Sprint announces Motorola SLVR L7c

As expected, Sprint has come forth today with their very own SLVR from Motorola, the L7c -- the latest in a barrage of popular Moto products conspicuously missing from Sprint's lineup until just very recently. The announcement is particularly notable for two reasons; first and foremost, Sprint's press release marks the first carrier introduction of the CDMA SLVR anywhere. The more interesting secondary story here, though, is that Sprint has finally beaten Verizon to the punch in announcing an anticipated handset -- music to the ears of Sprint customers that have watched their carrier sit idly by as their rival scoops hotness after hotness. Sprint hasn't yet announced pricing or availability for the L7c, but now that they've laid their... uh, SLVRs out on the table, we're thinking it won't be long now.

[Dave @ Nov 6th 2006 8:07PM]

Now all we need is the Samsung Carbon on Sprint.

[Alex @ Nov 6th 2006 8:30PM]

The reason Sprint has not had the "cool", "hotness" phones, mainly the newest Motorola phones is because Motorola did not make phones that worked on the Sprint PCS network. However, with Nextel's exclusive contract with Motorola it was only a matter of time before Motorola began making phones for the Sprint PCS network (their first Motorola launched in July C290)In addition, for years Sprint was viewed as the leader in "cool" phones. They have lacked in recent years due to not offering Motorola products which for the first time since the Startac in the '90's has had an extremely popular lineup.

Another key point, just because the phone looks cool, doesn't mean it is a good phone. Sprint also puts a lot more work into making certain the phone is a good value, and a quality functioning phone. Much like US Cellular, they are more interested in selling their customers high quality phones, versus selling them based on features.

[Jr. @ Nov 6th 2006 8:51PM]

Sorry Alex, that's bullshit. Motorola has made CDMA phones that worked perfectly on many other CDMA networks, and don't start with the BREW v. Java debate. Sprint simply decided to go it alone without Motorola, but when you're as connected as Moto and Nextel are, they found themselves depending upon Moto for the whole Nextel side of things.

Not to mention, when Sprint continues to add no customers each quarter after quarter, while Verizon and Cingular add millions, Sprint realized that it needed to offer phones that people wanted - Motorolas.

Sprint ate a lot of crow and realized that imitations of the RAZR (like the Samsung A900 and Sanyo Katana) at the end of the day were just that - imitations. And poor ones at that.

Needless to say, I'm very happy with my K1m and V3m. Had this not happened, I'd have left Sprint for T-Mobile recently. But thanks to retentions, I got them for nearly nothing.

Another key point, just because the phone looks cool, doesn't mean it is a good phone. Sprint also puts a lot more work into making certain the phone is a good value, and a quality functioning phone. Much like US Cellular, they are more interested in selling their customers high quality phones, versus selling them based on features.

[Alex @ Nov 6th 2006 8:31PM]

p.s. Samsung doesnt really make good phones that last, and their functionallity is horrible, so getting the Carbon doesn't really make sense. Sanyo is still your best bet for Sprint, they only make cell phones for Sprint, so they work better. The Katana for example is heads and tails above the Moto RAZR. The battery life, to the quality of the phone is much better.

[Jr. @ Nov 6th 2006 8:52PM]

Sorry Alex, but the rest of your comments are bullshit too.

The Sanyo Katana is complete crap. Other than the QVGA screen, there isn't any way that it comes close to the RAZR. I dumped the Katana for a RAZR, and the RAZR has PowerVision, offers better RF reception than the Katana, has ringtones that you can actually hear, and looks and feels a hell of a lot nicer. The Katana is nothing more than an old school Sanyo 8200 in a RAZR knockoff plastic package.

And as for Sprint's quality controls and making sure a phone is worth it? Bullshit. Sprint phones have been underpowered, cheaply made, and way overpriced. Compared to Verizon, Sprint has offered little that the public has wanted, and what it did offer we paid way too much for.

[Eric @ Nov 6th 2006 8:57PM]

Um alex,
I dont really think Nextel had anything to do with MOto making phones for Sprint. They just eventually got around to making phones for sprint, nobody else had exclusive contracts with Moto in that sense, verizon sure as hell didn't yet they got their phones. I understand the differences in Sprint and Verizon's technology, i just disagree with your opinion of nextel having anythign to do with Moto being this delinquent on putting out phones for sprint.

"They have lacked in recent years due to not offering Motorola products which for the first time since the Startac in the '90's has had an extremely popular lineup. "
That sentence makes no sense grammatically.

And what makes you think Sprint is the only company putting out high quality phones? The other carriers have all high quality phones as well...not really sure what you're talking about there.

And samsung phones are durable as hell, I've never gone wrong with Samsung. Sanyo is sure as hell not a "better" phone either and it's ridiculous for you to say so...well almost as ridiculous as you saying just because Sanyo only makes phones for sprint, that means Sanyo phones "work better" hahaha.

The katana is plastic with shitty call quality. Sure compare the newer katana with the old original razr and yes it beats it, but put it up against the v3i, and I dont think you're talking much of a landslide here. Screen is big with 262K colors vs your 64K, has expandable memory, runs Java apps much faster, way better speakerphone and just LOOKS and FEELS way better than the katana.

In short, dont state opinions disguised as facts please. It's really annoying, especially when you're wrong.

Thanks!

[Eric @ Nov 6th 2006 8:58PM]

*high fives JR*
So glad I wasn't the only one who was like "wtf"

[Alex @ Nov 6th 2006 9:24PM]

Is this amateur night on Engadget? I never said that Nextel had anything to do with Sprint having CDMA phones, I only said it only made sense to begin offering Motorola on the Sprint PCS network due to the Nextel Motorola relationship. JR. said " Sprint simply decided to go it alone without Motorola, but when you're as connected as Moto and Nextel are, they found themselves depending upon Moto for the whole Nextel side of things."- that wasn't me. Ask any Sprint employee who sells the phones day after day, everyone will tell you the coverage will be better with a Sanyo phone over any other manufacturer.

My information is not opinion, they are facts. Who are you? A consumer? Someone who doesn't really know anything that goes on within these companies or the products they sell? DO you scour the internet looking for facts on each phone that comes out, rush out to buy the newest phone because it makes you feel good about yourself and feel special? Again, I like Motorola phones, always have, but the RAZR is not a good product. But then again, I view phones differently that you may. I don't care about watching f******* tv on a 2-inch screen, they make tv's and other portable devices for that. I buy phones based on what they are meant to do first, make calls. My Katana is a quality phone, the speaker phone works perfect, the calls quality is great. I don't need it to check e-mail, thats what my Treo is for (but I guess that blows too right?). I will agree and say the volume buttons are weird, and sure it isn't metal and shiny. But who cares? The phone works great as a phone, and that is the main reason we buy them isn't it? jackass

[Jr. @ Nov 6th 2006 10:13PM]

Hate to break it to you Alex, but your "Sprint Employees" meaning the underpaid sales folk at Sprint and Radio Shack stores know shit about things like RF reception, or as you describe it, "everyone will tell you the coverage will be better with a Sanyo phone over any other manufacturer."

Get it straight - coverage has nothing to do with your phone - it's the actual towers, the terrain, etc. A phone's ability to get coverage is due to it's RF reception, and despite your claim that Sanyo is the "best", it's simply a misinformed opinion. Salesfolks said that because they really didn't have anything to offer except straight out of 1990s Sanyo designs. How many boring clamshells can Sanyo make? Tons!

My office is inside a hospital, built like a bomb shelter. My Katana COULD NOT pick up a signal from my office. My RAZR can! That is a fact, not an opinion. My A900 also picked up a signal inside the office, but not as well as the RAZR - so much for your Samsung makes crap comment. And the A900 blows the Katana out of the water as well.

You got ripped off on your Katana, but I guess you just can't see that. You must like the cheap plastic, the 65k screen, the lack of PowerVision, and QCP ringtones that sound like shit. Because it doesn't compare to the RAZR is any way.

As for your comments that the RAZR is crap - no, it's not. Motorola has sold more than 50 million RAZRs. Most of the problems have been with GSM models, thank you, not CDMA models.

And as for the "Is this amateur night on Engadget" comment - you appear to be the only amateur here. The rest of us actually know something besides what we're told by the sales lakey at Radio Shack.

[Alex @ Nov 6th 2006 9:28PM]

oh yeah- again, I was misquoted. I never said Sprint was the only carrier to offer high quality phones. They do tend to try and offer phones of higher quality, rather than phones based on features. That in no way implies that Sprint is the only carrier with "quality phones".

[Eric @ Nov 6th 2006 9:41PM]

"I never said that Nextel had anything to do with Sprint having CDMA phones"

Hmm did i say you did? Let's recap bitch:

" i just disagree with your opinion of nextel having anythign to do with Moto being this delinquent on putting out phones for sprint." -- Me.

And Jr said:
"Sorry Alex, that's bullshit. Motorola has made CDMA phones that worked perfectly on many other CDMA networks,"-Jr

Because YOU said:
"The reason Sprint has not had the "cool", "hotness" phones, mainly the newest Motorola phones is because Motorola did not make phones that worked on the Sprint PCS network."--Your dumbass.

thx.

Instead of talking to dipshit Sprint employees, I talk to Sprint customers who will beg to differ on your retardedly lofted view of Sanyo's phone QUALITY.

Um if you dont care about multifunctions within a phone why are you getting a katana, stupidshit. Go get a Sanyo 3100. Oh wait it's ugly as fuck and is a piece of shit. Now the A640, there's a quality phone, looks good, awesome reception, great form factor. OH wait it's Samsung.

Just stop posting alex, you're a dipshit who has already lost before you even get a chance to get defensive. Just....STOP...posting.

[Eric @ Nov 6th 2006 9:43PM]

Yea i did misquote you. A thousand apologies, shithead :)

[Jamar @ Nov 7th 2006 1:50AM]

Sanyo produces phones "straight out of the 1990s"? Not really- look at their Japanese selection ( http://www.au.kddi.com/english/product/index.html and the Sanyos have model numbers ending in SA)- they just don't like the US as much as they like Japan. If their Japanese product lineup came out in the US, you'll change your mind, I'm sure. I live somewhere where I can actually get the Japanese lineup, though.

[Jamar @ Nov 7th 2006 1:50AM]

Sanyo produces phones "straight out of the 1990s"? Not really- look at their Japanese selection ( http://www.au.kddi.com/english/product/index.html and the Sanyos have model numbers ending in SA)- they just don't like the US as much as they like Japan. If their Japanese product lineup came out in the US, you'll change your mind, I'm sure. I live somewhere where I can actually get the Japanese lineup, though.

[Jr. @ Nov 6th 2006 10:17PM]

And no, the Treo doesn't suck (hopefully you mean the 700p). But you are too stupid to own one. Please return it to Sprint, dumbass.

[Darrell @ Nov 6th 2006 10:20PM]

Its cool that Sprint is carrying Motorola's popular phones. I know a lot of people who switched to other networks because of it and were eventually disappointed by their Moto's. When I told them that their phones are now on the Sprint network, they almost pissed themselves. haha, it doesn't matter to me though. My Toshiba is still running strong and the only way I see myself upgrading is when the Moto Q joins the Sprint network

[Jr. @ Nov 6th 2006 10:24PM]

Agreed - I cannot wait to get my hands on a shiny new black Q. And hopefully, the rumors of upgrades from the Verizon version (a la 700wx) are true. And hopefully, we'll see it before Q1.

[Alex @ Nov 6th 2006 10:31PM]

moto q was originally scheduled to launch this month; however it is now planned to launch in January, 07- but Sprint may try to push it out before christmas to boost sales. motorola is adding a longer life battery for Sprint launch and the OS should be stable.

[Jr. @ Nov 6th 2006 10:46PM]

Again, you're full of shit, Alex. According to internal Motorola documents, it's been scheduled for a Q1 launch for months. And as for the "stable OS", which OS are you claiming Sprint's Q will have?

[BobbyDigital @ Nov 6th 2006 10:42PM]

dudes... you're taking this a little too far... chiiillll...

[Chris @ Dec 21st 2006 7:04AM]

Actually, Sprint carries very crappy phones. The only reason I am still with them is because the rest of my family is on Sprint. I am actually considering jumping to cingular soon due to the simple fact that Sprint continues to just offer these crappy flip phones. They need to understand about Variety. Not everyone wants a crappy phone that has no features and is a flip phone. I hate flip phones and prefer the candy bar or slide style phones better. On top of that Sprint phones in general don't offer as many features as other carriers. Also when they do get a decent phone such as the T608 was going to be they hack the crap out of it to restrict it down in quality and functionality that it turns out being just like all their other phones... crap. I am also thinking of going to Cingular simply to get on the GSM network because with a GSM phone all your information is on a sim card that you can move to another phone easily without having to deal with the sprint store. Also all the newest phones coming out of Japan are GSM so that is why the other carriers such as Cingular and T-mobile get all the cool phones first. The US is the only country that is using the CDMA network. UK and Asia are mostly GSM networks.

[A.J. @ Nov 6th 2006 11:02PM]

Holy flame war Batman!

As one of those "low paid sales associates" let me throw in my two cents.

I work for a third-party dealer that handles Sprint and T-Mobile in Central NJ. I've been averaging 40 activations a month for each carrier but that should be picking up in the upcomming holiday season. I've been working there a year so far, I've got a field sample of (ballparking...) 500 activations on Sprint to pull my "anecdotes" on.

First off: The C290 on Sprint is utter crap. I can't get rid of the damn things. It's ugly, clunky, gets shit reception in this area and good luck finding third party accessories for it. The only plus to this phone is the updated Motorola UI. It's nice to use. If it has service.

Samsungs are hit and miss on any carrier. Some of them are very nice (CDMA: A900, A920, A640, GSM: T619, T629, T519). These phones get excellent reception. Then... there are ones that aren't so nice. (CDMA: A580, A560, GSM: X475, T209, T319, E635, D500)

Sanyo: Yes their designs aren't top notch. Nokias were utilitarian bricks for a while but they did everything RIGHT. Then once they got it right THEN the Nokia style you see today came into play. Sanyo, same thing. Yeah, the Katana. Oooh it's not metal. Oooh it's got a 64k screen. Oooh it doesn't have Power Vision. It's a bit thicker than the V3. It can take a drop quite well. The 3100 might not be the best looking phone in the world, but it works. And it's cheap. I offer the 3100 for free and the Katana for free after rebate. You know how many Sprint activations I've done where Power Vision on a phone was a clincher? I can count that on one hand off the top of my head, but I'l be generous and say two hands. Out of 500. Most people don't watch TV on their cell phones. Only person I've seen that does regularly? My coworker. And only because he has a Sanyo 7500 on an employee plan thats pretty much 1000 minutes and unlimited text, Power Vision, etc for like $5 a month. If he had to pay the $25 a month for the PV he wouldn't. Saying that a phone is shit because it doesn't have Power Vision is kinda...stupid. Just because you think of that as a plus doesn't mean everyone does. 95% of my activations this last year haven't given a damn. You have a need for it, by all means. Get it. But don't shit on the Katana cause it doesn't have it. Or it's screen doesn't show as many colors. More colors doesn't mean jack when you're making a phone call. And if I used that as a selling point most people would look at me like a dog that was just shown a card trick. My boss went from a Samsung D900 (Carbon, call it whatever you want) to a Nokia 1100 cause he wanted reception and battery life. Sometimes the newest whizbang features don't mean a thing when all you want is phone calls and text messages.

I've had customers from southern NJ to up near NYC, and all of them... if they have a problem with service on a phone they get, I give them the Sanyo counterpart for it and they don't have a problem. My best friend has a stretch of property on Deer Isle, Maine. AKA: Middle of nowhere. Only two services work out in this area and barely so. US Cellular (a local carrier that uses CDMA) and Sprint. And even with either of those, there was one HILL in town where the service worked. And it only worked with one brand of phone. Sanyo. There has only been one phone that wasn't a Sanyo that gets service there and that's my friend's new A900. So yay Samsung. In most parts though, the Sanyos will still beat the A900.

Oh and another little anticdote. When it rains here... Sprint service goes to shit. If its raining out, my Nokia 6131 on T-Mobile will go from "Giving my coworker's Sanyo 7500 a run for its money" to "Kicking the fark out of it"

And yeah, the Nextel connection definately led to Moto making Sprint phones again... but also, there haven't been many phones worth having on CDMA from them until the last year or so.

But hey, what do I know. I'm only one of those "low paid cell phone salesmen." (And I'm far from low paid.)

[Eric @ Nov 6th 2006 11:25PM]

*cough* underpaid *cough*
Haha just kidding. Thanks for the input AJ.

[john @ Nov 7th 2006 1:02AM]

i'm about 97% sure you guys have never felt a woman's touch.

[Alex @ Nov 7th 2006 10:02AM]

Is that supposed to be some crack concerning my sexuality John? Are you telling me that just because I prefer the touch of a man I'm somehow inferior?

[Wilson @ Nov 7th 2006 10:31AM]

C'mon now. If we wanted to hear demeaning insults and personal attacks we would be spending time with our girlfriends, wives and children...not lingering on a geek site. And most importantly, John has my nomination for comment of the year with his subtle, yet effective "i'm about 97% sure you guys have never felt a woman's touch." Bravo.

[Joe @ Nov 9th 2006 12:48PM]

So my take on all this rather shrill diatribe is that all phones are pretty much the same and you need to be near a cell tower to get good service. I guess Captain Obvious is alive and well.

[Kylie @ Nov 9th 2006 7:40PM]

Does anyone know if/when Verizon plans to sell the SLVR?

[G8rAgt @ Nov 10th 2006 2:10AM]

Not sure if anyone's posted yet, but the SLVR hits Sprint this weekend - it's launching in at least one major retailer on Sunday, along with the red RAZR. =o)