I cant vouch that this is the real deal...but the poster definitely seems knowledgable. This is, by far, the best explanation of what PCS is doing that I have seen.
sprintuser.com
3G DEVICE FAQ
When will 3G phones be available to Sprint PCS customers?
In the first phase of 3G 1X, phones will be offered to consumers that are 3G voice and 2G data. These preliminary phones, available beginning in October 2001 with the Kyocera 2255, will offer Sprint PCS enhanced network capacity, once the 3G network is switched on. Phones that are 3G voice and 3G data will become available to consumers at least by the mid-2002 time frame. These later phones will provide Sprint PCS enhanced network capacity and will support faster data speeds.
What does this mean to the customer right now?
The first 3G phones that you will begin to see in the next several weeks, which are marked "Qualcomm 3G CDMA," will not offer tangible benefits to the customer. When and where the 3G network is available, customers may experience fewer dropped calls...but this is not something we can promise or to which we want to call attention. The “Qualcomm 3G CDMA” marking on these early phones simply means there is a 1x microchip inside the phone. Keep in mind, these phones are the first phase of 3G 1X phones, which will provide enhanced network capacity only for 3G voice when the network is available. These phones WILL NOT support 3G data and likely will not be upgradeable in any way to do so. Should a customer ask about the “Qualcomm 3G CDMA" marking on the phone, it is important to explain the limitations of these early 3G voice and 2G data phones and to focus on the many salient features of these phones. If the customer does not mention 3G or the 3G marking, you should not bring up the topic at all…focus on the many meaningful phone features and the quality of service we sell today.
What will 3G be able to do in the future?
With certain phones, enabled with 3G voice and 3G data, consumers eventually will be able to enjoy enhanced e-mail, Instant Messaging and Wireless Web browsing, thus bringing the wireless experience closer and closer to the desktop experience. In addition, applications are being considered which would allow consumers to make purchases, manage bank accounts and transfer funds, as well as play interactive games, view video clips, etc. These new applications will be introduced in phases as the network achieves higher data speeds. Remember: NO 3G-specific capabilities within 3G devices (neither 3G voice nor data) will be realized for either the network or the customers until the 3G network infrastructure is in place and is up and running. Again, the target for national launch of the 3G network is June 2002.
Will you need to get a new handset when 3G is available?
No. A phone that works today on the Sprint PCS 2G network WILL continue to work as it does now on the 3G network of the future. With the launch of 3G services, existing customers still will be able to enjoy the same services they do today on their current Sprint PCS Phones, including the same Wireless Web access and applications. Phones we support and the new transitional phones mentioned above will continue to offer the features presented at launch. However, should customers wish to take full advantage of 3G data services, which will provide enhanced data speeds, once these services are available, they would be required to purchase a 3G voice and data phone.
Can you clear up the confusion about the Sanyo 4700 and the Sanyo 5150 upgradeability from 2G to 3G?
The 4700 and 5150, which will launch as 2G voice and data phones, are technically upgradeable to 3G VOICE (NOT data). Both phones have a 1X Qualcomm 5105 chip set, but will not be ready for 3G voice at launch. The 3G voice software for the Sanyo 4700 will be available soon, and new units shipping in early to mid-December will be enabled. The tentative plan for the 5150 is that 3G voice software will be available late this year, again for newly distributed handsets. We probably will not go back and proactively upgrade the handsets already in the market...unless, possibly, if we make the software available to the stores for when the customer comes in for an upgrade, anyway.
Are any phones being launched with full 3G voice capability and 2G data, before the network is ready for 3G voice/3G data devices?
The Kyocera 2255 as launched is 3G-voice capable/2G data. The same will be true of the TP5250, Motorola 120X and Sanyo 6200. They all will have the hardware and software for 3G voice as launched. But, again, WE SHOULD NOT SELL ANY 3G VOICE/2G DATA PHONE AS A “3G PHONE.” These phones function the same, from a user standpoint, on a 2G network as on a 3G network.
Will we upgrade any of these phones to 3G data?
No. These early handsets with 3G voice software and 4.1 browsers (which work on our 2G network) would not function for browsing at the high speeds on our 3G network. They do not have the WAP 2.0 browser or other features that enable and optimize 3G data. Therefore, to take advantage of 3G data capabilities, customers will need to have the fully enabled 3G phones we are working on for the launch of the 3G network in June of ’02.
LG has claimed in the media that the 5250 is 3G voice AND data upgradeable and that it supports J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition). Kyocera made similar claims about the upgradeability of the 2255. Can you explain?
We know this is a confusing scenario when the manufacturer legitimately can tout the "upgradeability" of these handsets because they do have a 1x chip set. But neither of these SPCS phones will, in fact, be “upgraded” by Sprint PCS for 3G data. (They both are enabled for 3G voice.) They both have a browser that will not connect to our 3G server as our network is designed. The features in the phone are not designed to have the memory capacity for the J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition) application platform, which is dependent upon the 3G server, and is the platform on which many of our future 3G applications will be built. Certain features that are necessary to work on our 3G network simply were not yet developed and tested at the time these phones were developed.
Therefore, while the phone theoretically could be totally overhauled for 3G data and J2ME on the Sprint PCS 3G network, that would not be practical or a good business decision. There will be a true 3G-enabled LG and Kyocera phones in the works or on the market by our 3G network launch that will take full advantage of the 1x chip set. That is why it is so important to set appropriate expectations on these transitional phones and why we keep reinforcing that they should not be sold to customers as "upgradeable devices."
What about future data-centric devices?
The next Sierra Wireless and Novatel modem cards may be released as 2G devices. However, if so, the devices will be upgradeable to 3G data. The Airprime Handspring module launched in November as 2G (voice and data). The current plans are for this module to be upgradeable to 3G voice and data. Watch for specific news about other data-centric devices.
Won’t phones such as the Sanyo 4700 and Kyocera 2255 be obsolete by mid-2002?
We absolutely MUST NOT position phones as becoming "obsolete" next year, as the 3G network will be backward compatible. 3G phones will vary and increase over time in capabilities and benefits, but none will be "obsolete;" and they will continue to have the functionality communicated at launch. The true definition of "obsolescence" is that the product will no longer function. This will not be true of ANY of our early 3G voice/2G data handsets NOR...for that matter...any of our 2G phones we'll be selling the heck out of in Q4 of this year.
Will devices with 3G voice and 3G data be available and functional before the June 2002 launch?
Testing for these devices will not be complete, especially for 3G data, until sometime in Q2. While we may choose to do so for an isolated national account, for example, in order to set them up with the coming technology, it is important to know that voice functionality is backwards compatible from 3G to 2G networks. However, the browser function on 3G data devices will not function at all on our 2G network, due to the differences in our 2G and 3G infrastructures. Therefore, you will not see widespread availability of these devices until the 3G network is launched.
I’ve noticed better clarity on my 3G voice phone. Is this attributable to 3G?
Remember that, even in a 3G voice phone such as the Kyocera 2255, 3G voice is not engaged since the 3G network is not yet up and running. Nothing directly related to 3G about a 3G device itself will improve voice clarity. Nor is the idea of greater clarity with a 3G voice phone on a 3G network a promise we can make.
When the 3G network is in place, the Frame Error Rate (FER) possibly could improve in a situation where 3G voice phones create efficiencies on the 3G network, which would improve call quality. Additionally, a call in a fringe coverage area could be held longer. But we cannot promise this experience to a customer. What you may be noticing with your phone are improvements in the hardware of some of the newer devices over devices you may have used before.
What are some of the features that will be typical in the 3G phones of the future?
Phones typically will have high-quality voice/sound capabilities, including the ability to play audio clips within a browser or java session, with 16-voice MIDI synthesizers.
Displays increasingly will gravitate to high-quality grayscale and color screens. This will position consumers to take advantage of the full range of 3G-enhanced products of the future. Downloading high-quality graphic images, such as GIFs, Animated GIFs, JPEGs, PNG and WEMP graphics, as well as Midi sound files, multimedia video clips, will become a reality.
Browsers will support Mobile IP with up to six user profiles. Different users will be able to sign into the same handset for personal data sessions that will recognize the individual user’s profile and bill that person appropriately, even if the device itself belongs to someone else.
Bottom line: We have some great devices in the works that will help make the 3G applications of the future come alive for the customer.
We have heard some selling the new product Ringers & More as a 3G feature on 3G phones. Is this correct?
No. Ringers & More was launched on our 2G network as a 2G product on a limited number of devices, initially, including the LG5250, Sanyo 5150 and the Kyocera 2255. Ringers & More is a precursor of what will become an all-around richer experience in a Java environment in our 3G world for graphics, sounds and speed. |
