Sprint is featuring this nifty little Motorola handset, the i365IS, which it says “…is incapable of releasing sufficient electrical or thermal energy to ignite fuel and cause a fire or explosion. Intrinsically safe devices are safe to use in hazardous areas that may contain flammable gasses, vapors or dust.”
Cool!
The basic specifications for this little gem are:
- Form factor: Intrinsically safe, Mil-spec certified ruggedness in a monolith form factor
- Dimensions: 5.3’’ x 2.1’’ x 1.2’’ Weight: 7.05 ounces
- Network: iDEN® 800/900 MHz for Nextel Direct Connect1, interconnect and data
- Display: 64K colors; 130 x 130 monolith
- Battery Specifications: Max Capacity Li-Ion
- Talk Time: Approximately 300 minutes3
Sprint also describes special safety features of this phone, which should sell like a barn burner! (Sorry, bad puns are de rigeur around here). They include:
- Intrinsically Safe2: The i365IS offers a protection technique for safe operation of electronic equipment in explosive atmospheres, when used with IS battery and accessories.
- Bundled Advanced Features (AFU)
- Emergency Group Call – Takes priority over all other phone activities and makes a special emergency tone in the phones receiving the call. In an emergency, reach everyone in your group instantly.
- Multi-Simultaneous Talk-Group – Listen to up to four talk groups at a time. Don’t miss any important details or safety information.
- Isolated Site Operation – Allows user to continue to make and receive group calls on the hub last used, even if the connection is lost. Ensures that no one is left behind.
- Status Messages – Send call alerts that include predefined text messages to get right to the point.
- Ultra-Rugged Design: The i365IS is a rugged and durable monolith handset certified for military specification requirements including humidity, blowing rain, dust, shock and vibration.
No word on pricing, but Sprint sells the Motorola i365 that is NOT intrinsically safe (the IS suffix) for $239.99 minus an instant discount of $150.00 for an end sales price of $89.99. I expect the -IS model will be a wee-bit more than that.
Jonathan
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Feb 06, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Sprint Nextel Corp. (NYSE:S) will release its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2008 on Thursday, Feb. 19. The results will be posted at www.sprint.com/investors at approximately 7 a.m. EST. Sprint Nextel management will host a conference call at 8 a.m. EST to discuss the results.
This move make sense from a bandwidth perspective since the video download will occur via the customer’s broadband connection required by the HUB, rather than across the Verizon Wireless network.
