We snagged a picture of Sprint’s Motorola V950 from our leaked roadmap, but now you can see it for yourself as Sprint launched their ruggedized Push To Talk flip phone. The Motorola Renegade V950 is a Qchat-enabled phone so you CDMA and iDEN PTT people can talk nice together. The V950 packs a lot of multimedia features not seen in the usually plain and boring push to talk phones. It sports the following features:

• NFL Mobile Live
• Sprint Music Store
• Sprint TV
• GPS
• Web, email capable
• Built-in 2MP camera with video recording
• Bluetooth (with A2DP)
• Rev. A Broadband speeds

It is also military rated for dust, shock, vibration, blowing rain and humidity. So if you want to throw out the window because your girlfriend just dumped you, feel free to do so. It’s available for $129 after a $50 MIR and with a 2 year agreement. Click through for Sprint’s next ruggedized offering.

Onto the plain and boring Push To Talk phone… Not as nearly innovative as its V950 cousin, the iDEN only Motorola i365 is another rugged phone built to military standards. It offers GPS, web, email, SMS/MMS, and Bluetooth in a candy bar design. It’s not a bad choice for someone who may prefer a featureless, rugged, candy bar style phone with outdated PTT technology. Any takers? It is available for $89.99 with a 2 year agreement.

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Beyond being Aubrey Huff’s favorite town in the world, Baltimore will another claim to fame beginning next month. If all goes according to plan it looks like Sprint will stay true to its recent claim as it prepares to unleash its long anticipated XOHM service next month. Sprint has named Baltimore as the preliminary launch point while Chicago and Washington DC shouldn’t be far behind with launches sometime in Q4 2008. Mmm, 4G. We know what you’re thinking, “boy who cried wolf”. Still, we can’t fault Sprint entirely for the delays as you well know. Seeing as Location-based Services (LBS) are all the rage these days and considering that we’ve all been waiting for WiMAX for quite some time now, Sprint is shifting the focus a bit as it attempts to build anticipation once again.

With Internet access you could go to each vendor now as a separate interaction; but with XOHM, the services are aggregated into a service package that correlates them due to the intelligence in the network; for example, plotting friend locations on a map, identifying a restaurant or entertainment venue from local search, and sharing plans to convene with the benefit of weather, traffic or ticket-purchase convenience.

Beyond the Nokia N810 that has been eagerly awaiting some WiMAX love for a while now, Sprint is working with a number of manufacturers on devices ranging from laptop cards to handhelds and other portable devices. Pricing has still not been announced but Sprint spokesperson John Polivka did have this to say:

XOHM subscribers arrange a subscription, not a contract, and open an account … then go to a portal which contains the bundled WiMAX services/applications. A new WiMAX-capable device is needed.

There will be day passes, home and away plans, and the ability to have multiple devices under one agreement, versus the telecom model where each device is a separate contract.

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Five parcels of Johnson County, Kansas land, belonging to none other than Sprint, have unpaid property taxes this year. Sprint is delinquent to the county to the tune of $18,216.54. If you notice a sudden drop in Dorothy and Toto’s readin’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic scores, you’ll know who is responsible. According to Sprint, the mistake is due to an oversight by their unnamed property-tax-paying department. Sprint continues to be committed to education, which is why they ensure that there is no signal anywhere near a school - so those young ne’er-do-wells can’t text in class. Wait, that’s just poor coverage.

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Showing some love to the GOP, Sprint used a press release to boast shamelessly (no, seriously - they’re really darn proud) about the exciting network enhancements that residents of the Twin Cities will benefit from as a result of the Republican National Convention. In short, “the Twin Cities are awash in expanded capacity”, says Sprint. Further, “Sprint is not just prepared for the three-day convention; it’s prepared for any unfortunate emergencies that might crop up.” Let’s just hope that includes “wardrobe malfunctions”. Of note, while the release does mention a Satellite Cellsite on Light Truck (whatever the heck that means), the struggling carrier declined to state a position on immigration.

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Usually carriers wait until a device has been on the market a while before re-releasing it in myriad colors. If these promo shots are to be believed, however, it looks like Sprint might be planning a preemptive color strike. The shots depict the upcoming Sprint version of the HTC Touch Diamond in full red regalia. The black is pretty becoming on the Diamond’s diminutive exterior, but the red is certainly looking to be an attractive option. As with all rumors, it’s entirely possible that this is a Photoshop dupe job, but we wouldn’t be shocked if the red Touch Diamond dropped alongside the black when it finally hits store shelves sometime in the next month or two. Specs are expected to be identical to the black version, which is to say the handset will still be a pretty formidable presence and should slot in at the top of Sprint’s smartphone lineup.

[Via WMExperts]

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What would the world do without BGR? Well, you’d probably have a lot less broken AVAYA phones, less screaming, and just all around happier wireless executives. Oh well. We just got our hands on Sprint’s ‘08-’09 roadmap, and there are definitely some goodies in here if you are a current Sprint subscriber. First up is the BlackBerry 8350i. That’s right Nextel-lovers, you’ve got a new phone to play with coming soon! Contrary to other online images of the device, it appears this BlackBerry does not have the hideous external antenna. The BlackBerry 8350i will have Wi-Fi, a 2 megapixel camera, GPS, and run OS 4.6 out of the box! Look for a Q4 release on that bad boy. For the rest of the goods including more lack-luster phones than you can count, hit the jump folks!

As you can see, the BlackBerry 8350i is based on the Curve (obviously), but you’ve got to love that internal antenna now. Wi-Fi and GPS make this the dream Berry for Nextel users. Also, you’ll be able to grab a camera-less version of the 8350i so you can play nice in restricted areas. Holla!

Let’s break down the roadmap a bit:

• The first that looks to be coming out is the Motorola i950
• Launching in early Q4, there’s the Motorola i576 and the Motorola i776
• In mid-to-late Q4 there’s the BlackBerry 8350i
• Coming up around Jan-Feb, we’ve got the Motorola “Monolith” which is some sort of entry-level SureType-type device, what looks to be a Motorola V8-type phone, and a Sanyo iDEN/GSM handset
• Later on in Q2, there’s a Samsung music slider phone, a military-spec “Immersion” phone by Motorola, and the Sanyo Pro410.

Here are the super-large handset images, followed by a couple more slides…

As WiMAX continues to stumble and stammer, people are wondering if the once-exciting prospect of WiMAX in the US is simply a pipe dream. This wouldn’t be the first time a group of competitors rallied together and bribed convinced the FCC to impede progress. With the future of WiMAX up in the air, the struggling Sprint is realizing that it will have to look elsewhere to juice up its data offering for the time being. Finding new ways to leverage that EVDO Rev. A network of theirs is indeed going to be key and making its Phone-as-Modem (PAM) plan a bit more accessible is a fine start. While nothing has been confirmed yet, rumor has it that the new price point in the near future will be a very reasonable $15 / month, down from the current $40 / month. Of course some of us use our handsets as wireless 3G modems without paying an extra cent, but for those unaware of that possibility $15 per month isn’t half bad - especially if the $15 service addition might replace a pricey USB modem or laptop card.

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Ok guys… we respect your determination, your dedication, and your staunch resolution to soldier on in the face of adversity. Seriously, we do. That said, it’s time for you to quit, Sprint. There’s simply no other way to put it. The most infamous losing carrier has released it’s quarterly earnings report, and things are not looking much better than they were last time around. Sprint lost 901,000 subscribers last quarter, amounting to a financial loss of $344 million or 12 cents a share. Sure, it’s a marginal improvement over the previous quarter’s results, but when you’re scraping the bottom of the barrel like this there’s really not much to rejoice about. There’s no telling how long the company can hold on, but considering a fire sale might be a necessary step before bankruptcy comes a’knocking. And you want might to save whatever image you have left by not having your CEO practically beg for your business in advertisements. Just a thought.

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This thing hasn’t been out for more a week, and already Palm and Sprint have issued an update that enables a significant new feature. A new page over at the Palm support site has just gone live, noting the availability of a new patch that brings full voice dialing over Bluetooth support to Palm’s new king of the hill Treo 800w. Oddly absent from the first shipment of handsets, it’s still good to see both Palm and Sprint taking a proactive approach to delivering new features to their customers. Then again, both of these companies need all the help they can get to retain subscribers and users respectively, so any little bit might be too little too late.

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It’s been so long that we almost stopped caring, but HTC and Sprint have come through to deliver a welcome update to the Sprint Touch. Unofficial versions of this firmware have been floating around the web for quite some time, but if you’re the sort that doesn’t like to color outside of the lines, you’ll be happy to know that the official Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade for the Sprint Touch is now available directly from the HTC website. The changes and enhancements that come along with the WM 6.1 upgrade are old hat by now, but we’d still suggest updating your handset if you have the chance, as you’ll reap the benefits of EV-DO Rev. A, enhanced GPS functionality, an OEM version of Opera, and more. Hit the jump for more info!

[Via WMExperts]

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If there’s one handset out there that’s almost as highly anticipated as the iPhone, it’s the HTC Touch Diamond. Announced in May, we’ve been waiting for an official carrier announcement here in the United States. Sprint and Verizon are rumored to be among the first to offer here, but specific dates have been elusive. According to a recently leaked slide, however, it looks like we might be in for a treat come September. Apparently, the carrier is preparing to launch the Touch Diamond as the HTC MP6950 (the current touch is the MP6900), on the 2nd of September, which is just under 2 months away for anyone counting. We’ll work on getting confirmation on this, but in the mean time you might want to salivate a bit over the Telus version,which looks to be launching about a month before we see one down this way.

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Chock this one up to the rumor mill for the time being, but word on the street is that Sprint is getting set to increase data costs for new and old customers alike. According to the SprintUsers site, the carrier will be axing their current standalone Vision and Power Vision plans, which start at $15/month, in favor of mandatory Everything plans that begin at $69/month. Sure, the new plans include voice minutes, Sprint TV, GPS nav, and more, but for anyone that was signed up for a simple data-only plan, this will represent a significant cost hike. What’s worse, we’re hearing word that SERO subscribers could be affected, which means that anyone on the current $30 all-in plan could see another $39 on their bill starting next month. Yipes! Again, treat this with caution right now, but if Sprint starts forcibly migrating existing customers to a higher rate plan, we’re pretty sure some heads will roll.

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Sprint is getting ready to launch to launch their Airave signal booster on July 15th. The box, which should be available from your local Sprint store for $99, plugs into your broadband router, providing you with an added signal boost aided by your home internet connection. The service, similar to T-Mobile’s Hotspot@Home, is targeted at folks that live in a fringe coverage area, but are still tied to a Sprint account for whatever reason. It’s a decent proposition, but we’re pretty sure that the pricing scheme will place it out of reach for most casual users. The service will run you $15/month on an individual plan and $30/month, but the real kicker is that it’s rumored to require an unlimited calling plan to function. Not good. Unlike T-Mobile’s service, Airave broadcasts an actual cell signal, so it should work with all handsets, not just those equipped with Wi-Fi. The bad news, however, is that the device actually has an embedded aGPS chip to determine whether you’re currently located in a country with Sprint service, effectively squashing our dreams of yapping from Mongolia on your Sprint phone. Thanks, Sprint.

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While sales figures were wisely omitted from Sprint’s press release, it has announced today that the Samsung Instinct is the fastest-selling EVDO-equipped handset Sprint has ever offered. Apparently the Instinct is so desirable in fact, that many Sprint locations have run out of stock. All things considered it is a nice handset supporting just about every service Sprint has to offer. The nice big touchscreen, and familiar form factor don’t hurt either. John Garcia, President of Sprint’s Wireless Division had this to say:

“We had high expectations going into the launch so our initial order to Samsung was the largest for any Sprint EVDO handset to date. The strong early response tells us that wireless customers recognize Instinct as a highly-innovative and convenient touch-screen device combined with the fast speeds available on the largest national mobile broadband network. In the first few days of availability, many Instinct devices were purchased by existing customers upgrading their wireless device - we thank our customers for their endorsement of this device, our Simply Everything pricing plan and our company.”

So what exactly do the Instinct’s record sales tell us? People bound to Sprint wish they could get an iPhone.

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In a move that smacks of desperation marketing genius, Sprint has quietly launched a new Samsung Instinct competition. The rules are simple: record a video of you and/or your friends getting crazy with your new Samsung Instinct, upload it to YouTube, and enter it into the contest. Sprint will debit $20 to the first 1,000 entrants. End of story. The producer of the winning video will receive the $10,000 grand prize. Nice. The contest is set to go live on the 30th of June, so you have a couple of days to practice your Instinct antics before you share your gift with the world.

[Via iSmashphone]

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Yeah, you read that one correctly. The Grocery Outlet of the cellular world, Sprint, has finally come out with the Samsung Instinct at the low price of $129 on a 2-year contract after a $100 mail in rebate. This is $70 less than the initial price of $199, which was announced only a little over a week ago. iPhone 3G ripple effect, anyone? Regardless of the reason, this is certainly good news for consumers hoping to grab a touchscreen device compatible with Sprint’s network. We’ll refrain from passing judgement on the handset until we get our hands on one, but $129 for an EV-DO Rev. A, GPS, A2DP, and SprintTV-equipped device ain’t bad at all.

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In a move that’s sure to spark a new round of music video appearances, Sprint has just announced that they are rolling out their next-generation push-to-talk service QChat in an additional 40 markets. Amongst the new cities receiving the instant connection treatment are Austin, TX, Boston, MA, Chicago, IL, and many others. Additionally, Sprint made 4 new QChat-capable handsets available today to commemorate the event. You can now purchase the LG LX400 for $79.99, the Samsung Z400 for $99.00, as well as the Sanyo Pro 700 for $79.99 and the Sanyo Pro 200 for $49.99. As usual, nothing about these handsets is going to impress your executive board, but at least you can “wow” your friends with that lightening quick connection time, right?

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It seems there are some benefits to working for the man. In 2004, a company then known simply as Nextel began investigating whether they could assess ETF’s to government contracts that ended before their pre-determined termination date. At the time, Nextel’s VP of marketing issued a public statement hypothesizing that “the government will never, never accept such penalty amounts”. Uh, ok. After a lengthy process, Sprint-Nextel has now, according to the Associated Press, “ultimately decided against charging the fees to the government even though it charges the same fees to consumers and businesses.” Great. No justification for the selective treatment was given, but perhaps Sprint executives now enjoy diplomatic immunity in the Baltic region. No word on whether other telecom companies harbor similarly shady policies, but we wouldn’t be surprised if this was the case across the board. 

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Just in time for the arrival of the Samsung Instinct, Sprint is preparing to unleash a new set of plans on an unsuspecting public. Starting June 15th, the carrier will be making a number of significant changes. The full rundown is detailed below, but expect new single-user lines starting at $39 for 450 minutes, no more free incoming plans, and the end of separate pricing structures for Sprint and Nextel handsets. The ever-exploitable SERO plan remains ripe for the picking, but will sadly not be compatible with the upcoming Instinct. Check out the full list of changes:

• There will no longer be separate CDMA (Sprint) and iDen (Nextel) plans
• Power Pack and Free Incoming plans are gonzo
• Users can mix and match CDMA and iDen on the same plans (before you had to have separate accounts)
• Single user lines start at 450 or 900 min for $39 and $59 respectively
• Talk/Message/Connect gives unlimited messaging and Direct Connect (Walkie Talkie) but no data - $49.99 for 450 minutes, $69.99 for 900 minute or $89.99 for unlimited.
• Everything Plans (include messaging and data) - $69 for 450 minutes, $89 for 900 minutes or $99 for unlimited minutes
• Unlimited plans include navigation, TV and Direct Connect
• Smartphone MUST be activated on a talk plan with a Vision Pro pack ($30) - or on an Everything plan
• Share plans (aka Talk Share) start at $69.99 for two lines with 700 minutes - add a phone is $9.99 per to a max of 5 total phones on the line
• The Talk/Message Share plans run $99.99 and $149.99 for 1500 and 3000 minutes and unlimited messaging, additional lines are also $9.99. Finally, the Talk/Message/Data Share plans run $129.99 or $169.99 for 1500 and 3000 minutes, unlimited messaging and data. Besides browsing, these plans include Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV and Sprint Radio. Additional lines can be added for $19.99 apiece.

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When it rains Sanyo handsets, it pours. Not content with releasing just one, Sprint is preparing two new handsets for an upcoming June 15th launch. First out of the gate is the Sanyo Pro 200, which sports QChat support, EV-DO Rev. A, and a black and white display. Nothing insane here, but with a suggested retail price of $249.99, and a street price that will certainly slot in much lower, we’re guessing this could be a hit with enterprise customers. Next up is the Sanyo Pro 700, which also sports EV-DO Rev. A, a black and white display, and QChat support. Additionally, the Pro 700 has internal GPS, which allows for Sprint Navigator integration. Expect this one to launch with a $279.99 retail tag. Both handsets should hit the streets on the 15th of June. A couple more shots after the jump!

Thanks, Omie!

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!

Following last week’s news that Sprint would be joining the ranks of AT&T and Verizon in implementing a 5GB cap on some of their advertised “Unlimited” data offerings, the company has issued a response in an attempt to clarify their stance. First off, the new cap only applies to data cards and tethering, which means that anyone with a handset-specific unlimited data plan, including Simply Unlimited subscribers, will not be affected. Business accounts will be similarly unaffected. Furthermore, a single month of overage will not freeze a user’s account. Sprint will be using a three month rolling gauge, with a given user having to exceed 5GB in 2 out of the 3 months to register an infringement. First warnings will be issued as a formal reprimand, with further action taken on a case-by-case basis. Sprint also plans to offer data usage monitoring on Sprint.com beginning June 8th. We’re glad the company has taken the time to clarify their new stance, as misconceptions are often born out certain corporations unwillingness to communicate. That said, we still wish they would simply change the marketing material to something other then “Unlimited” to reflect their new policies.

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We think it’s officially time for all major US carriers to be prohibited from using the word “Unlimited” in their data plan marketing materials. Following on the heels of Verizon and AT&T, Sprint has made the decision to cap their “Unlimited” data plan at 5GB of monthly usage. According to a leaked internal memo, the company is also going to impose a 300mb limit on off-network usage. The cap is set to go into effect on the 13th of July. The good news, however, is that this might give anyone eager to leave the carrier an ETF-free window, provided the change constitutes a “material breach of contract” on Sprint’s end. If you do decide to stay, however, consider yourselves warned as anyone caught in violation of the new limits may find themselves kicked off their current plan, banned from Sprint for life, burned with a flaming stick, or bitten to death by Dan Hesse.

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….albeit a bit late for the many Palm faithful that have jumped ship for more exciting waters. Those that have remained, however, have a little bit to look forward to. The Palm 800w is set to be the first Palm device with Wi-Fi, GPS, and EV-DO Rev. A, all of which should be supported and available out of the box. As far as looks go, the handset appears to be a cross between a Centro and a 750, which is either great or disappointing, depending on your preference. We should see this hit Sprint sometime in the next month or two, hopefully sporting Windows Mobile 6.1. But for reals, though, is anything going to actually run out and get this thing?

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Yeah, we know. There have been a long string of seemingly official Sprint Mogul ROM leaks. Given the history, you shouldn’t get your hopes up too high, but it’s still a good step to see this in the wild. A new version of the Sprint Mogul Windows Mobile 6.1 ROM has leaked within the DEV community. The new firmware, ROM version 3.49 and radio version 3.39.10, is being billed as an "almost official but still beta" release. Among the many updates include HTC’s new large Start Menu, Sprint TV (finally), subjectively faster response time, and a bit more, all running atop Windows Mobile 6.1. We’re hearing June 1st as a possible drop date, but we’ll believe it when we see it.

[Via WMExperts]

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…well, at least in certain sense of the word. A report generated by a Sprint-branded Treo 800w has shown up on DSLReports.com. The speed test reveals a couple of interesting tidbits about the upcoming handset. The phone will be running Internet Explorer 7.1, a much needed overhaul to the company’s current mobile browser. We’re assuming this also means that the device will be based on Windows Mobile 6.1, though there’s nothing in the info to confirm that suspicion. Screen resolution is 320×320, and internet speeds, at least as reported in this test, are a disappointing 475kbps, which is hardly Ev-DO Rev. A speeds. No word, of course, on price or availability, but we’ll keep you updated.

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Like we told you yesterday, the BlackBerry Curve has finally made it’s way to Sprint. The device can be ordered online and through telesales, though we’re not exactly sure when the handset will begin showing up in Sprint stores. You have to admit that $179.99 price is attractive. But, it must irk all you CDMA lovers that when your favorite CDMA carriers finally launch the beloved Curve, the BlackBerry 9000 is right around the corner…

We’ve got a ton of tips over the past couple days surrounding the BlackBerry Curve’s debut on Sprint. Most if not all of those pointed to an official May 9th release date. Here’s a flyer detailing the release date, handset pricing, and specs. The no contract price of the Curve is $599.99! Don’t get too scared, though. If you’re signing up for a 2-year agreement with Sprint (don’t get us started) you can snag one of these CrackBizzles for $179.99 after instant and mail-in rebates. Happy Sprinting. Larger shot after the jump.

Thanks, Optimus, and everyone else that hit us up!