Sprint's 2009 roadmap comes to light, packed with goodies
By Chris Ziegler 
posted Mar 16th 2009 3:46PM
posted Mar 16th 2009 3:46PM
Things are getting interesting down in the dumbphone realm, too, with both the Instinct Mini and a true Instinct successor -- the Dash with an HVGA display -- in the pipe. The Sanyo 2700, dual-slide Samsung Cello, and the Samsung Chianti (which looks suspiciously like a Propel) will all follow the Rumor 2 down the text-centric path, and a handful of new ultra-basic devices will fill in the bottom of the range. For data, Sprint will be launching Novatel's totally awesome MiFi portable hotspot, which warms our hearts. What doesn't warm our hearts is the utter void of Android devices here -- but we can hold out hope, and as always, all of this is subject to change. Stay tuned!
[Via Boy Genius Report]
Anyone else think the pre is going to come out exactly 2 years after the first iphone did. June 28th i believe it was.
Geez, now in Q2 of 2009 for the Pre??? I have a dieing razr that is in need of a replacement ASAP and can't wait any longer for the pre. Decisions, decisions.
It always WAS scheduled for Q2...
First it was Jan, then Feb, then march. Didn't know those 3 months were in Q2?
That was the Treo PRO that was delayed from Jan to Feb then March. Not the PRE.
@ MrWiggles
Rumor /= Fact
If you've been reading engadget at all you'd know that it's ALWAYS been first half of 09, which included Q1 and Q2.
Any other dates mentioned have simply been speculation / misinformation and confusion with the Treo Pro.
Do a search for pre on engadget and you'd see that you're simply incorrect about your proposed dates.
/end of discussion
I got me some rhodium bucks. Free me from my slow ass mogul.
It was announced in January as PRE BETA (lolol pun), which ruled out January for release. Probably the same with February. and if they'd been confident about March, they'd have said Q1. Instead the said H2, and not only do they have plenty of time left, they've been releasing more and more information and even some hands ons, keeping it out of vapourware status,
To good to be true
I noticed in the Rhodium page it says windows 7 under the OS/UI for the phone. Is it possible it will be windows mobile 7?
Doubtful. If Windows Mobile 7 was coming out by Q3 '09, Microsoft would have been promoting that at MWC instead of 6.5. It will probably ship with 6.1, with a free upgrade to 6.5
It is quite possible that it is Windows 7... I love Sprint!!
GSM/CDMA... how is that going to work?
probally is a world phone u use the gsm to roam around the world
World phone, you genius.
Sprint uses CDMA in US (of course)
Can use GSM network in other countries
Has to be either:
- a) on a GSM network w/ Sprint Contracts (not US, Europe likely)
- b) unlocked by Sprint to use with other GSM networks (probably Asia)
Should be similar to how Verizon's BlackBerry Storm is implemented (also GSM+CDMA)
- that being said, there are Storm hacks for AT&T/T-Mobile usage (GSM only, no 3G UTMS)
Throwing the proverbial hat in the ring.
Still waiting for QCHAT PTT on a Windows Mobile phone......
It's called "walkie-talkie" mode. "Push to talk" is the instruction on the microphone button, not the name of a "technology".
@Information Central - Keep your pointless comments to yourself. Next time you insist on going on the internet trying to find someone to correct, why don't you actually find something wrong.
i noticed the the iPhone is absent from the little pretty chart there!
AHAHAHAHAH!!!!!
So all you losers still on sprint stop asking those stupid noob questions "when is the iPhone coming"? or "i heard some bloke hacked the iPhone to work on CDMA is it true?"
Look fanboy, us Sprint users do not need the locked down iPhone anymore. We have the Pre coming.
And if you apple fan boys do get Copy & Paste with the new OS update... You can thank the PRE for that! Competition will give Apple incentive to add features to the iPhone, that they would not be adding otherwise.
And best of all the PRE does not require any fancy software on your computer to put pics, music, or vids on it.
IGoon, please, the IPhone isnt a Smartphone anymore than a stripper is a professional dancer. Go look up on the featuresets of some of the older offerings, and you'll see. The IPhone is just a really awesome dumbphone. Thats like calling the Razr a smartphone, lol
Did a phone call interrupt your game of iStroke?
Not to mention that the pre actually has true multi-tasking.
@TravisJohn since when is iTunes "fancy"? bloatware, imo.
GTFOH iTard!
iTunes is bloat ware because it is a MASSIVE app to put music onto an iPod. Napster is an online music store, and it takes up less hard drive space than iTunes does. (The fact that iTunes offers vids really has little to do with it)
QT (That iTunes requires) has gotten MASSIVE! QT Alternative is MUCH smaller, yet I can play ALL QT content (Even HD content) without problems.
For an iPhone you HAVE to have iTunes to put music and vids on it from a computer.
The Pre connects to a computer as a Mass Storage Device. So even LINUX users can connect the PRE to their computers. There are no driver issues, no software issues, when a new OS comes out you do not have to worry about getting an update to the transfer software.
Guy, we don't need this idiotic "smartphone" moniker. It has been nothing more than an excuse for vendors to peddle failed, incompetent designs. If you ask a vendor why a 32 MB (or more) phone doesn't store to-do lists, memos, or goddamned ADDRESSES in the contacts; they'll try to deflect the question with, "Oh, you need a smartphone for that."
BULLCRAP. An 8 MB Handspring Visor did all of this years and years ago with ease.
Who the hell has been clamoring for Sprint to get the iPhone? You sir, are a bit delusional.
looks like the my current 8703 will be in use for a little longer than expected
Love how they wrapped up the Pre in some stylish little wrapping paper. We know what youre hiding under there Sprint. Do us a little favor and let us have a sneek-peak into what the final production versions gonna look like. Knowing sprint, their probably gonna douse the whole UI with some Black and yellow. Don't mind that, but let's hope this bad boys comes with Expandable memory [microSD]. I know the concept didn't have expandable memory but we can always dream...
Do u guys know if Colorware's gonna post this as a new product when it hit shelves?
Gotta get me my own UNIQUE Pre
LAKERS in '09
no htc topaz :(
Where's the Android phone?
Did you check Uranus?
Where is the Diamond2???
Seconded! I am looking forward to the Diamond2 more than the rest.
Isn't that by HTC, the company that ships phones that play music but have no headphone jack?
@Information Central
They also include A2DP, so no need for a headphone jack.
I just heard from my Sprint Corporate Rep that the Pre is now set for a June release.
Exactly friends bro owns a sprint store,...exactly. He ebelieves sprint might do mandatory $99 plan for 2 years and $350 after rebates
$350 after rebates and $100/month? That's approaching AT&T prices. I doubt Sprint will get too many iPhone converts at those prices.
I'll stick to my $200 Diamond(2?) and $70 SERO.
So is anyone here Sprint Premier Customers? I got my thing in the mail and it was talking about free upgrades every year. So does that mean I can upgrade to the Pre after only having my instinct for a year?
Again, shank is too ignorant to realize that while the Pre might possibly force you to switch to an Everything Data plan, there are other plans than the $99 Simply Everything plan.
There's the 450 anytime minute (unlimited nights and weekends start at 7) and unlimited GPS, data, texts, MMS for $69, and the 900 anytime minute everything else unlimited for $90.
It's true, Sprint may force you to get an Everything plan, but that does NOT mean that you don't have options (which are all cheaper than the equivalent AT&T or Verizon plans). The only people who would be affected negatively by this are on SERO plans, which are looking likely to not be supported.
Shank, are you getting paid to say that? I see you posting that in many threads and it's flat-out not true. They will likely use the new devices to get people on the new plan system but there is no way they are making anyone pick the $100 plan. The goal is to get people who are on SERO (or people like me who have the old cheap $15/month unlimited data plan tacked to a negligible voice plan) onto the new system. No doubt it is part of their overall strategy to compete with the other carriers by staying competitive with pricing while making enough to keep them in business.
It's similar to how ATT has special plans for the iPhone or other carriers have BB plans or how you need digital cable if you want HBO. The options are $69, $89, and $99 depending on how many voice minutes you want with your unlimited data, text, and nav.
sprintnewsSimply Everything is not a requirement for the #Pre.11:44 AM Mar 12th from web
Via the sprintnews feed on twitter...
From some npd stricky numbers website, it is said that iPhone will sell 7-8 million iPhones from the day the pre was debuted to it's actual release date. Is that insane or what!??????
Not really... Dumb phones are the world's biggest sellers.
Mmmmmm,
The Touch Pro 2, the soon to be king of all phones can't come out soon enough.
What do you mean, no Android? What's that Palm P100 in the first slide, then?