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Sprint/Nextel customers have been hearing rumors these past few months that the company might give up on their iDEN network. And with all the resources and attention on the CDMA side of Sprint (which includes Boost Mobile) lately, it all appeared to be true. Well, late December, Sprint posted a press release reassuring customers that iDEN will live on, at least until 2013. As an iDEN customer myself, I’m glad to hear this but I’m still unsure how this will all play out in the coming years. Even though I like the push-to-talk feature as well as the call quality on iDEN, data speeds are lacking to say the least. And with multimedia and internet connections playing an important role in the wireless world, iDEN’s got a tough road ahead in trying to keep up with that end of things. Even I’m unsure if I’ll continue much longer hanging on to my trusty ol’ iDEN Boost Mobile phone.

Here’s the Sprint/Nextel press release:

Sprint Extends iDEN® Network Infrastructure Supply Agreement with Motorola Solutions for Three Additional Years
Extension agreement, including maintenance support, reinforces Sprint’s commitment to iDEN customers through 2013
Two new iDEN handsets announced for availability in the first quarter; Additional devices planned for 2011

KEY FACTS
- Under the extended Infrastructure Supply Agreement, Motorola Solutions will continue to support the Sprint iDEN network for three years – from Jan. 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2013.
- Motorola Solutions will continue to provide world-class support for software, hardware and systems on the existing Sprint iDEN network.
- Customers will benefit from the same level of high performance services, including industry-leading PTT, mobile telephony, messaging and Internet access.
- Motorola Solutions has more than 17 years of experience supporting the Sprint iDEN network.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

Boost Mobile recently announced that they’ll be releasing their very first touch-screen phone that also features a slide-out QWERTY keypad. Yeah, I know it’s a bit late in the game in comparison to what’s been available in the U.S. market but for Boost Mobile users like myself, it’s time for a little rejoicing.

The new Samsung Seek, which will be out in stores this month, is geared toward social networking and multimedia apps. The phone will feature a 2.6 inch QVGA touch screen, stereo bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera, music player and a microSD memory slot.

There was a time when prepaid/no-contract cell phone customers felt like second-class citizens being forced to use stripped down, bare-boned, feature-less phones. But in the last few years, with the millions of people opting for the less-restrictive, no-contract plans offered by Boost Mobile, the company has obviously heard the cries of those wanting better and more feature-packed phones. And now as you can see on their website, Boost has a great variety of phones available including touchscreens, sliders, the very popular Sanyo Incognito and yes, they even offer a Boost version of the Blackberry.

Besides the variety of phones being offered, I like the flexibility in which you can pay for the service. You can pay by debit or credit card via their website but you can also Re-Boost in-person at a nearby authorized store such as a Sprint/Nextel retailer or the local Radio Shack. They even offer a way to add funds to your account right from your phone. Talk about convenience!

Boost Mobile definitely has a lot going on. I’m especially impressed that they’re constantly working to improve their service and never resting on their laurels. If you’re still with a contract-based service, it just might be time for you to consider breaking free of those chains and switch over to Boost.

Yup, pre-paid cell service has come a long way.

Samsung Seek Specifications:
Operating System Samsung Proprietary sW
Weight 3.85 ounces
Dimension (HXWXD) 4.12 x 2.08 x 0.58
Display 262K TFT, QVGA, 2.6″, 240 x 320 pixels
Talk time 5.8 hours
User Interface Touch Screen w/ Full QWERTY Keyboard
Camera 1.3 Megapixel Camera
Memory 128MB RAM/256MB ROM
Phone book Holds up to 600 entries
External Memory microSD holds up to 32GB
other features: Music Player, Email, Instant Messaging, Internet HTML Browser, Speakerphone, Voice Recongnition

Motorola made the announcement back in March that they’d be releasing the first Android powered smartphone available for the iDEN network. The initial announcement was for the phone to be released through Sprint/Nextel which disappointed a whole lot of Boost Mobile iDEN users. Well, Boost iDEN folks, you’re in luck!! It appears that Sprint/Nextel won’t have exclusive dibs on the Motorola i1 after all. There’s word that Boost will be releasing its own version of the i1 this summer. No official word yet on a release date for the Boost version but there’s already a page set up for the phone on the Best Buy website which is a pretty good sign that it’s indeed for real. The bad news is that the Boost version of the phone will cost $350 since there’s no contract with the carrier. Plus, you can’t use the pay-as-you-go plan with this phone, only the $50 unlimited plan. But for those wanting a smartphone on the iDEN network, this is the only choice (for now at least).

Motorola i1 features: Android 1.5 OS, Opera Mini 5 browser, 5.0 MP camera, built-in Wi-Fi, bluetooth, 3.1″ HVGA touch screen, microSD memory card, nationwide walkie-talkie, 210 minutes talk time, 100 hours in standby mode.

I’m still curious to hear about web access on this phone. Since iDEN wasn’t built for high speed data throughput, surfing the web might be a bit on the SLOW side. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see once the phone hits the streets.

with all the emphasis on CDMA phones on the Boost Mobile network lately, I’m glad to hear something/anything about the iDEN side of things. Especially since I’m an iDEN subscriber myself! According to a recent posting on Boost’s facebook page, Boost/Sprint finally got around to upgrading their text messaging system to help resolve issues users had with texting. You may remember problems of delayed or lost text messages for those on Boost Mobile last year. The issues stemmed from the old iDEN network not being equipped to handle the massive influx of new subscribers wanting to take advantage of the $50 unlimited plan. Oh, and apparently iDEN wasn’t originally designed for things other than voice transmissions. Anyway, the Boost rep on facebook reassures us that we should no longer be seeing any delays/issues with texting.

—
here’s what was posted on FB:

Well folks, a few of you were waiting on some official answers into what we’ve been doing to enhance iDEN network texting. Here it is, hot off the press:

So yes, as of a few weeks ago, almost all iDEN users have been moved onto an expensive new texting platform. You should see improvments at this point!
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iDEN cell phone users rejoice! The first Android smartphone on the iDEN network will be out sometime this summer. Motorola recently announced that the i1 will released through Sprint/Nextel and that Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs” host, Mike Rowe will be the spokesperson for the new phone. Besides the sleek touchscreen design and the Android powered apps, the phone meets 810F military specifications for ruggedness, hence the choice of Mr. Dirty Jobs Rowe. So, apparently, the marketing campaign will be geared toward construction workers, builders, and such. And I guess that makes sense since the push-to-talk feature is a favorite among that particular demographic. Other phone features include: 5-megapixel camera, Opera mini 5 browser, WIFI, microSD and a 3.1 inch touchscreen.

So essentially, the i1 is a super tough phone that runs on Android OS 1.5. I’m not sure why Motorola chose the older version of the OS but hopefully users will have the capability to upgrade to 2.1. The big limitation for iDEN users is that the network was never designed for high speed data. So, mobile web connections will be very slow on the iDEN i1. But still, I’m glad to see a sleek smartphone available for the aging network. No longer will iDEN subscribers have to be embarrassed by their old-school Motorola clamshells, heh. (yes, I still use an old Motorola i880 on my Boost mobile account). Now, if only Boost Mobile members can have their own version of the i1. Either that or simply be able to purchase the Nextel phone outright and use it on Boost (..but I can’t imagine the cost of the new phone WITHOUT a contract. OUCH!).
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This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Boost Mobile. All opinions are 100% mine.

Over the past year, Boost Mobile had a hugely successful ad campaign with their $50 monthly unlimited plan. Millions of savvy cell users flocked over to Boost where there are no long-term contracts and no hidden fees. It’s simply $50 bucks for unlimited calling, texting and web access with no additional fees and even tax is included. The hurdle that Boost was facing with all these additional customers was the strain put on the old Nextel iDEN network. The iDEN technology was never designed for multimedia and high speed internet access let alone the incredible demand from all the new customers wanting unlimited access. Well this month Boost unveiled a new line of phones utilizing Sprint’s CDMA network. Boost seems to realize the limitations of the iDEN network and is now offering an option for those users that want Boost’s unlimited plan WITH the power of Sprint’s 3G web access.

SANYO Incognito is one of the new phones available now through Boost. The Incognito™ SCP6760 features a full QWERTY keyboard, a 2MP camera, video/music capabilities, bluetooth and GPS. The phone is the perfect choice for those wanting to take advantage of the speed of the 3G network but not wanting to pay a premium for it. I’m glad to see Boost expanding their line of phones beyond those iDEN based Motorolas. I like the iDEN band for their ability to get their signal through thick office building walls better than other networks but I was never impressed by those cumbersome Motorola phones. With the new Sanyo Incognito™, you lose the iDEN signal advantage but you end up gaining a whole lot more with access to the 3G network.

The Boost version of the Incognito™ is priced at $129.99 which may seem more expensive than what it’s priced for with other providers but you have to remember that Boost doesn’t lock you into a two-year contract. And because there isn’t a contract, there isn’t much of a discount on the phones. But in my opinion, I’d rather pay for the phone upfront than get chained to a wireless phone company for two LONG years. Get smart and say so long to contract-based phone companies. Get Boost Unlimited today!

Boost Mobile Sanyo Incognito™ (SCP-6760) specs:
network: CDMA
main display: 320 x 240 pixels, 65536 colors, TFT
memory: microSD
size: 4.20 x 2.20 x 0.70 inches
other features:
Full QWERTY keyboard
2MP camera with VGA camcorder and digital zoom
Multimedia (picture & video), text & instant messaging
Stereo Bluetooth(R) capable
GPS enabled
Speakerphone with voice-activated dialing
600-entry phone book
Alarm clock, calendar, calculator, to-do list and voice-memo recorder

My 12 year old son keeps on complaining that the cell phone that I’ve provided for him is too old school. The boy is *12* so I figured that I’d put him on a pay-as-you-go plan on Boost Mobile so that he could learn to be a responsible cell phone user. I made it sort of a “game”, you see. The “game” is basically for him to make the $20 that I’ve added to his account, last for three months. At the end of the three months, I add another $20 to the account. It’s pretty much the typical routine for thrifty individuals on these types of pre-paid cell plans. But for young kids nowadays with itchy-texting fingers, $20 every three months just won’t do. To help limit the use of the cell phone, I initially got him a no-nonsense Motorola i776 which is very basic with no-frills whatsoever. My son wasn’t impressed and hated being seen with the “oh-so-yesterday” clam-shell design.

Well, there appears to be a new option in the Boost Mobile world, and it’s called the Motorola Clutch (i465). It’s a bit more stylish, especially for a Motorola phone, and is the first iDEN phone with a full QWERTY keyboard. My son has been asking for it ever sincing noticing it on the Boost website. A buddy at work recently ordered one so I got a chance to check it out first-hand. It’s surprisingly small for a phone that features a full keyboard. the screen size is a bit small though and so is the keyboard. But I guess the size would be perfect for my 12 year old. It does seem to be a step up from the i776 since it has video recording capabilities but at VGA resolution, it’s a bit underwhelming. The surprising feature for me is the built-in alarm clock and calculator which were both sorely missed on the i776.

But the big dilemma for me personally is the fact that I’m trying to teach my son to control his cell phone usage and this new phone with its QWERTY keyboard, will probably encourage him to do the exact opposite and text more often. The i465 is probably a good choice for those on the $50 a month unlimited plan on Boost but not for those trying to minimize their usage on the pay-as-you-go plan.

sorry son but it looks like you’ll have to continue using the i776 for now.
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