In a Shift from Nextel's Network, Sprint Releasing Rugged CDMA Phones

Although Sprint has already announced their plans to phase out their iDen network acquired by Nextel, they haven't given customers on the aging network a real reason to switch over to CDMA. In a first move to change this situation, Sprint has released the Sanyo Taho, a rugged flip phone that runs on the CDMA network. Although the phone isn't totally waterproof, it can withstand total submersion in up to one meter of water for thirty minutes, along with other military-grade specs. The phone doesn't have any type of push-to-talk service that doesn't use iDen, however, so this is only a phone for Nextel customers that like the rugged style of some of the phones. Sprint also has the Motorola ES400S smartphone, which is also a rugged phone. The ES400S has a full QWERTY keyboard on a candybar design and is running Windows Mobile 6.5.3. (Sprint)

Sanyo Vero Launched on Sprint

While there has been lots of talk about smartphones lately, there have also been other, more basic phones released on Sprint, like the Sanyo Vero. The basic flip phone features a 1.3 megapixel camera, a large and easy to use keypad, and text and picture messaging capability. The phone can hold 600 contacts in it's phone book, and it's name means "true" in Italian. The Vero also has a "glow-thru" external display that, when not active, blends in with the rest of the phone. The phone also has great battery life and a soft-touch backing for a better grip. The phone will be available for $9.99 with a new two-year contract from Sprint. (Sprint)