Is that iDEN's swan song we hear playing in the background? Nope, apparently not. Buried in between fits of bad news in Sprint's earnings call yesterday, CEO Dan Hesse chatted up the rollout of its next-gen PTT network, based on Qualcomm's QChat technology that rides atop EV-DO Rev. A. Currently available in just a very small handful of markets -- and only to business customers, at that -- Hesse says that the new Direct Connect goods will be available in 40 markets over the next few months, and on a full 80 percent of its EV-DO Rev. A network by the end of 2008. That setup gives Sprint a nice migration path from its legacy Nextel network, but interestingly, Hesse says that the company's "economic analysis" suggests that it should actually keep running iDEN and QChat side by side. Of course, if this is the same nature of "economic analysis" that got it into the financial pickle it's currently in, it might just be worth... you know, reanalyzing.

[Via mocoNews]

Looks like we might all be waiting just a few more weeks before we're given the green light to descend into the next generation of push-to-talk nirvana (or hell, depending on your perspective). phoneArena is claiming that the national release of Sprint's QChat-powered PTT system -- and the phones to go along with it -- has been pushed back to June 15, though it's not known whether the delay's due to technical issues, a desire to have all of the new phones available on shelves at once, CEO Dan Hesse's whim, or something else entirely. For what it's worth, business customers in Denver and Kansas City already have access to the Sanyo PRO handsets, so you guys should really revel in your exclusivity while you still can.

Sprint contacted us today to let us know that it owns the exclusive North American rights to Qualcomm's QChat PTT technology, which raised a very interesting question: what the heck is Verizon using, then? PhoneNews is suggesting that Big Red's actually using an upgraded version of BREWChat, Qualcomm's old-skool PTT system that had originally been developed for and deployed on 1x networks. If true, that'd be a big ol' scoop of irony, considering that BREWChat had been billed all along as a precursor to QChat that would offer seamless upgrades to the newer system -- but since Sprint scored exclusivity on it, it's possible that Qualcomm is doing everything it can to skirt the issue and score some extra cash by hooking up BREWChat with some of its newer technology's goodies. We'll update this one as we know more.

[Via phoneArena]

Remember how we said Verizon was prepping a next-gen PTT launch right behind Sprint? It's still on, and we're starting to get a trickle of intel on at least two devices that'll spearhead the festivities. The first is going to be -- yep, you guess it -- a Motorola, the V750 flip to be exact. The other is going to be the next episode in Casio's G'zOne series of niche-but-popular outdoorsy handsets, which will be known as the c711. Both feature EV-DO (including tethering capability), GPS, Bluetooth, cameras, media capability, and a fat ton of onboard memory, while the G'zOne adds a compass and "rugged styling," which we think is code for "it's not as tough as it looks." We're not sure whether these are still on track for a May launch, but that V750 we saw sure looked ready for prime time, didn't it?

As we've long known, Sanyo isn't the only company contributing goodies to the opening volley of CDMA Direct Connect devices for Sprint -- LG, Motorola, and Samsung all want in on the action, too. LG brings the LX400, featuring a 1.3 megapixel camera in a burgundy shell; it's not our cup of tea, but folks looking for something on the non-rugged side of the PTT spectrum might find their soulmate here. Next up, the Motorola V950 is pretty notable since it marks Moto's inevitable foray away from its own iDEN tech and toward something just a little more modern to support the push-to-talk functionality its users so deeply love. It's a media powerhouse, too, thanks to external music controls, a microSD slot, stereo Bluetooth, and a 2 megapixel cam. Finally, Samsung comes to the table with two models: the rubberized Z400 (surprisingly appearing to be the most hardcore of the foursome) that trades consumer-friendly features for a tough shell -- though they've still felt the need to slap a 1.3 megapixel cam on there -- and the Z700, a fancy, refined set that looks fit for duty in the most fancy of pockets and shares much of its spec sheet with the Moto V950. Pricing and availability haven't been announced for any of the four, but we imagine they'll be pretty reasonable given the overall modesty across the line.

Motorola, the patron saint of iDEN, is departing its own safety net in preparation for the imminent launch of Sprint's next-gen push-to-talk network based on EV-DO Rev. A and Qualcomm's QChat technology. The V950 flip -- unannounced, save for an FCC mention -- appears to maintain some elements of the ruggedness its iDEN line is famous for, but by the same token, there's a certain... shall we say, CDMA-ness that undeniably exudes from the new piece. There's a camera, external music controls, and microSD expansion, too, so it's clear that Sprint won't just be targeting this one at the construction worker types. No word on a release date, but the first volley of QChat-enabled devices should be launching any minute now, so we could theoretically see this in the next few weeks.

[Via Phone Scoop]

We've gotten the inside track on a few dates on Verizon's radar for the next few months, and it looks like the boys and girls in red are prepping an interesting mix of exclusive and Sprint catch-ups to keep customers fat and happy. As handsets go, the Motorola Q9c is planned for April along with the TouchFLO-powered XV6900, LG enV2, and the CDMA rendition of the BlackBerry Curve (so much for exclusivity clauses on this one, it seems), while the Samsung Glyde is currently slated for late April or early May. Centro fans will be happy to hear that the diminutive Garnet phone will finally hit Verizon following Sprint and AT&T launches in the tail end of May or the beginning of June, followed shortly by the Nokia 6205, which apparently isn't either the 2505 or 7205 unless one of those flips have been renumbered.

As technology goes, Verizon looks to launch EV-DO Rev. A-based push-to-talk services -- Sprint folks will know this as Qualcomm's QChat -- toward the end of May. We've also caught wind of something called "Verizon Hub," which we're told will go head-to-head with T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home service. It's not known whether this'll be a WiFi setup (a la HotSpot@Home) or adopt Sprint's CDMA femtocell strategy, but seeing how Verizon and Sprint seem to be endlessly engaged in a game of cat and mouse, we wouldn't be surprised to see 'em go with femtocells. We don't have a date on Hub just yet, but it's targeting the second half of the year at the earliest.

Update: Commenters are noting that Verizon's do-all FiOS phone bares the "Verizon Hub" name, though it doesn't go head-to-head with HotSpot@Home -- and the Hub we're referring to is showing up on Verizon Wireless roadmaps. Weird. We'll keep a close eye on this one.

Word on the street is that customers might be getting their first crack at Sprint's QChat wares rather soon -- April 16, to be exact. The news comes from phoneArena, which reports that the LG LX400 (pictured) will be launching alongside Sanyo's PRO-200 and PRO-700 on that fateful day, presumably along with the Direct Connect tech (and iDEN heir apparent) itself. The LG is rumored to be coming in at an SRP of $279.99, while the two Sanyos check in at $249.99 and $269.99, respectively. Also slated for April launches are the BlackBerry Curve 8330 in "titanium" along with Sanyo's Katana LX, a replacement for the Katana II that'll presumably keep its slim profile but carry over the forgettable VGA cam.

The trickle of QChat-enabled handsets for Sprint's Direct Connect push-to-talk service is in the process of turning into a flood now that manufacturers don't have to worry about dealing with Moto's proprietary iDEN network, and Sanyo is the latest to join the party with a pair of models named SCP-PRO200 and SCP-PRO700. As the names and ID label renderings imply, these will likely be ruggedized models targeted squarely at the same audience that currently snaps up iDEN equipment, so go ahead and get ready to drop these things, splash them with mud, and generally treat them like poo. Both are equipped with Bluetooth and EV-DO, so they'll be able to hold their own with the remainder of Sprint's midrange whenever they get around to launching.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Read - Sanyo SCP-PRO200
Read - Sanyo SCP-PRO700

Despite recently spouting off about its continued commitment to iDEN, Sprint appears to be going full-bore with its QChat rollout, too. The FCC recently tipped us all off to the Samsung Z400, a rather rugged (or rugged-looking, anyway) clamshell that marks a departure from Motorola as the prime supplier for its PTT wares -- and now we have an entry here from LG. Looking considerably less rugged, we'd wager that Sprint is making the call to start marketing PTT in earnest to markets outside Nextel's traditional strongholds (construction and the like). Our tipster tells us that the display appears to be about the same size as the Muziq's, and in general, the phones feel similar. If all goes according to plan, we should see this one on the streets some time next quarter.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Seems a bit odd seeing a rugged, PTT-centric phone on Sprint Nextel that isn't getting sourced out of Motorola's ranks, doesn't it? Indeed, get used to it -- this here is a phone supporting Qualcomm's QChat protocol, the CDMA-based push-to-talk standard that Sprint will be phasing in as iDEN dies a long, slow death. The Samsung Z400 (not to be confused with the phone of champions) clearly takes a page out of Motorola's book, though, by gearing up with plenty of rubber bits, so even if it ends up not being particularly rugged, it'll certainly look the part. It also features a media player, camera, Bluetooth, and support for some sort of "chat and dating" service (seriously, look it up in the manual!) so we have some hope that adding some manufacturers to the Direct Connect ranks is going to spice things up a bit. No word yet on when this one might launch.

[Via Phone Scoop]