First Dual Mode iDEN / CDMA Phone Revealed
Article
Comments 100+
Jul 3, 2006, 11:49 AM by (staff)
![](/img/a/f/1802_322_m_b65d02de970508b615fe750f5381421f.jpg)
The FCC Friday approved the first dual mode handset that will use both Sprint and Nextel's network. The IC502 will use Sprint's CDMA network for traditional voice calls as well as for data access and will use the iDEN network for all Push To Talk features. The IC502 is relatively simple clamshell phone with dual displays and no advanced features other than 1xRTT data for browsing and other online applications. Otherwise, it appears to retain the look and feel of Nextel's handsets. In March, Sprint announced they intend to launch this phone and possibly other similar dual mode models by October of this year.
Sprint and Nextel: SLOWLY dominating the market......& "yes, WE can"
As you know Sprint and Nextel have merged yet they are still seperate entities. In layman terms: when you get a Sprint phone (CDMA) you DO NOT get all of the features of a NEXTEL phone (iDEN)and vise versa. Example: walkie talkie. Both services have it (Sprint: Ready Link; Nextel: uhh...Walkie Talkie!) yet you can't communicate between both services.
The Hybrid Phone
THIS IS HUGE! Sprint is seen as a leader in wireless data communications and has a stronger presence in the consumer market, while Nextel has been the pioneer in the walkie-talkie service and has its primary customer base among business customers. This is just the begining of Sprint and Nextel actually merging together so you get the best of both services and features. And...
(continues)
Two-Mode iDEN/CDMA--an unholy marriage
πΏ
I'm really getting nervous about this as a Two-Mode iDEN/CDMA may look to be very unholy. I won't know what the results are gonna be, but again, I don't know what to say from this point on because I like the iDEN network much better than the CDMA for both phone calls and walkie talkie calls. You have to choose one or the other, but BOTH is such an unholy option that I have to consider this one to be unholy at the moment.
I actually have been seeing a lot of inquires about this phone.
pointless . . .
what is the advantage of still using the iDen for push to talk stuff? why dont they just drop the iDen and use CDMA for everything? π€¨
Because the "pointless" iDen walkie talkie is used by most Federal and State agencies... along with millions of others.... they need quality, and speed... not some knock off system that can't compete.
You are all LAME!!!
Boring...all you guys just talk about the same thing over and over and over again....how about we talk about something else....perhaps...Bush and how great of a president he is....or what about how tmobile is the greates cellular company in the whole wide universe....
I really, REALLY hope you are kidding about the Bush being president and all, because he's not. Anybody who openly states that he can and will break any law he chooses is, by definition, a dictator.
So... are these dual mode phones for the Nextel accounts or the Sprint accounts?
If I am a Sprint CDMA customer, can I buy this phone and activate it on my account? Or is it for Nextel customers only? Also... iDEN phones use SIM cards. Will the hybrid phones use them as well?
you need to change your perception and it will make more sense to you. There are only Sprint customers on different networks. Nothing keeps you from going cross platform as often as you would like besides the effort and headache it might cause you. So...
(continues)
It is hinted for Nextel users, which is all i will say.
Jsnow
Jul 5, 2006, 5:36 PM
This phone doesn't support 800mhz cdma
I just found out from the website "phone arena" that this phone will only support 1900mhz cdma and 800mhz iden. No roaming onto Verizons 800mhz cdma. I'm not too happy about that since Sprint's coverage is minimal without the capability of roaming. Can anyone tell me how we can find out if this is going to be a permanent issue with Sprint Nextel ( no roaming onto Verizon's 800 mhz cdma) or is this just going to be an issue with this phone in particular? Any help you folks could give me would be much appreciated! Thank you.
Jsnow said:
I just found out from the website "phone arena" that this phone will only support 1900mhz cdma and 800mhz iden. No roaming onto Verizons 800mhz cdma. I'm not too happy about that since Sprint's coverage is minimal witho
...
(continues)
It is just going to be an issue with this dual mode phone, there are talks to expand it, but there might be difficulty with all of the frequencies together and applications. So time will tell. By the way, the pc-cards that Sprint has (the Power Vision...
(continues)
I LOVE MOTOROLA!!!!
π π π² π π€£ π
i love motorola...especially the razr....its the best thing to ever happen to the cellular world....my razr is like my best friend....dependable..fun...and has some many good features.....
who wouldnt want a razr---esque..type phone...they are the best..
razr iden
razr pda
razr ptt
razr smartphone
its the best and anyone that denies it is just jealous that cant afford it...
I LOVE ME THE RAZR!!! WHOO HOOO!!!!
I assume you are joking...?
Are you saying $50 is expensive for a phone?
I donβt want the RAZR because there are better phones out there that do more things than the RAZR and plus there are many problems RF wise with that phone as well as the durability with it. By the way I am not in love with Motorola as much as you ar...
(continues)
So I read the user manual....
"Call 888-211-4727 to activate your phone"
"has a sim card"
"Flasing PTT button" π€£
"PCS Vision"
Methinks its a sprint phone.
It is a dual cdma/iden phone, basically for Nextel and Sprint, i dont get when you said; "Methinks its a sprint phone" becuase if it has the Sprint infrastructure it is for them too.
Do you mean for Sprint customers instead of Nextel ones?
URL for the ic502 by Motorola (Dual-Mode)
DirecTalk?
Will this or future Hybrid phones have the option of using the DirecTalk feature without being disconected from the world by going off-network?
In theory you would think this would work.
Craig
Wiscomm
No, this device wont. It would be too complicated with all of the equipment from both IDEN and CDMA and then add direct talk, which is another radio, would be problematic. Could it be done? Probably- it wont though for this device.
I spoke to soon because after looking at more internal information as well as the manual it says that it does indeed have Direct Talk.
Check it out on https://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/oet/forms/blob s/retrieve.cgi?attachment_id=676314&native_or _pdf=p...
(continues)
Hmmm.....
So what do you people think... with this phone: 2 signal strenght indicators? One for CDMA Voice Communication/data/vision, and another one for iDEN PTT?
Hmmm. Disappointing?
So you won't be able to take full advantage of having access to both voice networks with this phone? I have to say...that's what I was expecting of this phone. Now I'm not too excited.
This doesn't really impress me as much as it would have if Moto had found a way to hand off voice calls seamlessly between the two networks...in case you leave a Sprint covered area and enter Nextel territory.
Am I right in taking it that this will be strictly Sprint's voice and data, and Nextel's iDen?
Looks like whoever mentioned the nightmares of GAIT phones can sleep easy.
yea i agree...kinda stupid b/c i dont think sprints voice network is all that great...specifically in my area Nextel's service is probably better.
Are they still going to offer Nextel Phones just for nextel service come october?
Yes, from what I've read. Iden only for DC, CDMA for everything else. This is a good thing as Sprints CDMA is much better for voice and data. I just wish it was EDVO as well.
RUFF1415 said:
... This doesn't really impress me as much as it would have if Moto had found a way to hand off voice calls seamlessly between the two networks...in case you leave a Sprint covered area and enter Nextel territory. ..
...
(continues)
RUFF1415 said:
So you won't be able to take full advantage of having access to both voice networks with this phone? I have to say...that's what I was expecting of this phone. Now I'm not too excited.
This doesn't really impress
...
(continues)
random thoughts
since moto is making these hybrid phones, i wonder if moto will stop making iden only phones and just move their production just to cdma/iden hybrid phones for sprint, and i wonder they could make a slim phone maybe even a razr that has cdma/iden on it and i wonder why moto didnt make a iden razr, i know the razr is getting old but i was just curious about it
here are my ideas for a high-end cdma/iden phone:
form factor: candybar, slider, or flip thin phone
variety of colors
big screen, maybe qvga
cdma 850/1900
iden for dc
evdo or 1xrtt for wireless data
NO DAMN EXTERNAL ANTENNA!!!
bluetooth
mp3 player w/ a micro or minisd slot
advanced personal management features or even customizable ones
windows mobile or palm os
if any...
(continues)
No Razr type phones (because of the PPT button apparently). There are still going to be iDEN only phones made. There are still a bunch of them that people KNOW are coming.
And that phone (or at least a bunch of what you want) probably isn't that f...
(continues)
So you want a thinner treo 700 with an intenna and DC?
Let's rally to palm, if everybody does, they'll make it!
Oh, wait it'll be $799.99 before rebates, or something else ridiculous.
$400? the least expensive current palm or windows phone...
(continues)
Actually there are rumors that there will be an IDEN razr type phone but I wont speculate further. I am sure you can Google it and you can see.
It would be cdma 800, 1.9 not 850.
Just an FYI, these types of phones are in the works but they are...
(continues)
listen to you people...
how can you already be bitching about them not developing a phone that runs voice/data on both iDEN and CDMA ... THIS IS THE FIRST PHONE TO RUN VOICE ON CDMA AND IDEN ON PTT!!! Give them some time! honestly... i would have LOVED to hear what some of you people had to say back a few years ago when cell phones were the size of coffeemakers! i can just hear it now "ohhhh thats sooo big why cant they make them smaller..."
and im sure some of you bitched when the RAZR came out "oh thats not thin enough" ...
now your bitching because the phone doesnt work the way you want!?! be happy sprint is releasing this phone as a START and just wait to see what comes ... before you complain!
Feel better now???? π π³
I might have said it better myself, but I dont have to considering you did. π€£
To hit a few points from the other posts about this article.
1. Sprint never promised a phone that did BOTH networks completely. This is the exact phone that Sp...
(continues)
Woot!!!
It might not have the best features, but I know about half a million people that would kill for this phone right now...
And so begins the re-birth of the nightmare that was a dual band TDMA/GSM phone....Long live the rebirth of the GAIT nightmare!!! Good luck Sprextel!!!
CptFarlow said:
It might not have the best features, but I know about half a million people that would kill for this phone right now...
why? Thanks
dammmnn..you know a half a million people? that must be one hell of a birthday party
Did you notice that it didn't say it would work on Sprint's ReadyLink system? That means you still can't two-way a Sprint customer with the Nextel phone.... Don't get too excited yet.
Well, it has just the basic features because this is one out of many types of these phones that will come out and they want to see if it will be a success and in my mind it will be after talking to many consumers. Everyone knows why these types of pho...
(continues)
looks a bit "sketchy" to me
π€£
just kiddin