CELL PHONE REVIEWS

With incompatible networks, a strange ad campaign featuring one of their CEOs, and a boring product line up, Sprint has yet to define a personality for itself. Where as rival companies have already solidified their existence in the market by using catchy marketing slogans, popular handsets, and a variety of services. It isn’t surprising they have had a declining revenue and loss in subscribers as of late.

But recently, Sprint has released a new ad campaign focusing on fun facts about their network, and focusing on the Palm Pre, which features the Palm WebOS. Besides the Palm Pre, they are also introducing more trendy handsets in their lineup, including the Samsung Instinct, and the HTC Touch Diamond. Not to mention the RIM Blackberry Tour, and it’s first Android device the HTC Hero, which beats the T-Mobile MyTouch 3G in specs and features.

All of this means that Sprint is working its way back up, establishing their place in the market, and even trying to rival other major mobile companies. Although, the recession means fewer clients and less revenue for everyone.

Apple’s rival, the Palm Pre from Sprint, has received approval to block the Smartphone from operating iTunes software. The Palm Pre was the first phone that could connect directly to iTunes, pretending to be an iPod or iPhone and accessing Apple’s store. Palm released the Pre as a iPhone competitor, and Apple was quick to crush their iTunes accessibility.

Palm worked around that by updating the Pre’s software so their phone would give out Apple’s USB vendor code.  They complained that Apple was using the code improperly, by blocking competitors. The industry standards group which released the USB vendor code disagreed, notifying both companies in a letter. This letter warned that if the Palm Pre is updated again to include Apple’s vendor code, thereby restoring the iTunes feature, it would violate the groups rules.

There has been a long rivalry between the two companies, which originates with Jon Rubinstein. And it’s no surprise, considering Jon, the CEO of Palm, but was previously an executive at Apple whom oversaw the iPod.