Sprint today announced the availability of the Motorola Buzz ic502 and the Motorola Blend ic402. Representing a new category of handsets, the phones utilize the Nextel National Network (iDEN) for walkie-talkie services and the Sprint Nationwide Network (CDMA) for voice and data services.
Bringing together the best of both networks, Sprint customers now have the power to make voice calls; communicate instantly with Nextel Walkie-Talkie services; and stay connected with Sprint Text Messaging, GPS and other advanced applications, all with one single phone.
The Buzz and Blend will utilize both of Sprint's networks depending upon the service being used. For walkie-talkie services, the handset will operate on the Nextel National Network (iDEN) giving customers the ability to instantly connect with more than 20 million other Nextel walkie-talkie users coast to coast.
Customers can also use walkie-talkie service in and between up to five countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico and Peru) on the world's largest walkie-talkie network. The Buzz and Blend also support Direct Talk for short-range off-network walkie-talkie conversations between users with other Direct Talk-capable Nextel phones.
Voice and data services will be delivered via the Sprint Nationwide Network. Sprint plans offer the largest wireless voice calling area reaching 259 million people in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam. Sprint Vision includes services on these handsets that allow customers to browse the Internet; check email; and download voice ringers, graphically rich games and screen savers, all on the enhanced Sprint Nationwide Network.
Both handsets support SMS text messaging and are GPS-enabled for navigation, including support for TeleNav.
- Motorola Buzz (ic502) - Rugged and professional grade, the Buzz is certified to military specification 810F for dust, shock and vibration, and provides impressive durability in a clamshell form factor. The Buzz weighs only 4.1 ounces and sports a color screen and external display. The Buzz is available in black and will be offered later this year in Indian blue/sterling silver.
- Motorola Blend (ic402) - The Blend will be another appealing option for customers who desire innovative features and functionality that give mobile workforces a powerful edge in a small, stylish form factor.
Now for the bad news: The Hybrid (being renamed PowerSource) phones only use the 1900mhz band from Sprint, it also does not have any analog capabilities. Before purchasing one of these handsets make sure you look at the Coverage tool available through sprint.com. Sprint is trying to bill this as a really nice product, however most who've had it so far has not been happy with it. Also anyone who has used a lot of Nextels will have to get used to the Sprint operating system that these phones use.
2. Posted by bigfella
Wed Feb 07, 2007 3:36 pm
should i not buy the ic502 buzz phone?
3. Posted by hoolan
Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:09 pm
Now I have heard it two ways one is oh ya you can add that to your sprint account (from store) and well you must sign up for a nextel account to use a hybrid phone ( heard that from multiple people from sprint). Is this a case of the left hand and the right hand not knowing what the other is doing? I know in the past when i have had a problem I would just call in till I got it resolved, is this the same case?
4. Posted by McGirk
Fri Feb 09, 2007 4:35 pm
Although it uses CDMA technology for the phone part, it is considered a Nextel phone, and you will have to start a 'Nextel' account to use it, as Sprint and Nextel phones are not yet on the same billing system. As for whether or not you should buy it, you'll have to check the Sprint/Nextel website coverage map to decide whether or not you want to use the PowerSource phone (formerly called Hybrid).
5. Posted by ladie
Sun Feb 11, 2007 12:40 am
This is the worse of worse phones. There no talk time 2hours or less it has major connection problems the drop call rate is above all others and the assesories work sometime. It is not worth the bother. Keep what you have if not you will be going from bad to worse like me from i670 to 1c502 both phone are junk.
6. Posted by McGirk
Sat Feb 24, 2007 3:33 pm
Motorola has admitted that early batches of Hybrid phones had defective chargers in the box, and has a program set up to replace them. You'll have to be patient with a phone that is essentially a first generation model, and may not even have a second generation.
7. Posted by usmarines91
Mon Feb 26, 2007 1:04 am
I have a nextel account and decided to get one of the new phones with the dual network, I have to say the phone coverage service is much better with this phone, and the call quality is much better as well. It all comes down to the basic coverage area, my old nextel phone was find when using the radio, but on the phone side it was lacking a ton of power, now with the sprint network coverage is just great, if you want the sprint service is worth it, and I didn't have to open a sprint accountsit was all done with my nextel account.
8. Posted by brodriguez
Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:15 pm
Does the IC502 need to be configured to receive text messages? Does the text message need to be in a specific format? Am trying to send an email to the IC502 by way of the messaging.nextel extension. Is this still the correct extension? Appreciate any assistance. Thanks!
9. Posted by MissJ
Wed Apr 25, 2007 5:14 pm
Well, unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure of knowing wheather or not this phone is any good. I bought this phone a week ago and am having the hardest time trying to get it activated. Sprint tells me that I have the wrong type of SIM card for this phone. Two problems with this 1. Sprint/Nextel sent me the phone along with the SIM card 2. Why don't they know how to fix it. To say the least I am very dissatisfied with this phone and haven't even experienced it's capabilities.
10. Posted by McGirk
Tue May 01, 2007 12:09 pm
If you are using the SIM card you got with the phone then you 'shouldn't' have any issues. However to activate the phone you do need to be in an area where both the Sprint phone and Nextel radio both works. If you are using the phone in an area where both are supposed to work, and are using the supplied SIM then you may have a defective SIM, which while not common (except with Boost) does still happen. Going to a Sprint Retail location may help if you bought it from Sprint Direct and not another retailers website.
As for whether or not you'll enjoy then phone or not, you'll need to know if you're in an area with both Sprint and Nextel towers. The phone is not not now, nor will ever be capable of roaming off of Sprint's Roaming Network, so phone coverage will not be what you expect from a Sprint phone. This is due to the fact that most of Sprint's roaming agreements work off of the 800mhz frequency, while the Hybrid phones use this frequency for the radio function.
As a warning to further customers Sprint outsources some of the telesales and customer service through IBM, and certain telesales agents for Sprint (no way for me to be certain whom) have been either misleading customers about the capabilities of the phones or are misinformed themselves about the capabilities of the phones. Hybrid phones DO NOT work off of whichever signal is stronger at the time between Nextel and Sprint. Hybrid phones DO NOT work everywhere a Sprint phone works. Both of these have been told to multiple customers that I have talked to. One or two telesales customers I can dismiss as a misunderstanding, when we get into several then there is either a lack of training or a concentrated effort to misinform the public to get a few extra sales.
11. Posted by IOWA
Wed May 09, 2007 5:50 am
Wish They Would Have Had More Features With These Phones, Oh Well. Maybe The Next Gen
12. Posted by McGirk
Thu May 10, 2007 11:07 am
ic902 and ic702 are both due out later this year, but with it's limited coverage, I don't see why anyone would want to invest two years of their life on something that is not the next step, but merely a bridge between what is currently in use, and what is to come.
13. Posted by IOWA
Thu May 10, 2007 4:05 pm
Well I've Just Always Wanted To Be Able To Use The Nextel Two Way Feature You Know? But I'm Not Jumping On The BandWagon Just Yet. I Think They Should Drop Ready Link And Have Sanyo Duplicate The Motorola iDen For The PTT Service. I Love Sanyo Phones.
14. Posted by danilomp
Tue May 22, 2007 6:06 pm
I have a question. i am from brazil and i have a nextel phone line. i am looking for a cool blackberry smartphone. I looker thru the net and i only found the 7100i and the 7520, ar they the only ones compatible for a 100% nextel plan?
Can i use the gsm/cdma hybrid phones available like 8100 (pearl) ?
Helpppp i need other choices!
15. Posted by McGirk
Fri Jun 08, 2007 12:29 pm
If it were an easy 'duplication' then it would have happened shortly after the patent ran out, however everyone still uses their own technology for a walkie talkie solution, and most companies are looking at those other solutions as a way to make extra money, and not as a way to compete with Nextel. Other companies would be taking a bite if they had more phones that offered their respective technologies, and included them with their plans. As it stands, most of the respective companies only have a handful of compatible phones, and customers have to pay for the right to use a feature that few other people have. Stay off the bandwagon, sometime in the next three years an all CDMA phone will be compatible with Nextel's DirectConnect, and Sprint's ReadyLink, that is the future of Nextel, not a slapped together bridge model called PowerSource.
If you do feel the need to try a PowerSource phone, hold off a few more months, the ic902 is scheduled to come out later this summer, and we should expect to see the ic702 out before the end of the year.
16. Posted by artg2
Wed Jun 20, 2007 1:13 am
The battery life on these phones are terrible. Its as if its constantly searching for signals. I get maybe a day and a half of stand-by time. I have other phones that have a much greater stand-by time. My old nextel phone even lasted longer.
17. Posted by McGirk
Wed Jun 20, 2007 2:16 pm
Smaller phone, smaller battery, and yes it probably is searching for signal the whole time. The phone will constantly be looking for two different signals during operation, one the CDMA for the phone, and two the Iden for the DirectConnect.
18. Posted by bobthecow
Thu Jun 21, 2007 5:10 pm
I've had my ic502 for about two weeks now. The battery life it terrible, and I immediately got the extended battery. This lets me get through two days of light data and voice usage.
I was disappointed to find out that it only has 1900 CDMA. The clerk in the store told me it would work on the national network, but if you look at the box, there is a "warning" on the side that says it's 1900 only. Most of us don't get to see the box before we pay for the phone, though. I noticed it when I got home.
The ic502 is no where near as well built as the i355, which I had previously. If you drop it, the battery door is likely to fall off, which I consider to be a big flaw. It looks like it would take light abuse.
I'm going back and forth about whether I'll trade it in for a tri-mode dual band phone, but it definitely has a wider calling area than my i355 phone did. It also has introduced me to dropped calls, which I never experienced with my i355.
I will say that Sprint did call me a week after I got the phone, and offered to ship me a car charger due to battery issues. They also asked whether I was having problems with dropped calls and walked me through switching my phone to roam mode to see if coverage improved. They are being proactive, I guess.
19. Posted by McGirk
Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:51 pm
You could say they are being proactive . . . I guess. The fact that you were told that it would work over Sprints Nationwide Network is extremely misleading. Certainly Sprint had smatterings of CDMA1900 all over the country, but it will NOT work everywhere a Sprint phone will work. Go to Sprints own website and look up coverage for the Powersource/Hybrid phone. You can type in your address to get an idea of how it'll work in your area, then keep zooming out to see how it'll work over the whole country. The page will allow you to switch between Sprint, Nextel, and Powersource/Hybid coverage by clicking the corresponding tabs above the map. Generally this source is accurate. If after seeing that the phone is still what you want, by all means keep it, but go in with your eyes wide open.
20. Posted by kingram
Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:53 am
We have FOUR of these AWFUL phones. We originally had Nextel phones. The coverage was not so great so when they merged with Sprint we switched 3 of the phones to Sprint. The coverage was much better, but the Customer Service was the WORST. You CANNOT understand those people at all. One day when I was talking to Nextel they told me about these new phones and that they would work EVERYWHERE that our Sprint phones work and that we would not have to deal with Sprint Customer Service. So we switched. What a joke! These are the worst phones yet. We drive from CO to CA alot. There is no service in alot of Utah, most of Nevada and alot of No. CA. 80% of the trip we have NO service. I just hope we never have car problems or an accident and actually NEED phone service. I really do not want to pay the Early Term Fee, but I think we will just to get away from these phones.
21. Posted by Cadillac84
Mon Jul 09, 2007 10:26 am
After reading most of this thread, I went to Sprint's website and selected the Coverage Tool for "PowerSource" and entered my ZIP code. A map of the U.S. came up so I zoomed in to see what my local coverage might appear to be.
I live in Alabama!
Sprint, if you are reading this, Alabama is in the Southeastern United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico (a large body of water you should be able to find on most maps) and Alabama is nestled between Georgia (you know, where Atlanta is!) and Mississippi (where not much of anything is).
Alabama is NOT anywhere close to Wichita or Tulsa. We like both of those places, but they're pretty far away from us.
That raises the question: Sprint, do YOU know what your coverage is?
22. Posted by Cadillac84
Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:55 pm
I tried the map again and this time without any ZIP code. I clicked on Alabama in roughly the area where I live and eventually the map of my area was presented. The Nextel coverage seemed to resemble that which I have experienced the past four years (which is to say "it sucks"). The Sprint coverage is "unknown" and the hybrid coverage map did not look good.
I clicked on tower locations recently and proposed and that did not show me any hope for the future.
I think I'll call Nextex Customer Service and see if they lie or tell me the truth.
One thing I have vowed is that I will not enter my fifth year with a phone that doesn't work where I live. I really like my Nextel service. It costs more than I wanted to spend, but for everything I do except stay home, it works fine. I thought I could live with that, but I can't. It means I have to have a long distance plan on my home phone in addition to having a robust Nextel plan. It means that every time somebody calls me at my cell phone, I have to get them to call back on a land line. I don't want to give everyone my home phone number, so I am inconvenienced by having to walk around my yard playing "can you hear me now."
This is my last year with Nextel and I will need some real convincing to make me go with Sprint.
I suppose the best thing might be to go to the Nextel (Nextel Partners owned) store (not a franchisee store) and get them to put my SIM into a phone that they will tell me "this is what you need." If that works, I'll stay another year. If it doesn't, I'm gone!
23. Posted by McGirk
Sat Jul 14, 2007 2:06 pm
At the end of this thread I hope that everyone realizes that 'Hybrid BAD' and stays away from them. Sprint Telesales is purposefully lying to people about where these phones will work. I stated multiple times how they do work, which is nothing like how they are being described to customers over the phone. And for further reference, Unknown usually means roaming on the Sprint Coverage map. If they are roaming where you live, check out Alltel or Verizon.
24. Posted by Presley
Sat Jul 14, 2007 11:17 pm
No Sprint Telesales is not purposefully lying to customers. As NEXTEL and now Sprint Telesales CSR, let me tell you how it is. When Sprint came out with the Hybrid Phone it was only introduced into 24 markets. If you put you zip code on our coverage map and you couldnt find your coverage area that means we dont sell it there. Alabama is just as you stated a PARTNERS area and we did not sell the Hybrid Phone to anyone in the partners area. But that did not stop you people from calling in and wanting it. We have to check the coverage map every time a customer calls in to see whether or not the Hybrid phone is avaliable in their area. If not than we cannot sell it to them. We dont get paid by how many PHONES we sell, we get paid by the hour. If more customers would read up on the phone they are thinking about purchasing and not just looking at the price then there wouldnt be so many unhappy customers! And by that I mean, the talk time, what comes with the phone, the features it has,whether or not the price is for new activation only,if it requires a 2yr. service agreement and finally the return policy!
25. Posted by McGirk
Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:25 pm
Listen, when I have multiple customers tell me they were promised they Hybrid would work in there house, even after it was explained to the Salesperson that a Sprint does not but Nextel does. . .
When I have multiple customers telling me they were told that it pulls off of whatever tower is stronger . . .
When I have multiple customers tell me they were told that the phone would work anywhere a Sprint phone will work. . .
One or two customers I'll chalk up to misunderstanding or hearing what they want to hear. But when ALL of them say the same things, it has to make you wonder.
Everyday I explain to customers the deficiencies of the Hybrid phone, and after the explanation the customer usually easily chooses between a Sprint or a Nextel, and not the Hybrid.
Presley, I'm not calling you a liar, but from everything I have heard, some Sprint Salespeople must be.
26. Posted by Presley
Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:24 pm
Oh Im not saying you are, but dont also say we are trying to make a sale. We get paid by the hour not by the sale.
Most of the people who have bought the Hybrid phones and they didnt work in their homes or area purchased them from a STORE. We've even had customers calling us up to get the phones activated or swapped and when we looked up their zip codes they werent even eligible yet to have them in their market yet. But the 'guy at store' sold it to them anyway. If any of our reps were to sell the phones to a customer, they were automatically flagged by Order Support and stopped from being sent out. You cant always blame the Reps at Sprint. The resources are there for any Sprint/ Nextel Customer on the Website to look up coverage area for the all the phones. We still have today, customers calling up to order the Hybrid Phones and when I tell them that they are Hybrid phones,they ask me what that means. All they see is the price and call to order.
27. Posted by McGirk
Fri Jul 20, 2007 3:59 pm
I know the resources are there, I tell people to check it out themselves and not just take my word. Most of the people taht I see with them bought it over the phone from someone who could barely speak the language. I doubt that is you, but I still hear the same things over and over again about what people are told, and all of it is refuted by Sprints coverage tool on the website. This area may be eligible, but until Sprint expands it's 1900mhz roaming coverage, that phone will not be the first thing on my list to sell. In fact it'll be dead last after exhausting every other means I have to dissuade them.
I do agree on the price issue, it's listed right there with all the other Nextel phones at a much lower price, of course it'll get hits, maybe if Nextel phones didn't cost so damn much more then everyone else's that wouldn't be a problem.
28. Posted by scott5626
Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:01 am
If I look at the map on the Sprint website it clearly states that I am completely in a Hybrid coverage area (unless i am looking at it wrong). but when I call Nextel/Sprint to ask for certain they tell me NO I am not in a area where a Hybrid phone will work? Confused.. zip code 46350
29. Posted by McGirk
Thu Aug 23, 2007 2:52 pm
Okay, I pulled up your zip code and on the Powersource tab it looks like your good. The story to check out is on the Sprint tab. You are in the middle of a large area marked as 'unknown signal strength'. What this means is there is no way to tell how well the phone part of the Hybrid/Powersource phone is going to work. Generally speaking, when it says that, it usually means that Sprint is roaming in that area, and I would not count on a Powersource phone to work inside of Sprints roaming markets.
30. Posted by DrSprint
Mon Jan 07, 2008 12:00 am
As an employee of a Corporate Sprint Store in Alabama, I would like to mention that we ARE NOT a partners market. Me have one of the strongest hybrid networks in Birmingham and Mobile, but due to the factor of geography, Montgomery has not been upgraded yet to support the Powersoucre Phones. Powersource is the next generation for Sprint/NEXTEL. It has some drawbacks now, but give it time. The first cell phone that ever came out did not work perfectly all the time. This is a brand new technology and it will evolve.
31. Posted by McGirk
Mon Jan 14, 2008 5:17 pm
No, the technology will not evolve, Sprint has no intention of permanently running two different networks. As of this year, the QChat phone will be released as the 'future of Nextel'. This phone will be all CDMA based, but will be able to converse with other iDen walkie talkie products. Sometime between 2010 and 2012 the iDen products will cease to work, and anyone using walkie talkie will likely already be moved over into a CDMA based QChat phone, likely at least at this point, to be called a Nextel.
32. Posted by MO2TX
Tue Nov 11, 2008 1:12 pm
My ic502 Buzz phone was dropped into the pool and so I called Sprint/Nextel. I found out what phones I had to choose from so went with a ic502 Buzz phone off of ebay since they are way too expensive from Sprint/Nextel. Go to activate it and now they tell me I have to buy a new sim card from them for top dollar of course because mine is not compatible with it. How is it not? It works to where I have to insert my pin number and then gives me the message. Insert correct Sim. Sim card does not match stored account information. What is up with this? I thought all sims were transferrable to another phone exspecially since it is the exact same phone. That's why I chose to go with the same phone. Is what they say true or are they trying to get me to buy a new sim card for monetary reasons?
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