CDMA2000 1x Ball Continues Roll With New LG Phones
BY KRISTY BASSUENER
JUNE 11, 2002
NEWS@2 DIRECT
The days when carriers could blame slow third-generation wireless
service rollouts on a dearth of compatible phones are coming to a
close. During the 3G World Congress taking place this week in Hong
Kong, the CDMA Development Group says that there are 15
manufacturers of third-generation, CDMA handsets as well as 10
million 3G CDMA2000 subscribers worldwide.
A CDG spokeswoman says that there are more than 100 different
devices on the market worldwide that can access next-generation
voice and data through CDMA2000 1x and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO
networks. In the United States, there are four 3G CDMA2000
devices on the market from Audiovox, Kyocera, LG Mobile Phones
and Nokia.
Today, Sprint PCS and LG Mobile Phones roll out a new CDMA2000
1x phone, dubbed the Sprint PCS Phone 1010 by LG. The
2.8-ounce, clamshell-style phone (pictured above
left and at right) comes in three colors -- silver,
purple or blue -- and includes a number of
advanced features, including a bilingual display, customizable
ring tones and Internet access. Although Sprint PCS has not yet
made an official launch for its 1x services, the carrier appears to
be seeding the market with backward-compatible, 1x handsets
to get the ball rolling more quickly when the service becomes
available.
On Monday, Leap Wireless International rolled out a new Nokia
CDMA2000 1x handset. Like Sprint, Leap does not offer 3G
services at the moment. Carriers offering 3G CDMA services in
the United States include Verizon Wireless and Monet, although
Monet offers a data-only option, 1xEV-DO.
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