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View Full Version : Sprint To Carry Audiovox PPC6600 - New CDMA Pocket PC Phone


Janak Parekh
10-25-2004, 04:00 PM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/10-25-2004/0002307934&EDATE=' target='_blank'>http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/s...02307934&EDATE=</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Sprint is truly enabling mobile professionals to have an office in their pocket with the Sprint PCS Vision(SM) Smart Device PPC-6601, the much-anticipated, full-color Sprint PCS Phone featuring Microsoft Windows Mobile 2003 software and embedded Bluetooth(R) Wireless Technology. Marketed by Audiovox, the PPC-6601 will be available early next month exclusively through Sprint business channels for a suggested retail price of $629.99. Later this year, Sprint plans to offer another version of the device, the Sprint PCS Vision Smart Device PPC-6600, which will include an embedded VGA-quality camera with flash and video capability. This second version of the device will be offered nationwide in all Sprint sales channels, including Sprint Stores and online at http://www.sprintpcs.com."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/parekh-20040625-Sprint6600.jpg" /><br /><br />We <a href="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=29383">posted on the rumors before</a>, and it's good to see it official -- not only will they carry the HTC Harrier (the CDMA Pocket PC Phone with slide-out keyboard), they'll be selling both camera and cameraless versions. :D The only catch is that the Harrier doesn't have integrated WiFi like the Blue Angel, and it has yet to be seen what Bluetooth profiles will be supported (the rumors circling around this morning suggest that Dial-Up Networking has been turned off on the Treo 650, which will be carried by Sprint shortly as well).

Underwater Mike
10-25-2004, 05:59 PM
Guess I'll be the first to moan: Without the DUN profile, this is a non-starter for me, regardless of device capabilities. Sprint's heavy-handed and restrictive approach to data and Bluetooth use is what drove me to GPRS after six years as a SPCS subscriber.

I can see this being attractive to PPC users who might've gone over to a Blackberry or Treo, but I don't think that it'll be a big success in the consumer market until Sprint comes up with a more competitive wireless data strategy.

that_kid
10-25-2004, 07:15 PM
Great network speeds, good coverage but their customer service and heavy handed actions are killing them.

bkerrins
10-25-2004, 08:42 PM
Cingular...where are you?

ikesler
10-25-2004, 09:00 PM
Great network speeds, good coverage but their customer service and heavy handed actions are killing them.

Took the words right outta my mouth........ 8O

maximum360
10-25-2004, 09:09 PM
What do you mean by "heavy handed actions"?

I've never been a Sprint customer but I've heard less than positive reports about their customer service.

that_kid
10-26-2004, 12:04 AM
What do you mean by "heavy handed actions"?

I've never been a Sprint customer but I've heard less than positive reports about their customer service.

Sprint likes to block the things you can/can't do with devices. Like having dial up networking profiles removed from bluetooth devices or removing all data cables from stores so no one can connect their laptops/ppc's to a sprint phone. The right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing and if you call 5 times you'll get 5 different answers. This really isn't anything new with them, I remember these things going on about 5 years ago but now with all the data products and devices around Sprint's trying to control their customers too much instead of just giving them what they pay for.

thunderck
10-26-2004, 02:09 PM
What do you mean by "heavy handed actions"?

I've never been a Sprint customer but I've heard less than positive reports about their customer service.

Sprint likes to block the things you can/can't do with devices. Like having dial up networking profiles removed from bluetooth devices or removing all data cables from stores so no one can connect their laptops/ppc's to a sprint phone. The right hand has no idea what the left hand is doing and if you call 5 times you'll get 5 different answers. This really isn't anything new with them, I remember these things going on about 5 years ago but now with all the data products and devices around Sprint's trying to control their customers too much instead of just giving them what they pay for.


The Data thing is a business decision and Sprint and VZW will continue to take steps, to some degree, to use the data capacity for high paying business customers and keep a large part of the consumer happy with more fluff than function, camera phones, **cough**. Weather us techs like the policy or not the facts are that Sprint is number two in average price per bill, second only to Nextel. PPC community at large is not big enough for us to be pandered to...... yet. :wink: Sprint is going to sell business the data network capacity they have until data is cheap enough to them or VZW to pull the trigger and offer cheap(er) data service. This will happen at some point. CDMA providers will have faster data until something else comes out and business will go after the speed because they can afford it. The rest of are left with slower GPRS, data seconds. T-mobile has great data devices and data prices because they have to go after consumers because big business works with the faster Sprints and VZWs of the world.

cubed
10-26-2004, 04:21 PM
When we let Sprint know about our switch, they were very concerned and asked who we switched to. I told them T-Mobile and they responded, "Oh, well we don't consider them to be competition."

Fine, if that helps them sleep better at night.

wbuch
10-28-2004, 05:10 PM
sprintpcsinfo.com reports that apparently you will be able to use this as a bluetooth internet connection:

http://www.sprintpcsinfo.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=615

Underwater Mike
10-28-2004, 06:58 PM
No offense, but I'll believe that when I see it direct from Sprint on their site, not via a channel that the CS folks can disavow any knowledge of. Been there... :roll:

sprintpcsinfo.com reports that apparently you will be able to use this as a bluetooth internet connection:

http://www.sprintpcsinfo.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=615

wbuch
10-28-2004, 07:02 PM
No offense taken, just reporting it as a possible interesting tidbit of information.

wbuch
10-29-2004, 11:39 PM
No offense, but I'll believe that when I see it direct from Sprint on their site, not via a channel that the CS folks can disavow any knowledge of. Been there... :roll:

sprintpcsinfo.com reports that apparently you will be able to use this as a bluetooth internet connection:

http://www.sprintpcsinfo.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=615

Brighthand is reporting that the Bluetooth functionality will not be crippled in Sprint's upcoming devices:
http://www.brighthand.com/article/Sprint_Is_Not_Crippling_Bluetooth