Sprint brings push-to-talk to some Samsung, LG, and Kyocera phones, more on the way
Now that Nextel is finally dead, and Sprint is busy re-purposing that spectrum for LTE, the nation’s third largest carrier is making sure that old Nextel customers can still make use of one of the biggest selling points of iDEN: push-to-talk. Sprint announced earlier today that it is bringing push-to-talk capability to several existing Android phones in its lineup, with more to come soon, through a downloadable Android app.
These devices can download the app and start using push to talk right away:
- Samsung Galaxy S 4
- Samsung Galaxy Note 3
- LG G2
- LG G Flex
- LG Optimus F3
- Kyocera Hydro Edge
Additionally, these devices will have access to the app soon:
- Samsung Galaxy S 4 Mini
- Samsung Galaxy Mega
- Samsung Galaxy S 4 with Sprint Spark
Sprint emphasizes that the current Direct Connect coverage footprint is three times the size of Nextel’s old iDEN network. Soon, the service will be available over 4G LTE, with an instant call setup time on domestic calls. International coverage in some Latin American countries that use push-to-talk service is also available, with even more coverage coming in the future. It is included in many plans, and will cost an extra $5/month on others.
Some of the other standout features of Sprint’s new Direct Connect service include:
- Sprint Direct Connect on 4G LTE capable devices
- New enhanced user experience
- Interoperable with Sprint® Direct Connect® devices
- Convenient touchscreen controls
- TeamDC and Opt-In TeamDC closed group calling
- Call alerts to notify others you want to talk without interrupting
- Displays contact image for speaker
- Synchronizes contacts with device’s address book
- Create favorites for most contacted Direct Connect® contacts
It’s not known whether or not this will be available on a device like the HTC One, or on non-carrier branded devices like the Nexus 5, but if much of the needed functionality is software-related and can be accomplished through an app, then I’ll definitely be keeping my fingers crossed.
[Sprint]
