Sprint Nextel slashes price on CDMA/iDEN ‘Blend’ phone

On the heels of a phone launch it declared a “linchpin” in its efforts to maintain high-value iDEN subscribers while migrating them to its CDMA network, Sprint Nextel Corp. cut the online price of one of its CDMA/iDEN dual-mode phones from $40 to free. The “Blend” (aka ic402) was offered online for $40 when it was introduced.
The move appeared to reflect a degree of urgency at the nation’s third-largest carrier, which has suffered an erosion of its iDEN customer base due to network issues and the availability of push-to-talk services-iDEN’s core value proposition-at other carriers. Sprint Nextel did not made any other pricing changes during the past week.
Sprint Nextel recently launched the both the Blend and the Buzz, which it calls its “PowerSource” phones. The phones combine the carrier’s iDEN network for walkie-talkie services and CDMA network for voice and data services. The Buzz provides military-grade protection against dust, shock and vibration in a clamshell form factor; it was introduced at $60 with a two-year contract (with a $40 mail-in rebate). The carrier continues to maintain that price. The Blend was introduced at $40, but is now free.