First phone using CDMA in Sprint's iDEN bands passes FCC approval

Why, hello there Samsung SPH-M380! This romantically named phone marks the beginning of new spectrum times at Sprint by being the first CDMA device to function in the ESMR frequency band. Simply put, this means that times when your Sprint-branded device will have a whole new range of frequencies for your CDMA voice/data needs are closer than ever, just as expected after the Now network announced its decision to phase out the iDEN technology inherited by Nextel.

The upcoming handset is hardly a technological wunderkind, though – with lack for Wi-Fi our bets would be on a dumbphone. It will however offer touchscreen input and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, with a microSD slot for memory extension and that's where details end.

Sprint's iDEN transition will free the ESMR band including frequencies in the 817-824MHz and 862-869MHz range for use by CDMA, but this will also mean that the push-to-talk (PTT) walkie-talkie functionality will also have to be replaced. While the country's third-largest carrier has tried implement PTT in the past, it largely failed with the dual-mode CDMA/iDEN phone and the Qchat series. It seems to have learned, and it has a brand-new Sprint Direct Connect service coming up in the fourth quarter of the year. Could this mean that the SPH-M380 will be delayed until then? The FCC approval hints at a nearer launch date, so stay tuned.

source: FCC via Phone Scoop