Kyocera DuraMax & Sprint Direct Connect To Launch October 2nd

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Sprint has officially announced their launch plans for the new push-to-talk service. The service, which is called Sprint Direct Connect will be officially launched on October 2nd alongside the Kyocera DuraMax handset. And following up on that single handset, Sprint also plans to introduce two more Direct Connect capable devices before the end of the year.

In terms of the first handset, the Kyocera DuraMax, this will one will be available the same day the Direct Connect service goes live — on October 2nd. In terms of pricing, the DuraMax will be priced at $69.99, which comes after a $50 mail-in rebate and along with a two-year agreement. The DuraMax, as the name implies will be a rugged designed handset and arrive with the Military Standard 810G certification for protection against dust, shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, blowing rain and water immersion (up to 30 minutes in one meter of water). Otherwise, the Kyocera DuraMax will have a 2 inch QVGA display, a 3.2 megapixel camera and a non-slip Dura-Grip exterior.

As for the other devices that are expected to arrive before the end of the year, well, so far the details are rather light. That being said, Sprint did mention that they will be the Kyocera DuraCore, which is another rugged designed (Military Standard 810G) handset as well as a yet to be named “Android device by Motorola.”

Moving on to the Sprint Direct Connect network, this comes as 3G CDMA based and means expanded coverage as well as instant calls, increased push-to-talk reliability and support for “cutting-edge” data applications. Otherwise, breaking the Sprint Direct Connect services down a bit further and we have the following;

• Direct Connect – Instant, one-to-one push-to-talk calling nationwide, with any other Direct Connect subscriber. Direct Connect is the core push-to-talk feature and is designed for interoperability across Sprint and Nextel network platforms.
• Guaranteed Talk Permit – The assurance that when you hear the push-to-talk “chirp” that your call was successfully transmitted.
• Call Alert with Text – Send an audio alert with an optional text message to let another Direct Connect subscriber know you are trying to reach them and why.
• Group Connect – Communicate with up to 20 other Sprint Direct Connect subscribers all at once – nationwide, at the push of one button.
• TeamDCSM – Communicate with up to 200 other Sprint Direct Connect subscribers at the same time nationwide.
• NextMail – Send a recorded message to any email worldwide or mobile handset via text message by using the Direct Connect button.
• Availability Notification – Request the availability status of another push-to-talk member and, if they are busy, request a notification when they are free.