Sprint's Q4 lineup: Rumor, Centro, Touch, and Pearl 8130

What started as a trickle of unofficially official shots from Sprint's Q4 pipeline has suddenly become a deluge. Check the LG Rumor, Touch (aka, Vogue), and Blackberry Pearl 8130 all dressed up with Sprint logos and sales-goon positioning points for a Q4 launch. We already saw Palm's Centro, OQO Model 02, LG Rumor and Touch yucking it up in the wild this morning but this is the first time we've seen the 8130 in Sprint, not Verizon attire. The 8130 sports a GPS receiver but no WiFi like we saw in those RIM slides last month yet still packs all the rest of the EV-DO niceties you'd expect. The Touch is EV-DO revision A upgradeable like we heard while the LG Rumor does its QWERTY thing for the non-Pro crowd. See for yourself in the gallery below.

Gallery: Sprint's Q4 lineup: Rumor, Centro, Touch, and Pearl 8130

• 
• 
• 
• 

[Thanks, Stephen]

[Nick Catalano @ Sep 11th 2007 8:33AM]

I wish Sprint would have these models in-store for demo. I have only had an opportunity to see the Pearl on other networks and I am worried about the other models. They look nice, but I don't know... until I try it I'm going to stick with my A920 and teather it via bluetooth for EVDO modem use.

BTW, are these using the new EVDO revision?

[Nick Catalano @ Sep 11th 2007 8:50AM]

They updated the post... it is EVDO Rev A upgradeable... too bad no WiFi with BB, but the EVDO Rev A will make up for that...

[Mrmean @ Sep 11th 2007 8:39AM]

LOL @ Sprint... seriously...

[Bevon Findley @ Sep 11th 2007 8:43AM]

The always look good on paper lol.

[bob e @ Sep 11th 2007 8:45AM]

hehe,

i want that HTC Touch !

[nikster @ Sep 11th 2007 9:39AM]

I wanted it too.. until I touched it... just wait until you pressed one of those slick touch-buttons and get to the actual app which is a normal e.g. horrific WinMobile app with tiny UI items that require a stylus to operate.

Props for the slick form factor, but doesn't make WinMob any better.

[MasterCKO @ Sep 11th 2007 1:42PM]

@nikster:

I can see where you're coming from, but I don't know, dude. I've never really had a problem selecting what I want on the screen with nigh 100% accuracy using just my finger (my big, fat thumb actually). I don't have to be ginger about it either. I'm just dextrous, I guess -- I thank the years of video gaming for the hand-eye coordination ;^).

Also, I found an amazingly good (and free) contact list replacement called PocketCM (www.pocketcm.com).

Oh, btw, "e.g." means "for example", I think you wanted to say "i.e." (which means "in other words").

[Richard Lai @ Sep 11th 2007 11:35PM]

I'd like to get the Touch but only if Microsoft and co. can develop more Touch-orientated programs (photo browser, contact list, web browser, games etc.).

Please don't let it be another Zune-wifi incident i.e. USE THE DAMN DEATURE!

[F @ Sep 11th 2007 8:54AM]

Sounds like they're talking about Bruce and Demi's kids, instead of a bunch of phones.

[Timmy @ Sep 11th 2007 11:14AM]

Excellent sir!

[xxdesmus @ Sep 11th 2007 8:56AM]

The Touch is so sexy. Can Sprint phones be used on Verizon's network? For some reason I thought the two of them were compatible...

[Mike @ Sep 11th 2007 9:07AM]

Technically they are compatible, but you'll have a tough time unlocking the phone and an even harder time getting Verizon or Sprint to activate the phone from the other carrier. From what I read a few years ago when the 6700 came out, both carriers stopped doing this and will only activate phones purchased for their networks.

[xxdesmus @ Sep 11th 2007 9:28AM]

Well that sucks, but thank you for the quick reply.

[Nick Catalano @ Sep 11th 2007 9:44AM]

They are compatable... yes... can you use an unlocked / off contract phone on the other carrier.. yes... can you use any data services/add apps/etc while on the other carrier... almost definitely no

[apeguero @ Sep 11th 2007 12:01PM]

The HTC Touch is really tiny also. My co-worker has one and it's pretty nice. It's also a bit underpowered though.

[FermitTheKrog @ Sep 11th 2007 9:10AM]

A rumor about a phone called The Rumor. My head asplode.

[Andir3.0 @ Sep 11th 2007 11:52AM]

When I found out the Rumor is nothing like the enV as some sites suggested, I ended up canceling my Sprint account and subbing on Verizon. It's too bad Sprint has always had crap for phone selection. They've been good for service to me. (besides the hardware selection that is)

[Jake @ Sep 11th 2007 9:35AM]

Has there been any word on whether Verizon will be getting the Vogue? I can't imagine that HTC would give Sprint the exclusive on that phone, given much greater subscriber base that Verizon has. But I can't find any mention of it going to Verizon, and it's not on the "leaked roadmap" over at Engadgetmobile.

Anybody?

[MasterCKO @ Sep 11th 2007 1:45PM]

HTC actually tends to give Sprint exclusives (or at least timed exclusives) on its CDMA phones over VZW. Cases in Point: 6700, 6800.

[jimmyfinch @ Sep 11th 2007 9:21PM]

hells yea 6700, I'm still rockin mine!

[BK @ Sep 11th 2007 10:03AM]

Does anyone know if Palm still has 800w up it's sleeve? I thought Gandalph would be the inherit this model number until Engadget told us yesterday it's going to sport the 500w model number.

[nastee nate @ Sep 11th 2007 10:23AM]

when exactly is Q4? i'm with verizon right now and wanted to get on a family plan with sprint.... but they're phones suck! i really like that LG Rumor though. so when should i expect these to show up in stores?

[tartis @ Sep 11th 2007 12:30PM]

Q4=Fourth Quarter 2007

[Tim T. @ Sep 11th 2007 11:58AM]

Q4 is the 4th quarter of the year.

Q1: January-March
Q2: April-June
Q3: July-September
Q4: October-December

This may be different when talking about accounting purposes, but the above is what I took away from it, so expect these in the next 1-3 months!

[Nikoooo @ Sep 11th 2007 11:30AM]

None of these have wifi, right? Is Sprint really calcified/ossified like David Pogue suggested?

[MasterCKO @ Sep 11th 2007 1:46PM]

The Touch will probably have WiFi

[boston @ Sep 11th 2007 11:36AM]

(bangs head) why no WiFi on the pearl!?!?!?!!?

[John @ Sep 11th 2007 12:50PM]

Is it me or the same marketing department from Apple has expanded their business to other companies. This Black background with a translucent reflection is getting REALLY OLD!

[Johan S @ Sep 11th 2007 1:11PM]

Non of the above phones inspire me. It's pretty obvious non of the manufacturers "get" what makes a good phone.

Best phone available in Q4 will still be the iPhone
A distant second best phone is the Motorola RAZR 2 -- which is really a $50 phone ..since it's only useful for SMS & phone not web.

To compete with the iPhone they need to top the iPhone's screen resolution (bump up to at least 800 px width). Add video conferencing/live video share. And GPS.

Otherwise don't even bother .. just cost under $40 and have SMS and phone capability.

[Jeff Foster @ Sep 11th 2007 1:51PM]

**YAWN**

...and i'm a long time (7 year) Sprint loyalist. I'm still on sprint, and plan to stay here, regardless of how appealing the iPhone may be.

It's just too bad Sprint's phone lineup is so freakin' boring. Come on now. When is the "iPhone Killer" going to be announced? (no doubt we'll see a string of one after another being outed as the iPhone killer, eventually.)

[MasterCKO @ Sep 11th 2007 2:21PM]

Guys, if you want something that is a direct response to the iPhone, you have a wait on your hands. R&D for a device of the complexity required to really compete with or "kill" the iPhone takes a LONG time.

It's exactly the same reason that people who call certain Samsungs or HTC's "iPhone-ripoffs" are talking out of their rear-ends. There is no way a company could bring that kind of device to market so soon. It would need to have been in the works for a long time.

I'm not trying to give excuses for Sprint's lineup (though, I actually think that the the Sprint lineup of today is much better relative to the market as a whole than it was 5 yrs ago). I also think that the success of the iPhone will end up expediting changes that were already taking place in the market (which Apple kind of smashed to the forefront). However, the it's still going to take a little while for that change to really appear.

[Goldilocks @ Sep 11th 2007 2:29PM]

I do so wish that Cingular/ATT would release more slide phones, that RUMOR looks nice, except I hate the name.

[igotissues31 @ Sep 11th 2007 3:27PM]

More like Cextro, I can't wait to check it out.

[Daran @ Sep 11th 2007 4:41PM]

I love Sprint so much (I've got my CERO 50$ plan =]) and I can't wait for the Centro.
If it turns out the Touch is better though, i'm definatley going to get that. The Rumor looks hot too... hopefully the processors on all these phones can handle Windows Mobile, the Q was terrible.

[Josh @ Sep 11th 2007 6:05PM]

Iterating once again how backward and behind sprints phone options are. I use sprint and i most definitely hate it, just not as much as i hated AT&T and Verizon.

[Jonathan @ Sep 11th 2007 6:11PM]

jesus man sprint!!! when are you coming out with some nice phones that lineup is boooooooooriingg

[neodorian @ Sep 12th 2007 2:22PM]

My Sprint contract isn't up for renewal until February, but it looks like I'm still getting the Mogul if these are the new releases. The only thing that might change that is if Google's offering turns out to be really nice. If the Google phone is similar to the HTC PPCs but cheaper due to Google's involvement, then I might consider it. If it's more like a Treo or Blackberry, I'll probably stick with the Mogul.

[chris @ Sep 12th 2007 9:05PM]

This would be sweet i have always wanted a perl Now that sprint is get it i dont have to drop my service.

[Jack @ Sep 13th 2007 3:21PM]

I've been happy with my Mogul, so I'll stay with it. And HTC is much quicker at releasing ROM's than Palm. I waited over a year for the update to my Treo 700p from Palm, which addressed several MAJOR issues. HTC has already had one ROM update, and they are scheduled to release another in the next couple of weeks to fix some present issues. That is a good response by comparison for sure.

[JENNIFER @ Oct 14th 2007 1:00AM]

Is it true that you can use an unlocked Verizon phone with Sprint?? I have heard that you can, but wanted to make sure. Thanks

[JENNIFER @ Oct 18th 2007 1:20AM]

Is it true that you can use an unlocked Verizon phone with Sprint?? I heard that you can, but wanted to make sure. Thanks