Sprint Dashes To Add New PDA Phones

By Joseph Palenchar On Nov 22 2004 - 8:00am

Overland Park, Kan.The carrier became the first carrier to offer PalmOne's Treo 650 PDA phone and will do so exclusively through January. The PalmOS-based phone with integrated keyboard (see TWICE, Nov. 8, p. 30), is available at $599 without contract and $449 with contract. It features integrated VGA camera and will replace the Treo 600. A non-camera model will be available by the holidays at the same price.

Audiovox's PPC6601 at $629, or $479 with contract, features a slide-out membrane keyboard but without integrated camera for business channels. A camera-equipped model will be available before the holidays at the same price. It will replace the Hitachi G1000 PocketPC phone.

The carrier's first Blackberry features voice and data and was to ship in mid-November at an unspecified price.

Other PDA phones or smartphones available from Sprint are the Samsung i600 Microsoft-based smartphone, Samsung i500 Palm-based PDA phone and the Toshiba 2032 PocketPC phone.