Sprint announced that it will offer the Motorola ADMIRAL, the first Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) PTT handset with support for its new CDMA-based Direct Connect network, on October 23rd. The phone will cost $99.99 with a new two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. The ADMIRAL meets Mil-Spec 810G ratings for dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, low pressure and high and low temperatures. It is equipped with a 1.2GHz processor, a full QWERTY keyboard, a 5-megapixel camera capable of recording 720p video, support for sharing its 3G connection with other Wi-Fi devices with Mobile Hotspot, 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and 4GB of internal storage. Read on for the full press release.

First Android-Powered Smartphone with Sprint Direct Connect, Motorola ADMIRAL, Available Oct. 23 for Under $100

Motorola ADMIRAL delivers the gold standard in push-to-talk to the Sprint Network; Boasts Android 2.3, a 3.1-inch touchscreen display with
QWERTY keyboard and military spec toughness

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., and LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – Oct. 20, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE: S) and Motorola Mobility, Inc. (NYSE: MMI) today announced the availability of Motorola ADMIRAL™, the first smartphone that boasts Sprint Direct Connect® speed, powered by Android™. It goes on sale in Sprint direct ship sales channels, including Sprint Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and Web Sales (www.sprint.com) and can be ordered at Sprint Stores beginning Sunday, Oct. 23, for $99.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1. It will be available Sunday, Nov. 13, through all Sprint sales channels.

Motorola ADMIRAL features Android 2.3, Gingerbread, a 1.2GHz processor, 3.1-inch VGA touchscreen display and QWERTY keyboard. It will use the Sprint 3G (EVDO Rev. A) network to provide the gold-standard push-to-talk capabilities of Sprint Direct Connect.

Ready for the toughest conditions, Motorola ADMIRAL is designed to meet Military Standard 810G for dust, shock, vibration, solar radiation, low pressure and high and low temperatures. Plus, with Corning® Gorilla® Glass®, Motorola ADMIRAL’s touchscreen display is scratch-resistant.

“Motorola ADMIRAL will be the flagship smartphone of Sprint’s all-new Sprint Direct Connect portfolio,” said David Owens, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “We know our customers will appreciate this tough Android-powered smartphone that combines 3G data speeds with push-to-talk capabilities. It is designed to offer mobile professionals instant communications and mobile broadband data access when it matters most while being able to withstand the toughest environments.”

“Motorola is excited to bring the first Android-powered smartphone to the Sprint Direct Connect portfolio,” said Jeff Miller, corporate vice president of sales, Motorola Mobility. “With Motorola ADMIRAL, Direct Connect customers can enjoy the instantaneous connection they have come to expect from a push-to-talk device, along with the speed, durability and security needed to get the job done, wherever the work day may take them.”

Built with business in mind, Motorola ADMIRAL supports Microsoft Exchange and other email systems. It is easy to push delivery of Microsoft Exchange email tailored to the needs of specific users, and with robust calendar capabilities, employees can access the corporate Global Address List to create, edit and share meetings.

Motorola ADMIRAL also has the security features IT departments demand and protects sensitive company data with enhanced on-device security features that can be managed via the existing Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync Server, including password support, remote wipe and data encryption, as well as more than 30 other security policies. It offers standard PIN and password lock support, but goes above and beyond to include an alphanumeric requirement, complexity standards, expiration, history and recovery capabilities that are considered best-in-class features for Android-powered smartphones in the industry. Data encryption at rest on the device and microSD card also helps ensure that sensitive company data remains confidential.

Key features of Motorola ADMIRAL include:
1.2GHz processor to unlock full multi-tasking possibilities, including instantaneous page downloads and seamless document editing
Quickoffice® to view and edit Microsoft® Word, Excel and PowerPoint, as well as Adobe® PDF documents anywhere, anytime
5-megapixel camera with 720p HD video capture, flash and 4x zoom
Full suite of Google mobile services, including Google Maps™, Google Talk™, Gmail™, Google Voice™ and YouTube™
Android Market™ for access to more than 250,000 applications, widgets and games
Adobe® Flash® Player to enjoy games, interactive web apps and websites with technical or training videos
3G Mobile Hotspot capability supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously
Wi-Fi® – 802.11 b/g/n
4GB internal memory with option to increase with up to 32GB micro SD card
Connected music player with access to all your favorite artists, including live, personalized recommendations for songs and videos, as well as news and event updates from the world of music

Sprint Direct Connect is a portfolio of push-to-talk services that allow individuals and groups to get more done – quickly and easily with just the push of a button. Among the initial Sprint Direct Connect services:
Sprint Direct Connect – Instant, one-to-one push-to-talk calling nationwide on the Sprint network, with any other Direct Connect subscriber. Direct Connect is the core push-to-talk feature and is designed for interoperability across Sprint and Nextel network platforms.
Guaranteed Talk Permit – The assurance that when you hear the push-to-talk “chirp” that your call was successfully transmitted.
Call Alert with Text – Send an audio alert with an optional text message to let another Direct Connect subscriber know you are trying to reach them and why.
Group Connect® – Communicate with up to 20 other Sprint Direct Connect subscribers all at once – nationwide, at the push of one button.
TeamDCSM – Communicate with up to 200 other Sprint Direct Connect subscribers at the same time nationwide2.
NextMail® – Send a recorded message to any email worldwide or mobile handset via text message by using the Direct Connect button.
Availability Notification – Request the availability status of another push-to-talk member and, if they are busy, request a notification when they are free.

With more than 18 years of expertise, Sprint is the industry leader in push-to-talk, serving the world’s largest push-to-talk community with millions of Direct Connect subscribers. Direct Connect from Sprint has set the industry standard for push-to-talk worldwide.

A pioneer in push-to-talk technology, Motorola Mobility has been providing devices for the push-to-talk community since the network’s inception. With the introduction of Direct Connect from Sprint, Motorola Mobility continues to innovate and provide reliable and compelling products that utilize the latest push-to-talk solutions.

Motorola ADMIRAL requires activation on a plan with unlimited data. Sprint Business customers may be eligible to activate Motorola ADMIRAL on a Sprint Business Advantage Messaging and Data plan, starting at just $59.99 per month plus required $10 per month Premium Data add-on for smartphones. Business Advantage Messaging and Data plans include Any Mobile, AnytimeSM for unlimited calling to and from any mobile in America, plus unlimited web, texting and Direct Connect.

For consumers, Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, Anytime includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 per month Premium Data add-on for smartphones and $5 Direct Connect add-on. Simply Everything delivers unlimited web, texting, calling and Direct Connect for $99.99 per month plus required $10 per month Premium Data add-on for smartphones.

The Mobile Hotspot option is available for an additional $29.99 per month supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously with up to 5GB of data while on the Sprint network3. (All pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).

For more information about Motorola ADMIRAL and Sprint Direct Connect, visit www.sprint.com/sprintdirectconnect.

Sprint will revamp and deploy a new Direct Connect push-to-talk service on October 2nd, SprintFeed reports. According to a purported leaked internal screen shot, the new service will support international push-to-talk direct connect, an option that isn’t available from competing services offered by Verizon Wireless and AT&T. In addition, the service will support Land Mobile Radio interoperability (LMR), which is typically used by the military or emergency services and is also offered by Verizon Wireless. Other features will include support for simultaneous data and push-to-talk functionality, support for up to 200 people on a push-to-talk group session, per-second push-to-talk billing and notifications alerting you when other contacts are available for Direct Connect. Sprint has yet to officially announce details surrounding the revamped service.

Read

In a press release today, Sprint announced the successor for its push-to-talk (PTT) iDEN network, Sprint Direct Connect. Running on the company’s nationwide CDMA network, Direct Connect will offer users a larger coverage footprint, improved in-building coverage, and increased voice and data capacity. The new protocol will also add several new features, including 200 participant Direct Connect sessions, Land Mobile Radio (LMR) interoperability, and availability notifications. The company expects the move to increase the number of devices that incorporate the Direct Connect service — the press release specifies that an “Android smartphone” along with sets from Motorola and Kyocera are due in the near future. “During the nationwide implementation of Network Vision, Sprint expects to continue operating the iDEN network at current best-ever performance levels,” reads the press release. “As the customer base shifts to more broadband-centric push-to-talk applications on the CDMA network and Sprint launches Sprint Direct Connect, iDEN cell sites are expected to be phased out in 2013.” The Direct Connect service will launch later this year. The full press release is after the break.

Sprint Unveils New Gold Standard in Push-to-Talk

Planned 4Q launch of Sprint Direct Connect will offer increased push-to-talk coverage, more broadband data capabilities, new features – and more enhancements to come as Sprint Network Vision deploys

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), March 16, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE: S) today announced plans to expand its gold-standard push-to-talk leadership, unveiling fourth-quarter launch plans for next-generation push-to-talk capabilities powered by Sprint’s broadband CDMA network. As part of the launch, Sprint will offer an initial set of handsets packed with features designed for workgroups that rely on push-to-talk and establish a new push-to-talk brand – Sprint® Direct Connect®.

Sprint Direct Connect service is being built to deliver higher bandwidth capacity to keep up with customers’ demand for data. Sprint also is working to deliver enhanced applications on Sprint Direct Connect, best-ever in-building coverage and is planning to provide triple the square-mile reach of Sprint’s current push-to-talk service.

Sprint Direct Connect will launch with an initial portfolio of rugged devices from Motorola Mobility and Kyocera. The devices will feature most of the capabilities available on current Sprint push-to-talk phones, plus next-generation push-to-talk applications and functionality including high-speed data access, high-resolution cameras and Bluetooth®. The planned portfolio will include an ultra-rugged camera flip phone and an Android™ Smartphone with a touch screen and a QWERTY keyboard. In 2012, Sprint expects to deepen its push-to-talk portfolio, adding more devices with new form factors and features.

The devices are expected to enable group push-to-talk for up to 200 participants, Land Mobile Radio (LMR) interoperability, and availability notification. In early 2012, Sprint Direct Connect is expected to add more capabilities, including international push-to-talk.

Network Vision

Sprint Direct Connect service is a tangible benefit of Network Vision, Sprint’s blueprint to deploy a cost-effective and innovative network. Announced in December, Network Vision is expected to consolidate multiple network technologies into one seamless network resulting in enhanced coverage, quality and speed; better network flexibility; reduced operating costs; and improved environmental sustainability. The plan includes a complete upgrade of Sprint’s current wireless networks accompanied by changes in device chipsets and network infrastructure.

The benefits of Network Vision to Sprint’s PTT customers will be wide-ranging:

Better coverage and capacity

• Push-to-talk coverage footprint is planned to increase to nearly 2.7 million square miles and is expected to cover a population of 309 million (with the addition of 1xrtt and roaming coverage) – an increase from the iDEN network’s 908,370 square miles covering a population 278 million.
• In-building coverage is expected to improve significantly through investment in the most advanced CDMA technology and radio equipment.
• Voice and data capacity is expected to increase significantly as Sprint will be able to fully leverage its industry leading spectrum holdings in 800 MHz, 1.9 GHz, and – through its partnership with Clearwire – 2.5 GHz.

• More push-to-talk enabled devices including handsets, rugged devices, and PDAs that combine industry leading push-to-talk and mobile broadband data services over a larger coverage area.
• Enhanced features for push-to-talk users on the new CDMA platform.
• Interoperability with all existing Sprint push-to-talk devices.
• During the nationwide implementation of Network Vision, Sprint expects to continue operating the iDEN network at current best-ever performance levels. As the customer base shifts to more broadband-centric push-to-talk applications on the CDMA network and Sprint launches Sprint Direct Connect, iDEN cell sites are expected to be phased out in 2013.

“Our customers are asking for broadband push-to-talk now,” said Paget Alves, president-Sprint Business. “We’ve seen steadily increasing demand for faster data speeds, better and broader coverage, and more applications on push-to-talk devices. Sprint Direct Connect is designed to solve for all three, and is expected to come with sub-second push-to-talk call set-up time initially in Sprint CDMA RevA coverage areas. Sub-second call set up is expected to expand across the U.S. with the implementation of Network Vision.”

Alves added, “We believe the new push-to-talk service powered by a broadband network and featuring competitively priced rugged handsets and smart phones will represent an unmatched offering in the market.”

Sprint plans to identify customers who require custom push-to-talk solutions and assist with their migration to the CDMA network. The company also plans to engage partners in developing a robust portfolio of push-to-talk accessories and involve developers in the creation of new applications through its Sprint Gets Rugged application developers program. The program will provide information, support and tools needed to port developers’ applications to Sprint Direct Connect devices. More information on the Sprint Gets Rugged application developers program can be found at http://developer.sprint.com/SprintGetsRugged. Sprint will hold a conference on March 22 at the International CTIA WIRELESS® meeting in Orlando for developers who are interested.

With Sprint Direct Connect, Sprint expects:

After launching on Boost Mobile last month, the Motorola i1 is hitting Sprint on July 25th. The touchscreen offering will be the first Android handset with Nextel Direct Connect and the first Direct Connect handset with a 5 megapixel camera and video recording. This rugged handset is sure to please the construction crowd with its: 3.1″ HVGA display, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0, a 2.5mm headphone jack, military ruggedness for dust, shock, vibration and rain, and Android 1.5 — not to mention the suite of available business tracking and job workflow applications including Xora mobile workforce management tools, TeleNavTrack, and Sprint Mobile Locator. The i1 will launch through direct ship, business sales, telesales, and web sales next Sunday and will hit the remaining channels on August 8th for a reasonable $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and two-year commitment.

Read

Big news today for iDEN fans who have been jonesing for the Opus One that we scooped and spec’d way back when in December as today it has been formally announced Motorola. Officially known as the Motorola i1, the device is the world’s first Android Push-To-Talk smartphone and it will be offered “this summer” by Sprint. While pricing is currently unknown, we do know practically everything else about the phone and its specs which include a 3.1″ HVGA display, 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and dual-LED flash, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.0 and stupidly a 2.5mm headphone jack. Running Android 1.5 with a custom UI overlay — possibly a less social version of MOTOBLUR — Motorola has also decided to replace the stock Android browser with Opera Mini 5 plus Flash Lite as well as include the amazing Swype virtual keyboard. Yay or nay, folks?

Read

Tired of having to turn your precious BlackBerry over to an attendant every time you hit your gym locker room? Sure it’s a bit later than the rumor mill had anticipated, but Sprint may finally have the answer for you. The 8350i is now available without that pesky 2 megapixel shooter. Pricing on the 8350i sans-camera is lined up exactly with the older version that includes a camera, albeit barely usable, at $149.99 after $100 mail-in rebate and a 2-year contract. As far as specs go, no need to go through all that; it’s an old school BlackBerry Curve with PTT and no camera. Oh and it has Wi-Fi just like the regular 8350i, which is nice. Of course there are all kinds of reasons a camera-less Curve could be a requirement for you — or more likely your company — so let the enterprise orders commence.

Thanks, Basil!

Read

Looking for some exclusive info on the LG LX400? Please try and contain your excitement. This low-end clamshell is set to drop on June 15th, with a suggested retail price of $279.99, though we’re guessing that will drop significantly with any applicable rebates. The phone itself is a pretty boring affair, sporting a 1.3 MP camera, Sprint Navigation support, Bluetooth, and a bit more. The jewel of this phone’s spec sheet, however, is that it supports Direct Connect and appears to interface seamlessly with Nextel’s network, utilizing the carrier’s “Single Number Option feature. We’re certainly not going to be rushing down to our local Sprint store to snag this one, but if for some reason this looks appealing, more power to you. Couple more shots after the jump!

Thanks, Omie!