The push-to-talk BlackBerry rumored to be coming from Sprint now has a face and a release date. The BlackBerry 8350i is due to drop before the end of the year, and breathe some unexpected life into the Curve brand. With the BlackBerry Javelin well on the way, you would count on RIM to leave the predecessor in the dust - not so! On top of that, the brand new –50 designation could spawn a whole slew of 8000-level iDEN BlackBerrys. As is, the BlackBerry 8350i will launch with both Wi-Fi and GPS (something only the BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry 8820 have done to date), have a 2.0 megapixel camera, and run OS 4.6. Any push-to-talk users out there hankering for something like this?
(via BGR)
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Will it work on the entire sprint network, or just on nextel?
OMG yes, practically anyone still stuck with a 7100i or even older iDEN ‘berry would be wanting this! These will sell like hotcakes!
@ak:
It says it is an iDEN device, not a CDMA device. Strange that RIM wouldn’t put both so Sprint could market it alongside their other hybrid phones. Short-sighted on RIM’s part?
(Sorry for multiple comments Simon)
Isn’t it funny how people attributed the existence of 8310 and 8320 to RIM couldn’t fir both WiFi and GPS into the Curve shell? Bah!
How much memory? More or the same as the 8330? I left Sprint and gave up all CDMAs forever, so too bad this won’t be GSM because I’d love to have one. I guess I’ll keep waiting for the Javelin to replace my 8320.
Am I wrong or would this be the only 8XXX device to support OS 4.6? It is really is an 8XXX series in the same way as the rest, then might other 8XXXs also support OS 4.6 in the future?
Such a shame this phone isn’t a hybrid. If it were I would get one in a heartbeat.
Will it have voice activated GPS and calling? I’m ready to get rid of my 7100i.
It’s about time there was another iDEN only unit. If I still worked for the company I’d rather pimp that than an all CDMA unit as my personal phone. Congrats to all the Nextel holdouts, you’ve earned it!
Hey Nikolaus, let’s get OS 4.5 for REAL on 81xx/83xx/88xx devices, THEN worry about 4.6!!!
It would be coming with OS 4.6 because that is supposed to be the “OS baseline” by the time this ships. Kickstart and Javelin are supposed to be out around the same time frame and are also rumored to be coming with OS 4.6. My suspicion is if RIM does an OS 4.6 for 8350 and 8220, they will do an OS 4.6 for the other 8xxx devices. Now IF individual carriers “cert” it for their devices on their network is a whole ‘nother matter….
not sure I got it
I truly can’t believe Sprint has not put a single ounce of energy to capitalize on one of its true strengths in purchasing nextel= Competitive Advantage–that is to say after much time have not brought to market a pda phone w/ push-to-talk. Sprints voice service is strong here in Metro Detroit along w/ Nextel (and yes I know that nextel is an older network) . I truly believe Sprint has taken a bad rap on overall business, but I am going to have to jump on the band wagon here and say how disappointing it is that Sprint does not have the insight to capitalize on one of it’s core competencies since purchasing nextel– that new advantage was supposed to be push to talk along w/ sprint high speed voice/data network. I can’t believe this new 8350 is not even a hybrid. Come on Sprint, because of your lack of action, foresight, whatever you want to call it–you have let nextels ptt slip slowly into our distant memories. Never thought I’d see the day Verizon & AT&T would even get a foot in the door on Push-to-Talk. Sprint! You’ve got the right plans, now capitalize on bring the best of nextel (PTT) to more sprint based phones–especially smartphones/pda’s. Sprint is still my favorite network, but I had to leave it for the iphone3g (by the way, att’s 3G doesn’t come close to sprints high speed performance & consistency)–never the less I stick w/ att & a $160 phone bill because the Sam.Instinct is great, but not great enough to replace the iphone—–BUT, You know what?! A Samsung Instinct, Rim Blackberry, Motorola Q, HTC pda that came with Qchat/Nextel PTT button hands down would have my iphone up on Craigslist in minutes. Sprint! Use the cards you were dealt when you purchased Nextel–Play w/ a full deck! —final thought–if not then sell to T-mobile! (Talk about a company that’s maximized/created competitive advantages out of thin air! They don’t even have 3G, but have capitalized on UMA over Wifi Technology and somehow managed to be an industry changer in landlines offering its landlines @ $10.00 unlimited/month)–not to mention they market in Pink! (ok, I’m rambling, forget that last pink statement–I’m sure women love it)
I was told that it will be hybrid , sprint isne releasing any iden network phones only. All phones will be either hybrid or just sprints network.
it says that it has a release date but there is not one on the site. it only says the end of the year… that is 4 months that it could be. What is a Q4 release?
the 8350i will be an iden only phone but also expect a evdo rev a sprint phone with high speed push to talk
joe, please tell me your right on that. Truly can’t believe sprint has not capitalized on a PDA with Qchat/Nextel. That is really one of their distinctive advantages over the other carriers. I hope they wake up and push some products out. CDMA even w/out Rev A is better technology. Right now my phone is the new iphone 3G –this thing has more glitches/slow than I can understand. I know apple knows it. I can’t pickup a constant 3G signal if my life depended on it (and I am talking in the city-not country). Honestly, I should have kept my 1st gen iphone ( I turned the 3G off as I finally gave up on dropped call signal–not to mention my battery life issues) Sprint brings out a Rev A PDA w/ Push to Talk and I’ll be there the day its available. I’m sick of the car payment (ATT) bill I get in the mail every month. I probably could be leasing a brand new car w/ that outlay. AT&T is out of control and they are way overrating their 3G. Time to give Sprint a break!
can’t wait to get my hands on this phone. getting tired of my i930 already
Does anyone know when the actual release date will be? I can’t wait. I need to know!
Just like many of one, I can’t understand why it has taken so long. With the merger, the marketplace has been anticipating phones (especially PDAs) with this technology from day one. Finally Sprint is starting to get the picture. I can’t wait. When is the “actual” release date?
My rep tells me they will start testing this next week and hope to release in late October if all goes as planned. This info from his corporate rep.
Ben. Thanks for the info. Keep us updated.
will this blackberry 8350 have the same services as the ic902.sprint and nextel together. thank you
CDMA sucks. The IDEN call quality is far superior to anything on the market and the 7520 was the BEST quality Nextel IDEN phone I ever owned. What you all dont realize is the IDEN web speed may suck, but the call quality is 10 fold better because they dont compress the crap out of the audio. Just put a Nextel to land line and CDMA anything to land line and you will hear the difference on both sides. Also the IDEN 7520 seemed to have much better reception than any IDEN phone of the past. The PTT might be a little spotty in places, but it’s still better than the compeitions PTT. QCHAT is slow as crap. If sprint markets this right, this will bring a ton of customers back. If they put Sprint CDMA in this thing, I would hop to Verizon so fast just in pure spite because they abandoned IDEN. I will never own a sprint CDMA phone (for voice) as long as I live, the service stinks. If Sprint hadent broken sales rule #1, it costs more to get a new customer than to keep the ones you have, they wouldnt be in this mess. But instead, they let their uneducated crap CSR’s act like people working for a collection agency, hence the mass exodus. Nextel never gave me a bad experience. BTW. My nextel bill has been paid in full since day 1 and NEXTEL has almost always treated me like Royalty. Thats the MAJOR reason I’m still with them. I agree with Jared on one major point. Sprint totally did nothing with Nextel but try and get everyone to switch to CDMA and abandon. The had the trump card and acted like they didnt care.
For those of you who seem hung up on hybrid Sprint phones, you must not be aware of how such devices work. Moreover the hybrids are GONE they were a stopgap to move folks off of IDEN in overcrowded areas to free up bandwidth. The hybrid works by giving you CELL coverage on 1900mhz CDMA (doesnt roam 900…sorry) and NDC coverage on IDEN. They in no way “Share” coverage on the two systems.
Let hybrid die. Smart on RIM’s part to avoid that system alltogether.
Sprinthead is correct, the hybrids were a stopgap measure and are now discontinued.
The 8350 is a Nextel/iDen only phone, it does not run on sprints network. I know we have all been waiting for qchat and who knows if we’ll ever see it. I’ve heard a few rumors (rumors) that nextel will be spun back out of sprint and that there have been upgrades happening in nextel’s iden network over the past several months.
To be honest, besides the summer of 06 when the network melted down, I don’t care if it’s nextel iden or qchat as long as it works and I see an updated handset. I’ve been on a 7100i for what seems like years and eagerly await any new blackberry with PTT. I am one who feels the sprint nextel merger didn’t bring a thing to us long time nextel users and it doesn’t appear that the merger went well at all. So maybe time to step away and go it alone.
Roveer
For those few Nextel customers still around this will be great. This is long over due. Now if they could just come up with a true free phone (no MIR) they could take the market by storm again! They need to look back on the old Nextel days and take some notes. 1 Free phone, increase customer service (Local CARS), launch a new BB more often then once every 2 years and build out some more towers to show everyone you believe in the IDEN network.
Release Date wont be till December, thats what I heard. I hope I am wrong though.
I have to agree with everybody. The merge with sprint sucks. I thought it was going to be better. I too am a long time owner of NEXTEL. I think about ten and a half years. I had ATT for two months “SUCKS ASS” and went right back to my nextel. I cant wait until the new phone comes out. This will be my first blackberry. I didnt like the 7100. I like the 8350i. Any pointers from anyone about blackberry. Please let me know.
I am hoping this is out by April 1st, that is when my contract is up, I want one now but I would like the discount for re-upping my contract, lets hope it comes out soon! If this didn’t have a camera I would think about dumping NEXTEL to get a camera capable blackberry
From my rep: Nov 2 in stores and possibly Oct 15 for corp accts that get mailed devices… so as early as this week!
Ben, is your rep a reliable source? I want this phone NOW!
Sprinthead: Hybrid phones are not done. I just picked up 25 602 phones for our department. Our Gov’t rep told us the opposite. They have renewed production on the 602 and 902 until they work out some of the SERIOUS problems with the CDMA based DC. He also echoed what another poster stated about it possibly being a hybrid as the data rate on the iDen is not as speedy as the RevA networks..Here’s to hoping..In our area, iDen phone service is TERRBILE, whereas Sprint is outstanding.
Does the 8350 have “beaming” capabilities where information can be transfered from one device to another as with the plam treo and centro devices?
so november 2nd right??? BUT what about the october 15th stuff?? i want this phone bad!!!! how much is it going to COST!!!!????
Sprint will release it when they are good and ready. Translated, this means as late as possible. I have the 7520 and have had it since they first came out. It sucks and I need this phone now, but they refuse to give it a release date. My 7520 has major issues and I refuse to buy another since this is promised for anywhere between October and 2045. It will probably be closer to the latter.
i just spoke to a Nextel representative and he said this phone is going to come outt 12/1/08 or 12/2/08. I am verry excited about this phone and cant wait to get it.
I really Wasnt this phone I can not wait for this to come out does anyone have any info on how much this phone might cost !!! I need to Know !!!! I have been all over looking for this info!!!
now if I can get one unlocked/opened so I can use it on Telus in Canada, so were not like 2 years behind on phones
Has anyone heard any more about this phone on the exact day that it is coming out? I know someone said 12-1 or 12-2 but it’s getting close to that date and I haven’t heard anything else about it.
Talk to our gov’t sales rep. He said December 2nd is the day. Now, interestingly enough, according to him, they will only be available via telephone or internet order. No store sales until end of Q2 or Q3 oif 2009. I’m still on the fence about it. More I think about it, the less appealing the iDen data speeds seem to me 24kps vs Rev.A….