Will there be a phone that will be able to work on both the Sprint and Nextel?

[MUHillbilly]

Will there be a phone offered that will be able to work on both the Sprint and Nextel network? If so, when? Do you think it will end up being the most expensive phone out there to buy?

I have Nextel and I got their newsletter, but it didn't explain things too well in my opinion.

[MOTOhooligan]

Originally Posted by MUHillbilly

Will there be a phone offered that will be able to work on both the Sprint and Nextel network?

I highly doubt it... although Cingular had GAIT*, so maybe. I would think that trying to fit iDEN and CDMA in one handset would prove exceedingly difficult.

*TDMA and GSM service in one phone.

[agentHibby]

What I understood Motorola was working on it. When they announced the merger it looked like maybe Christmas time they would have 1 or 2 iDEN/CDMA phones. If it will happen it will be sometime into 2006 or 07 if it does happen.

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by rancidhooligan

I highly doubt it... although Cingular had GAIT*, so maybe. I would think that trying to fit iDEN and CDMA in one handset would prove exceedingly difficult.

*TDMA and GSM service in one phone.

I'm thinking they could do it, Nextel customers are used to big, heavy phones so they probably wouldn't notice any difference. (Except better voice quality when connected to CDMA) My only question is this ... Why bother? Isn't Sprint's coverage more complete than Nextel's? It seems that Nextel doesn't work when you leave populated areas (almost as bad as T-Mobile)

[cards89]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

I'm thinking they could do it, Nextel customers are used to big, heavy phones so they probably wouldn't notice any difference. (Except better voice quality when connected to CDMA) My only question is this ... Why bother? Isn't Sprint's coverage more complete than Nextel's? It seems that Nextel doesn't work when you leave populated areas (almost as bad as T-Mobile)

Nextel stated in a letter to all current users that they would switch to one technology by 2010 and double coverage would not be possible

[MUHillbilly]

So, in other words my Nextel phone will not get better coverage using Sprint's network?

In 2010, what will become of all the Nextel towers?

[Jay2TheRescue]

Originally Posted by MUHillbilly

So, in other words my Nextel phone will not get better coverage using Sprint's network?

In 2010, what will become of all the Nextel towers?

I would imagine after co-locating CDMA at all of the towers they would just shut-down the Iden network.

[MUHillbilly]

I'm now thinking of switching to Cingular after my contract is up in about a year. I live in the Cincinnati area. Do you think this is a good move?

[MOTOhooligan]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

I'm thinking they could do it, Nextel customers are used to big, heavy phones so they probably wouldn't notice any difference. My only question is this ... Why bother?

Oh, I'm sure they could do it, but like you say, why do it? I didn't think of the fact that current iDEN customers are already used to bulky handsets. I was thinking more along the lines of the CDMA Sprint customers switching to big iDEN/CDMA handsets, not iDEN Nextel customers switchging to iDEN/CDMA handsets. I'm surprised to hear that they were actually working on a CDMA/iDEN phone.

[cheviot]

I will address two in this forum with one...

1) The info that I have so far from Sprint (what little that is) is that there will be no dual handsets. The PTT feature will be integrated into the upcoming CDMA handsets, and the iDEN frequencies will be abandoned as part of the push for increased emergency communications (part of the move to abandon TV channels 60-69, such as what happened to make room for the 800MHz cellphone frequencies with the abandonment of channels 70-83). I have an old Sony Watchman TV that will receive five-second snippets of Cingular's analog/TDMA cellphones (including a SE DF388vi that I had). To comment on what the gentleman said earlier about a deadline of 2010 for the integration and iDEN shutdown, they are actually pushing for a two-year timetable; they have to perfect and release the PTT on 1900MHz first...

To the person in Cincinnati asking about Cingular:

2) IMHO, Cincinnati Bell is the best way to go. They are using a form of what the rest of the country calls Cingular Blue, which is the old AT&T GSM/TDMA (I still use one of the AT&T GAIT phones when out "in the styx"). The Sprint technology, although in some ways superior, is not the global standard, and is more pricey than CBW in all aspects. Cingular would be ok, especially if you are looking long-term, but again my advice would be to go local in your case, as CBW is very good in the customer service department...