Sprint Nextel heaves Hail Mary dual-mode phones

A tight embrace might keep a customer from wandering elsewhere, which helps explain Sprint Nextel Corp.’s official release of two dual-mode, CDMA/iDEN phones designed to please iDEN customers who are bedeviling the beleaguered carrier by taking their business elsewhere.
Branded as PowerSource phones, both are Motorola Inc. made: The Buzz (or, if you prefer, the ic502) and the Blend (ic402) 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 sells for $60 with a two-year contract (with a $40 mail-in rebate). The Blend goes for $40 with the same conditions.
The two handsets are fashionably late, having been slated for fourth quarter last year. Testing and certification may have delayed the launch.
Interestingly, a “Sprint Nextel Hybrid ic502” was offered on eBay in September 2006 and fetched $300.