Sprint’s large business customers in Kansas and Colorado can now purchase the Sanyo Pro-200 and Pro-700, supporting Qualcomm’s QChat technology, through Sprint’s regional direct sales department.
These two new devices work off of Sprint’s EV-DO Rev. A network resulting in call connection speeds of less than a second. The Pro-200 and the Pro-700 will have the following features available:
- Direct Connect: the push to talk feature made popular by Nextel
- Call Alerts: an alert that lets the user know that another Nextel Direct Connect user is trying to reach them
- Group Connect: lets you connect to upto 20 Direct Connect customers at the same time but does not work with Nextel or PowerSource devices
- One Number: the same number can be used for Direct Connect and voice calls
- Missed Call Notification: lets the users know when they miss a Direct Connect call
- Sprint Mobile Sync: Sprint users can add, edit or delete contacts online and have the updates pushed to one phone or a group of devices – also allowing to retrieve contacts if the phone is lost or stolen
- DC Permissions: users can control who can reach them using Direct Connect by allowing or blocking other users
- Call Screen: works like an answering machine -allowing you to hear the caller’s message before you pick up
- Restrict & Lock: allows you to control incoming and outgoing calls along with data usage
The aforementioned phones are also expected to go into wider consumer availability through TeleSales on April 16th, and retail channels on April 20th.
Do you know what retail channels will get them on the 16th and 20th?
As stated in the article, TeleSales will begin to take orders on the 16th, with Sprint Stores and third-party dealers expected to begin sales on the 20th.
That changed, the launch is now set for June 1st, not April 16th and 20th.
Remember, engadget said next month Vzw will launch thier own DOrA ptt, June better be a nationwide launch then
We’ll touch base with Sprint media relations again, but I really doubt Sprint would put out a press release and not issue a correction over such a delay. As far as we have been informed by Sprint, the 16th & 20th launch dates are on-track. Stores are taking stock… so, I doubt there has been a delay of that magnitude.
Is buddy going to give you approximations on release of the rest of the brood?
I’m not sure what you mean… the V950, Z400, Z700, and LX-400 are all slated for release over the rest of the year. Specific dates haven’t been set for them yet.
I have read some of the reviews of people that have bought the phones (VA, CO and KS) are the Pro 700 is the hot ticket. The Samsung Z400 is not good. My only concern is that all the reviews have said that if you can not use the phone in a EVO-DO Rev A network, the PTT does not work. Since this is a new network, how do we know if the towers around us are up-graded. I have called the TeleSales four times and been given two different answers. Yes I can get the Pro 700 and no I can not, because it is not offered in my area. How do I find out if the towers around me have been up-graded?