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Texting goes to hell in a handbasket on Boost; Seidenberg vindicated?
The knee-jerk reaction to Verizon chief Ivan Seidenberg's recent inflammatory interview -- saying he doesn't know "what Sprint thinks it is" in response to Boost's blowout $50 all-you-can-eat calling and texting plan -- was to call him out for slamming competition (because, let's be real, no one likes executives hating on affordable stuff). His belief was that Sprint simply didn't have the network capacity to support a plan priced that aggressively because it'd bring too many new subscribers on board, and drama over on the iDEN airwaves suggests he may not have been too far off the mark. Boost resellers and customers alike are apparently experiencing insane text messaging delays -- sometimes several hours' worth between sending and receiving -- that are rendering the service useless, and while voice and push-to-talk are still said to be performing flawlessly, a strong swing toward messaging in the past 18 months across all US carriers (along with the upcoming launch of the Clutch) puts the spotlight squarely on the problem. Texting has never been iDEN's strong suit; it's simply not what the network was originally built to do, and when we approached Boost about this at CTIA earlier this year, we were told that the situation was under control. A company spokesperson says that they're working around the clock to get the delays resolved and expect to have it smoothed out by next week -- but with the $50 plan continuing to win conquest subscribers hand over fist and a network that's being stressed in ways it's never been stressed before, we have to wonder: is this every going to be fully resolved? Even more importantly, though, with Boost's pricing undercutting its national-level competition by a country mile, do they even have to fully resolve it to keep customers on board? [Via mocoNews]
Motorola intros i465 Clutch, company's first QWERTY iDEN device
Following the seemingly unstoppable trend toward QWERTY and heavy texting in the low end of the market, Motorola has announced its very first iDEN device to ever feature a full keyboard. The rumored i465 looks just a little better in glamorous press shots than it did before, and it's picked up a name along the way -- Clutch. Naturally, Boost Mobile is a perfect fit for the thing, and the Sprint division looks to be launching this quarter. Specs include Bluetooth 1.2, a 160 x 128 display, video capture via a VGA cam (hey, it's low-end, what did you expect?), and mil-spec compliance for shock, vibration, and all that good stuff that you might need when your phone hits the pavement. Pricing will be announced closer to launch, but we don't expect it to break the bank.
Motorola's iDEN i465 passes muster with the FCC
Well Motorola's first iDEN QWERTY effort has sailed through the FCC's proving grounds and will apparently, or at least potentially, grace our push-to-talk pockets one day. We chattered about this wee red phone a bit on a recent podcast because from the looks of the pics we've seen, that keyboard will saw through fingers, and for a messaging handset, that's just not good planning. If Boost Mobile literature is to be believed, then we can potentially expect this around June 15th this year, though, don't hold us to that. Thanks FCC for testing and ensuring that this handset met 47 CFR 2.1093 (c) for RF exposure and found to be compliant with the limits specified in 47 CFR 2.1093(d)(2). Top job, love your graphs.
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 i9 gets shown off on video
So, you already know all there is to know about Motorola's i9 (on paper, at least), but wouldn't you like to see it toyed with on video? If you've found yourself shaking that noggin' to and fro, we'd recommend that you have a look past the break. There, you'll find a three minute walkthrough of the flip phone on Boost Mobile, and while no surprises await you (no shower scenes or anything of that nature), it's still a worthwhile use of your time if this one's on your "maybe" list.
Motorola i9 "Stature" gets real on Boost Mobile
We caught sight of the iDEN Motorola i9 Stature a week or so ago, but it was sitting comfortably in limbo until today. The Motorola i9 Stature will be arriving for your walking / talking pleasure at Boost Mobile by the end of February and sliding into Sprint shops shortly after that. Touted as the thinnest phone in the Direct Connect line (a tiny 15mm) it comes equipped with a 3.1 megapixel camera with flash and auto-focus, GPS, up to 8GB of memory, haptics, and Bluetooth. Pricing on Boost will be $299 and $199 on Sprint if a two-year carrier commitment is more your thing.[Via phonescoop]
Boost launching at least four iDEN phones this year -- i465 included
We've managed to get a look at launch documents for Boost Mobile's new $50 PayGo Unlimited plan, which just so happens to detail a few upcoming handsets for the scrappy little Sprint division. Look, we're not going to sugar-coat it -- it's not the most exciting lineup we've ever seen -- but then again, this is an iDEN carrier, and a low-cost one at that, so we've got to go into this with an open mind. First up, the venerable i290 candybar will see a $10 price drop to $39.99 on April 15, and if that's not a really awesome way to celebrate Tax Day, we don't know what is. Next, the text-focused i465 with QWERTY will swing by on June 15 for $109.99. A so-called "Banfi" will come on August 2 for $139.99, and while we can't really make out much about it, it appears to be a slider that might take some visual cues from the Z9 (in the same way the i9 takes cues from the V9, we suppose). Speaking of the i9, there's no sign of it here -- but we will get a "Mako" candybar on October 1 for $89.99. Anyone feeling a sudden, irresistible desire to do some push-to-talking?[Thanks, anonymous tipster]
Boost Mobile pulling the plug on CDMA promotion
The writing was probably on the wall, but no one's paying close enough attention to what Boost Mobile's doing to even notice. phonescoop has it that the company famous for pushing its services with giant sized humans uttering one liners such as "yo" and "where u at?" is getting set to slowly (but surely) phase CDMA out of its life. According to company spokesperson Tatum Hawkins: "Boost Mobile will still operate, support and service its CDMA-related products, but it will no longer promote them. If customers wish to sign up for CDMA-based services, they may still do so. However, Boost will no longer create new CDMA products and/or services, nor will it add new CDMA phones to its roster of devices." From here, the firm hopes to focus on "building up the strength of its iDEN-based services and devices," so from us to you -- good luck with that Boost Mobile.
Boost Mobile touts Motorola's i9 iDEN as coming soon
Remember the Motorola i9 iDEN set destined for Sprint? Well, if the flyer above is anything to go by, Boost Mobile may well get it first. In the ad for Boost's unlimited $50 plan -- which is a killer deal by the by -- Motorola's i9 is listed as coming soon. How soon? Sadly, no word on that or what it'll cost, but we're confident if Boost has it up on the site, an announcement can't be too far off.[Via TheBoyGeniusReport]
Boost launching $50 unlimited calling / texting plan
Hot on the heels of MetroPCS and Leap Wireless' latest moves to pull in more customers on unlimited plans comes this: yet another unlimited plan, this one from Boost Mobile. Starting on January 22nd, mobile users looking for predictability on their bills can choose a $50 per month plan that allows for unlimited calls and texts. The only glaring omission is data allowance, so those fond of checking eHarmony alerts on the go won't find much to love here. Not that you'd even want to surf for long on Boost's iDEN network, anyway.
Boost Mobile slashes prepaid rates, will modify unlimited usage plan
Sprint Nextel's Boost Mobile is doing anything it can to attract consumers, as evidenced by the 50% off fire sale on prepaid minutes. Yep, as of right now, Boost Mobile customers can phone up fellow sumo wrestlers while running up a bill at just $0.10 per minute compared to $0.20 per minute in the past. A Wall Street Journal report also states that it will be "modifying its unlimited-usage plan, though the company declined to specify how." Of note, the "new plans" may only be available in "select cities," so you should probably phone up a CSR or something to make sure you're really getting the lower rate. Or you can just holler "Where U AT?!" and see what kind of response you get.[Via phonescoop]
Boost's Motorola i776 leaked, Target style
The FCC got first dibs, but now it's Target's turn to show off Motorola's latest iDEN debacle. Don't get us wrong, it's not that bad looking now that we get a better glance -- but still, that hulking external antenna sets off a gag reflex for us that's hard to suppress. Anyhoo, Target's product page reveals that it'll be a prepaid device for Sprint's Boost division, offering 600-contact capacity, 3.5-hour talk time, GPS, and oh yeah, did we mention a giant stub protruding from the top? It's claimed here that the i776 can be found in stores, but without an official announcement from Boost, it might be a little tricky to come across just yet. [Via PhoneNews]
Motorola i335 goes live on Boost Mobile
Sprint subsidiary Boost Mobile's claim to fame is its push-to-talk network, and it's still turning the other cheek on its parent's newly-minted QChat PTT in favor of good, old-fashioned, dead reliable iDEN. The rough and tumble i335 -- which actually went on sale through Sprint some time ago -- is now available through Boost for $59.99 on prepaid service, offering mil-spec dust, shock, and splash resistance that should pretty much keep this thing operating for as long as the iDEN network does. Grab it now anywhere Boost is sold, if you're so inclined.
Boost joins the unlimited dollar-per-day bandwagon
Sprint's Boost Mobile has unleashed the so-called "PAYGO Chat Plan" that offers unlimited nights and weekends, unlimited texting, and unlimited mobile-to-mobile for a dollar per day, with daytime minutes running 10 cents per. If the plan sounds vaguely familiar, it should -- it essentially mimics what T-Mobile and others are offering in the prepaid world these days.[Via Phone Scoop]
House bill proposes ban on in-flight cellphone use
This could -- at least temporarily -- put an end the nightmarish scenario involving you, lack of sleep, and some freakish chatty Cathy plopped next to you by the airline. Lead co-sponsor Rep. Peter DeFazio, hopes the "Hang Up" -- madly clever name here -- bill will stop Airlines from finding yet another avenue to gouge you and maintaining peace and harmony by banning any in-flight calling. Of course, the door will remain wide open for SMS, mail, IM, and other types of electronic conversation, but we're hoping Skype and friends are on the muzzle list, too.
Boost boosts the Motorola KRZR
Boost Mobile has launched Motorola's KRZR K1m this week, and while its freshness leaves something to be desired, the glossy black flip is instantly propelled to the very top rung of Boost's non-iDEN food chain above the w385 and c290, both of which also hail from Moto. The scrappy, youth-oriented Sprint division is using the K1m's launch to highlight Unlimited by Boost, its regional calling plan that is currently available in 13 states -- including the lovely islands of Hawaii. The Boost-ified MOTOKRZR is available now for $249.99, so get in on the circa-2006 action while the getting's good; heck, if you're really clever about it, you might even be able to use it as an excuse to move to Oahu.[Via Slashphone]
Boost says "Aloha" to Hawaii with $35 unlimited plan
$99 unlimited plans are all well and good, but if 99 percent of your calls go to peeps that live down the street from you -- or the next island over, as the case may be -- that kind of cash outlay might be overkill. Boost is bringing its $35 per month unlimited calling plan to the tropical paradise with just one catch: it's in your home area only, which in Hawaii's case, means the islands themselves. Unlimited texting runs an extra $5, unlimited web runs another $5, and if you'd like to extend your home area to cover Cali and Vegas, that runs -- you guessed it -- yet one more Lincoln. Calls outside the home area run a stiff 15 cents per minute, though, so the penalty is stiff and swift if the plan gets abused. The deal is already on the market, so talk away -- in between surfing, fishing, soaking in the sun, and whatever else it is you lucky Hawaiians do.
Regulators put pressure on Sprint to remedy issues with iDEN network
Although Sprint has coughed up some $1 billion over the past few years in order to nix the interference between 2,200 public safety agencies across the US and its iDEN network, it apparently hasn't done enough. Reportedly, the FCC has warned Sprint that it "could lose access to the signal spectrum used by its Nextel- and Boost Mobile-branded wireless services" if it doesn't remedy the problem by June of 2008. Supposedly, Sprint is "working hard" to settle the issue, but it's not wasting any time asking the US Court of Appeals to get involved. The carrier claims that these shut down threats could force it to halt signups of Nextel-branded customers, and furthermore, around three million public-safety workers would purportedly lose service if the FCC did indeed shut down the Nextel network. 'Course, industry analysts are suggesting that regulators wouldn't really go through with shutting it down, but if nothing else, this should light a fire under Sprint to expedite the process.[Via PhoneScoop]
Boost's unlimited plan now available in 10 more markets
Boost has been super quiet about its strategy for unlimited calling and world domination since rolling out plans to a handful of test markets many months ago, but the deal's still on the table and markets are getting added -- just at a glacial pace, that's all. Dubbed "Unlimited by Boost," the plan offers unlimited calling (hence the name) within the user's home market; outside that market, though, the voice runs a stiff 15 cents per minute. Subscribers in an additional ten states can get in on the action now, which comes contract-free like all other Boost offerings. Check it for $45 to $55 per month depending on location, while a plan that also includes unlimited data will be offered starting November 12 for $55 and up (again, depending on market).
Boost Mobile gets official with i425t, thinnest iDEN phone ever
Amidst all the hubbub surrounding Motorola's latest batch of... dare we say, almost attractive iDEN candybars, Boost has gone ahead and made its variant, the i425t, official. As is often the case with iDEN equipment, features lag a bit in exchange for PTT supremacy; here, we get a speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, GPS, integrated instant messaging, vibrating alert, and support for up to 600 contacts. That's right -- no camera or Bluetooth, though you will get your phone in a new eco-friendly "clamshell" packaging design that features end caps made of 35 percent post-consumer waste. Pick it up next month in two-tone titanium gray / black slate for $59.99 including $5 worth of call credit.
