This just in from Motorola and Sprint……
Motorola and Sprint broke new ground with the announcement of Motorola i1, the world’s first push-to-talk Android™-powered smartphone. Sleek and attractive, yet durable, Motorola i1 is the first iDEN device to carry the features of a modern smartphone including a 3.1-inch touch screen, Wi-Fi®, optimized browsing experience with the latest Opera Mini 5 browser, access to thousands of apps and a push-to-talk experience that includes exciting new features. Sprint will begin offering Motorola i1 this summer.
With more than 17 years of expertise, Sprint is the industry leader in push-to-talk, serving the world’s largest push-to-talk community with millions of Nextel Direct Connect subscribers on the fastest national push-to-talk network. Nextel Direct Connect® has set the industry standard for push-to-talk worldwide. More U.S. workers communicate in less than a second with Nextel Direct Connect than with any other push-to-talk service.
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“Motorola remains focused on delivering differentiated Android experiences within our product portfolio,” said Mark Shockley, senior vice president, Motorola Mobile Devices. “With the Motorola i1, we’re excited to offer iDEN users the opportunity to enjoy a feature-rich smartphone with push-to-talk, whether it’s for work or play.”
“As the first Nextel Direct Connect Android smartphone, Motorola i1 with Wi-Fi offers a powerful tool for our customers with access to thousands of applications in the Android Market™,” said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “With rugged durability, a full touchscreen and 5 megapixel camera, Motorola i1 gives push-to-talk customers a compelling smartphone that can withstand some of the harshest environments.”
Motorola i1 enhances the push-to-talk experience with the ability to view who is calling regardless of what application you are in, whether you are managing your emails, checking your calendar, composing messages or viewing media.
With solid body construction that meets military specifications for protection against dust, shock, vibration and blowing rain, Motorola i1 is designed for those who work and play hard. It automatically syncs and integrates office and personal information such as emails, calendar appointments and contacts. Key features include:
- Popular business tools such as Microsoft Document Viewer and corporate sync ensure Word or PowerPoint files can be accessed on the go.
- Message entry is a breeze with both Android standard virtual keyboard and Swype™ virtual keyboards being offered.
- A 5-megapixel camera with flash, geo-tagging and panoramic capabilities provides crisp photos and clearly displays them on the vibrant 3.1-inch HVGA screen. Video can also be recorded and stored on a provided microSD for sharing or future viewing straight from the device.
- The latest Opera Mini 5 browser enables quick browsing over the Nextel National Network and Wi-Fi. The Android browser allows you to see web pages and Flash 8-enabled sites in full view using Wi-Fi.
- Motorola i1 can be continuously customized with thousands of applications from Android Market™.
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Application development information for Motorola i1 is available on the Sprint Application Developer web site at www.sprint.com/developer. Sprint offers developers a free sandbox with iDEN capabilities to test their apps. Sprint is a charter member of the Open Handset Alliance™ and the Sprint Application Developer Program has been providing tools for third-party developers since Sprint first launched the Wireless Web on its phones in 2001.
In addition, Motorola provides developers with broad market reach through MOTODEV, the company’s global program for developers and independent software vendors (ISVs). MOTODEV offers a streamlined path into multiple distribution channels including Android Market™ and operator channels. Developers interested in Android application development with Motorola can visit: http://developer.motorola.com.
Motorola i1 will be available through Sprint in North America in the summer of 2010. Customers interested in Motorola i1 can pre-register at www.sprint.com/motoi1 or www.motorola.com.
Published on March 24, 2010