Where you at? Sprint Direct Connect Now brings push-to-talk to select Android devices

DNP Sprint Direct Connect Now app brings pushtotalk to Android devices, where you at

Sprint announced on Wednesday the availability of its new Direct Connect Now Android app, which brings push-to-talk capabilities to the Kyocera Rise and LG Optimus Elite with support for other devices "coming soon." Compatible with both Nextel and Sprint Direct Connect devices, this free app features group calls for up to 21 people, touchscreen controls, call alert notifications and contact synchronization. While we appreciate this advancement in push-to-talk communication, we can't help but shed a tear reminiscing about the good old days of Boost Mobile's "where you at?" campaign. Please join us as we pour one out and celebrate faded memories of the chirp.

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Where you at? Sprint Direct Connect Now brings push-to-talk to select Android devices originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Oct 2012 17:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of September 17th, 2012

Mobile Miscellany week of September 17th, 2012

If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, Sprint hit more than one milestone that it just had to share and Nokia teased the latest app that's exclusive to Lumia owners. We then discovered a very rare BlackBerry and also learned of the latest city to get prepped for T-Mobile's LTE service. Hell, we even stumbled on a new smartphone for old people! These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of September 17th, 2012.

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Mobile Miscellany: week of September 17th, 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 22 Sep 2012 21:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint pulls iDEN handsets from retail, continues to sunset legacy Nextel network

Sprint pulls iDEN handsets from retail, continues to sunset legacy Nextel network

With only one year to go before iDEN bites the big one, Sprint's making sure subscribers steer clear of devices that run on the legacy service. The aging tech, famous for its walkie talkie-like feature, is now one foot solidly in the grave as the carrier's removed all compatible handsets from its lineup, as well as subsidiary Boost Mobile's. That those particular phones and accompanying network have reached a grand EOL status should come as no surprise -- the operator's been quite public about plans to shift existing push-to-talk subs to its newer CDMA-based DirectConnect service and clear up spectrum for a planned LTE rollout. Clearly, Hesse and co. have seen the future and they're no longer content to play catch up with handicapped smartphones.

Sprint pulls iDEN handsets from retail, continues to sunset legacy Nextel network originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint sets a best-before date for iDEN push-to-talk: June 30th, 2013

Motorola Titanium and XPRT for Sprint

Amidst all of Sprint's eagerness to phase out its iDEN network, the carrier hasn't given us a hard cutoff date to mark on our calendars until now. If you're still rocking that Motorola Titanium, you may have to drop your Nextel push-to-talk dreams as soon as June 30th, 2013, the earliest possible date Sprint says it could shut down the legacy service. Government customers will be getting a friendly paper reminder on June 1st of this year to make sure they're using CDMA Direct Connect phones like the Admiral well in advance. The switch-off will mark the end to a long and troubled chapter in the Sprint Nextel era, but if it helps bring about 800MHz LTE sooner, we're all for it.

Continue reading Sprint sets a best-before date for iDEN push-to-talk: June 30th, 2013

Sprint sets a best-before date for iDEN push-to-talk: June 30th, 2013 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 12:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sprint confirms Direct Connect Now, will offer Push-to-Talk services via smartphone app

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Sprint's been rather quiet at this year's CTIA Wireless in New Orleans, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been sitting around without making any sort of noise. This morning, the Now Network let the cat out of the bag about Direct Connect Now, which is a service that will allow any regular smartphone user the opportunity to use the company's push-to-talk services in very similar fashion to devices that come with PTT already built into the hardware. How is this made possible? Simply put, there's an app for that -- or at least, there will be one coming to Google Play at an unspecified time in the not-too-distant future. This doesn't mean Sprint is giving up on hardware-based Direct Connect devices: new models will continue to be released going forward, but more smartphone users will at least have an opportunity to take advantage of the services in one way or another. More info as we receive it.

Sprint confirms Direct Connect Now, will offer Push-to-Talk services via smartphone app originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 May 2012 12:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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