Sprint Nextel
Latest
Motorola's r765IS now available at Sprint, perfect for making Navy SEALs swoon with envy
You can take your frilly iPhones and pretty Pres and shove 'em, because Motorola's latest and, perhaps, beefiest handset is finally available at Sprint stores. The r765IS, announced back in April, is Mil Spec 810F rated, so no worries about dropping it -- even into a bucket of salt water -- and that IS on the end means "intrinsically safe," so dial away even if you should happen to be standing in a room full of explosive gas, as we've been known to do from time to time. It also supports rather less exciting Nextel Direct Connect, NextMail to send voicemail as e-mail attachments, GPS navigation, and a variety of emergency calling modes for cutting through the bla bla bla. It's a little less slinky looking than some other Motorola handsets we've seen lately, but we'd clip one to our belts before heading to our next waypoint/coffee shop -- if only we had the requisite funding. A price of just under $2,000 ensures this will only be found in the mitts of the most well equipped mercenaries. [Thanks, Brian]
Sprint loses $384m, 257k subscribers in first quarter of Pre availability
The Pre might have slowed the drain at Sprint but it hasn't managed to turn things around completely -- America's number three carrier posted a second-quarter loss of $384m as it lost another 257,000 subscribers. That just continues Sprint's trend of bleeding customers to the competition, and we doubt this balance sheet will turn around anytime soon -- not only will next quarter reflect the $483m purchase of Virgin Mobile USA, it's pretty clear that Verizon will get the Pre and AT&T will carry another webOS handset, leaving Mr. Hesse and crew without their shiny halo device to lure new subs to the fold. We'll see what Sprint does to turn this all around -- did someone say they need a Hero?
Sprint lays out process for selling some iDEN assets, making iPCS happy
Sprint's fight with iPCS continues to wage on multiple fronts, all of which have been ongoing for eons -- especially the whole iDEN tussle in the wake of Sprint's merger with Nextel. Most recently, that little soap opera had seen an Illinois court rule that Sprint's got to divest some iPCS-controlled iDEN markets to bring it back into contractual compliance and restore Mother Nature's balance, and now Sprint's gotten around to announcing how that process is going to work. In short, it seems like a free-for-all -- the company has apparently put out a few feelers for buyers, but anyone it hasn't contacted is invited to hook up with Citi, who's managing the ordeal on Sprint's behalf. The carrier says that it expects everything to be squared away by January 25 of next year, which is when the court-imposed deadline falls; in the meantime, subscribers, stay cool, because Sprint says that service will continue uninterrupted and expects any transition to be seamless.
Samsung Instinct S30 now on sale at Sprint: $129.99 on contract
Right on cue, Samsung's retooled Instinct (that'd be the Instinct S30, if you had any doubts) has gone on sale at Sprint. You'll also notice that the $129.99 on-contract price we heard about is completely in tact, despite the fact that Best Buy Mobile could be selling this same handset in stores later this week for $80 less. At any rate, those champing at the bit to get one headed their way can now do so after choosing between Cobalt Metal and Touch of Copper hues, and if you're looking to snag one with no strings attached, you'll be paying $449.99 in order to do so.[Thanks, Mike]
Sprint looking to wholesale bandwidth to connected gadget makers
So, what's a flagging cellular operator to do once it has succumbed to the grim realization that no one wants to sign up for your service and you've already collected the dough from selling off nearly all of your towers? Go wholesale, of course! Unbeknownst to most, all of the Kindle downloads on Amazon's white-hot e-reader go through Sprint's network, and given just how successful that little venture has been, the carrier is hoping to expand its revenues from wholesaling bandwidth (which currently sits at just 3 percent of its total) by inking similar deals with connected gadget makers. From internet-connected vehicles to GPS systems to cameras, the options are darn near limitless, and with so much free capacity on Sprint's network, it might as well find companies to use it. 'Course, it's not like Sprint's the only one out there trying to carve these kinds of deals into stone, but it's definitely the one that needs to do it most immediately.
Motorola's rugged i580 gets fittingly doused in yellow for Sprint
It's not that we didn't appreciate Motorola's rugged i580, but even for a beater phone, it just struck us as atypically drab. At long last, Sprint is looking to remedy that very complaint by pushing the all-weather clamshell out with a shockingly yellow accent. The "highly visible" new hue can handle even the nastiest of environments without cracking, and the Direct Connect support means that you and your pals can chirp away as much as you like. Other features include GPS (TeleNav), Bluetooth, 1.3 megapixel camera and up to 1GB of optional removable memory. Folks sick and tired of breaking their handset (or huge, huge fans of yellow) can snap one up now for $119.99 on a two-year contract.[Via MobileBurn]
Sprint puts the Motorola Stature i9 on sale, too
Following its earlier launch on subsidiary Boost, Sprint Nextel proper has now seen fit -- as expected -- to launch the hottest iDEN phone ever created, Motorola's Stature i9. $199.99 on contract after rebate will buy you a 3.1 megapixel cam, GPS, Bluetooth, microSD expansion, and all the iDEN-powered Direct Connect action you can handle; why these guys opted to push this thing down to Boost first is totally unclear to us, but hey, it's available to the traditional Nextel cats now too, so no hard feelings. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sprint keeping its options open with LTE?
Sprint hasn't been coy about its love and adoration for all things WiMAX, and while it obviously has a vested interest in seeing the next-gen wireless protocol thrive, even it isn't completely ignoring the possibility of dabbling in LTE. Or, at least that's the impression we get from a recent spokesman answer to a question on whether it was "evaluating LTE equipment." Speaking on behalf of the carrier, John Polivka wouldn't go so far as to confirm nor deny whether it was actually dipping its toes into LTE testing while its Clearwire buddies weren't looking, but he did affirm that "as a prudent technology development organization, [Sprint] is always collecting competitive information about various technologies / equipment to monitor and asses the competitive landscape and any potential impacts to Sprint's plans." We've already seen a few CDMA mainstays admit to siding with LTE for 4G, and honestly, we wouldn't be shocked to see Sprint eventually cave too. Whatever stops the bleeding, right?
QWERTY iDEN Motorola i465 official press shot leaked
Well, what do we have here? Yep, that's the Motorola i465, the first iDEN phone with a full QWERTY keyboard in the entire universe in a seemingly official press shot. Mobile Review's somehow gotten ahold of this slick piece of photography, which shows the dumbphone off in a much better light than we've previously seen. We still don't know much else about the specs, or when this Sprint-Nextel bound puppy will show up. [Via Unwired View]
Motorola's i365IS is intrinsically safe, intrinsically ugly
Oh, brother. If you're worried that Motorola's already brawny i365 just isn't robust enough to withstand the pressures of your daily life, there's the newfangled i365IS. If you're curious as to what the "IS" means, here goes: "intrinsically safe." Seriously. The handset, which would obviously play well in a recreated episode of Saved By The Bell, is a GPS-enabled push-to-talk device that is "safe to use in hazardous areas that may contain flammable gasses, vapors or dust." Obviously, the mobile will tap into the Nextel Direct Connect network in order to keep up with comrades, and its rugged chassis is certified for "military specification requirements including humidity, blowing rain, dust, shock and vibration." Further specs include a paltry 130 x 130 resolution display, Bluetooth and a talk time of around 300 minutes. There's no mention of a price or release date, but real men can wait, anyway.[Via Mobiledia]
Recession roundup: Monday morning edition
It wasn't that long ago that Monday mornings in the office were a depressing time -- another cheerful weekend gone; another long week of work ahead. But, these days, being in the office on a Monday is a good thing, because if your login still works you've survived another scary layoff Friday. Spare a thought, then, for those whose system access has been cut off, including 1,300 from Sun (the first wave of a total of 6,000 planned job cuts), 8,000 workers at Sprint who are due to receive pink slips, 6,000 from Philips, and an unannounced number of IBM workers (rumored to be 16,000) who have also found themselves to be on the wrong side of the cost-cutting ax. In one final bit of cheery news, AMD has reported a $1.4 billion loss in the fourth quarter of 2008 and, after shedding its handheld graphics unit, is now selling its manufacturing operations to Advanced Technology Investment. Oh, sorry, you were hoping for some genuinely good news? How about this: that loss is smaller than AMD's $1.8 billion loss from the same time last year. Now have a great day!Read - Sun confirms 1,300 layoffsRead - Sprint Nextel Plans to Cut 8,000 Jobs in QuarterRead - Philips to Release 6000 Employees into WildRead - Several IBM employees report being laid off on Alliance@IBMRead - IBM Confirms LayoffsRead - AMD Reports $1.4 Billion Loss
Sprint launches push-to-talk BlackBerry Curve 8350i
Verizon may have been bangin' on Sprint's iDEN network, but that's not stopping the yellow-faced carrier from introducing the "first ever" (wait, really?) push-to-talk BlackBerry on those very waves. Sprint is hailing the Curve 8350i as the "most advanced push-to-talk BlackBerry smartphone ever," and given the options in the past, it's hard to disagree. Thankfully, there's also integrated WiFi / GPS as well as support for Group Connect, international direct connect and Talkgroup; you'll also spot a 2-megapixel camera, multimedia player, speakerphone, video recorder, a microSDHC card slot, Bluetooth 2.0, a stereo headset jack and a removable 1,400mAh battery. It's available now in a rather stocky 4.4- x 2.4- x 0.7-inch frame for as low as $149.99 (after all applicable rebates) on a two-year plan.%Gallery-39336%
Analyst predicts "significant" job cuts in January, possible price drops for Sprint
Not even a month after Sprint began offering voluntary buyout packages to an unspecified number of employees and just weeks after John Garcia decided it best to extend his Thanksgiving holiday into forever, in flies an analyst report asserting that sweeping layoffs are just around the bend. Pali Research's Walter Piecyk also expects the carrier to reduce prices to pick up lost ground to rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless. A company spokesman proclaimed that "nothing was off of the table" and that "every option" would be scrutinized, but as of now, no decisions have been nailed down around the 2009 budget plan. Better get on that, wouldn't you say?[Via CellPhonesMarket]
Sprint 4G dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX modems and handsets on tap
Hang tight to that Samsung SWC-E100 ExpressCard you snatched up as one of the few early adopters in Baltimore -- that thing could one day be a serious relic (or rare eBay find). Just over a year since launching the perplexedly named XOHM WiMAX service, Sprint has decided to rechristen the whole thing Sprint 4G after its workings with Clearwire. Reportedly, the carrier will be offering up dual-mode CDMA / WiMAX modems as early as the end of this year (at least in the Charm City), while similarly equipped handsets won't be too many months behind (just like we'd heard). Kinda hurts to know you can't add a CDMA radio into that WiMAX-only card you already purchased, huh? [Via phonescoop]
Clearwire and Sprint close deal to combine WiMAX businesses
This one's been a long time in the making, but the deal is finally done. Clearwire and Sprint Nextel have gleefully announced that the transaction to combine their next-generation wireless internet businesses is complete, and beers are on the two of 'em this evening. On the real, the agreement dictates that Sprint hand over all of its 2.5GHz spectrum and WiMAX-related assets (including XOHM) to Clearwire; additionally, Clearwire has received a $3.2 billion cash infusion from Comcast, Intel, Time Warner Cable, Google and Bright House Networks. Details beyond that are scant, though we are told that the terms "originally announced on May 7, 2008" are the ones being abided by, and the new company will retain the Clearwire name and its Kirkland, Washington headquarters.
John Garcia abruptly resigns as head of Sprint's CDMA business
Look, we needn't tell you that things aren't exactly kosher for Sprint right now. SK Telecom just said "thanks, but no thanks" to a potential relationship, it managed to post a net loss of $326 million in Q3 and it's staring down the barrel of a $1.2 billion class-action ETF suit. All that considered, the sudden and apparently unplanned departure of the carrier's head of CDMA isn't apt to help things. John Garcia, without any (public) rhyme or reason, has decided it best to not clock in on Monday, and at the moment of his leaving, the company had no comment on the situation. Bigwig Keith Cowan has been chosen as the interim replacement while it searches for a successor, and in related news, Bill Morgan (SVP of brand management) will begin reporting directly to CEO Dan Hesse.[Via mocoNews]
Sprint posts Q3 net loss of $326 million, sees 1.3 million subs leave
Sprint's year just keeps getting worse. After losing over 900,000 customers last quarter while posting a $344 million loss, the company insistent on advertising with faux soap operas and in black and white (and yellow) is hanging its head once more. During Q3, the carrier saw 1.3 million net subscribers head for the exits, and it also reported a loss of $326 million. According to CEO Dan Hesse, Sprint "has yet to turn the corner," warning that the process of turning things around would be gradual. Moving forward, the company expects gross additions to "stabilize," while the turnover rate is apt to remain at around 2.15%. In related news, the provider's stock price has sunk around 60% in the past six months, and while that's surely bad news to shareholders, not many other mega-corps out there are doing tremendously better.[Via The New York Times]
Sprint now facing $1.2 billion class-action suit over early termination fees
We told you it wasn't over, and now, that once "manageable" $73 million payment could possibly balloon to upwards of $1.2 billion. As predicted, the prior suit -- which was held in a California state court -- has led to a far reaching class-action lawsuit that could "potentially cost the company as much as $1.2 billion." The suit alleges that the $150 to $200 fees violated the Federal Communications Act and laws in every state of the country, and when summed from 1999 to 2008, they total a magical $1.2 billion. Things aren't looking great for Sprint on this one either, as lawyer Scott Bursor is running the show. Who's he? Just a guy who was involved in getting Verizon to fork over $21 million for the same thing earlier this year.[Via textually]
Verizon cans ads that batter Sprint's push-to-talk network
Man, what's up with Verizon and its ad department? Just a few months back, the carrier was thrashed by PETA for running a controversial spot involving two pit bulls chained up in a junkyard, and now it's being fingered for making questionable remarks toward Sprint's push-to-talk network. For those unaware, the spots (one hosted after the break) included lines such as "We all upgraded to Verizon Wireless. Got push to talk and the reliability of the network. That old service is useless now." Sprint argued that the subtle drops could wrongfully influence people to believe that Sprint's PTT network was non-functional or that it would soon be discontinued, and eventually, NAD (an ad watchdog agency) recommended that VZW nix the ads. As it stands, the commercials in question have indeed been dropped, but Verizon asserts that it did so as a normal part of business. Ah well, it's the end result that matters, right Sprint?
Sprint, Clearwire to finally get hitched thanks to FCC approval
We're relieved, here's why: we don't have to report on this on-again / off-again relationship like we're a celebrity tabloid rag anymore. Around the same time it gave the thumbs up to Verizon and Alltel, the FCC also decided that timultuous lovebirds Sprint and Clearwire can finally get hitched. Their eventual offspring will be the WiMAX network they've been promising with a bunch of other partners -- the plan is to offer wireless broadband to 140 million people within 30 months' time, so today's a big day for WiMAX and corporate romantics everywhere.
