon and unlocked siblings.

Gallery: Samsung Galaxy Nexus for Sprint review

Continue reading Sprint Galaxy Nexus review

Sprint Galaxy Nexus review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 May 2012 10:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint confirms Direct Connect Now, will offer Push-to-Talk services via smartphone app

Posted on 09/05/2012 by Brad Molen

Sprint's been rather quiet at this year's CTIA Wireless in New Orleans, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been sitting around without making any sort of noise. This morning, the Now Network let the cat out of the bag about Direct Connect Now, which is a service that will allow any regular smartphone user the opportunity to use the company's push-to-talk services in very similar fashion to devices that come with PTT already built into the hardware. How is this made possible? Simply put, there's an app for that -- or at least, there will be one coming to Google Play at an unspecified time in the not-too-distant future. This doesn't mean Sprint is giving up on hardware-based Direct Connect devices: new models will continue to be released going forward, but more smartphone users will at least have an opportunity to take advantage of the services in one way or another. More info as we receive it.

Sprint confirms Direct Connect Now, will offer Push-to-Talk services via smartphone app originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE user guide slips out, tells you what you already know

Posted on 08/05/2012 by Darren Murph

Whether or not Sprint's version of HTC's One X is indeed shipping on May 18th remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: it'll almost definitely hit store shelves prior to Sprint's LTE network going live. Following the Galaxy Nexus' footsteps in that regard, the EVO 4G LTE seems to have no shame in its game, and the 219 page user manual has floated out for those interested in getting a head start on understanding their future superphone. The PDF's linked in the source for your perusal, but don't go digging for any of life's secrets. Well, there is a section on Private Browsing, but you know....

Sprint HTC EVO 4G LTE user guide slips out, tells you what you already know originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 19:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on with Kyocera Rise, an Android 4.0 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard (video)

Posted on 08/05/2012 by Zachary Lutz

Kyocera is looking to regain a foothold in the US smartphone market, and curiously enough, it's doing so by catering to niche audiences. First we saw the Hydro, a waterproof handset, and alongside it is the Rise, which features a sliding QWERTY keyboard. Both phones are built for CDMA networks, although Kyocera has yet to announce carrier availability for either.

Spec-wise, the Rise is very similar to the Hydro, and this extends to the OS. In our brief time with the phone, we were treated to a largely vanilla interpretation of Ice Cream Sandwich, which makes the Rise a bit of a rare breed in the QWERTY world -- hopefully its future carrier doesn't dictate huge alterations. The phone features a Qualcomm MSM8655 SoC with a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 IPS LCD display, a 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1,500 mAh battery. When compared to other QWERTY sliders, the handset itself is rather compact and fit nicely in our hand. We were similarly quite fond of the sliding mechanism on the Rise, which felt natural and provided just enough resistance. The four-row keyboard is altogether forgettable, but it should serve those who insist upon physical keys just fine. Our biggest gripe about the Rise, however, is its low-res display, which seems like quite a misstep -- even for a budget device.

In terms of storage, you'll find 512MB of RAM, 2GB built-in and a 2GB microSD card. The Rise also features 802.11n (WiFi), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and EV-DO Rev. A. It's safe to say that Kyocera is targeting budget audiences with the Rise, but the strategy may work to its advantage if other carriers fail to keep their QWERTY sliders up-to-date with the latest version of Android. You'll find our hands-on video after the break.

Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report

Gallery: Kyocera Rise hands-on

Continue reading Hands-on with Kyocera Rise, an Android 4.0 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard (video)

Hands-on with Kyocera Rise, an Android 4.0 smartphone with a QWERTY keyboard (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 07:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hands-on with Kyocera Hydro, a waterproof Android 4.0 smartphone (video)

Posted on 08/05/2012 by Zachary Lutz

It's been a while since we've seen a Kyocera smartphone for the US market, and if you'll recall, its previous two attempts -- the Milano and Echo -- didn't manage to sway many consumers. Today, the company is adding two new Android handsets to the deck: the Hydro and Rise. True to its name, the Hydro plays off of Kyocera's experience in the waterproof segment, and while it's not mil-spec, the phone's able to withstand submersion at depths of up to one meter for a half-hour. The Hydro is a CDMA handset, although Kyocera is keeping the carrier close to its chest.

The Hydro will ship with Ice Cream Sandwich, and we're pleased to report that the interface is largely unmolested, save for Kyocera's app to conserve battery life -- whether the carrier dictates future changes remains to be seen. Beyond the OS and the waterproof aspect, however, it's rather humdrum in the spec department. It features a Qualcomm MSM8655 SoC with a 1GHz CPU, a 3.5-inch, 480 x 320 display, a 3.2 megapixel camera with LED flash and a 1,500 mAh battery. Because the screen is an IPS LCD, the quality is definitely a step-above your run-of-the-mill TFT-LCD mainstays, although it's hard to ignore the low-res image quality. The Hydro also offers 512MB of RAM, 2GB of built-in storage and a 2GB microSD card. In terms of connectivity, you'll find 802.11n (WiFi), Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and EV-DO Rev. A. The handset itself is comfortable to hold, though its plasticky build materials reinforce the fact that it's a low-end handset. While the Hydro doesn't blaze any new trails, it may very well be suitable for those on a budget who'd like a phone that can handle life's accidents. Follow the break for our hands-on video.

Terrence O'Brien contributed to this report

Gallery: Kyocera Hydro hands-on