Sprint May 5 introduced two new Android smartphones, the Motorola XPRT and Motorola Titanium, the successor to the rugged Motorola i1 that Sprint rolled out last year.
Designed explicitly for business travelers, the smartphones are departures from Sprint’s recent Android-based phone fare, which include the Kyocera Echo, whose dual screens lent themselves well to multimedia consumption, and the Samsung Nexus S 4G smartphone, which is coming May 8.
Powered by a 1GHz processor, the Android 2.2-based Motorola XPRT sports a 3.1-inch HVGA (half-size VGA) display that won’t be mistaken for the quarter high-definition touch-screen of the Motorola Atrix 4G. However, users may still choose to browse the Web on the XPRT’s display and enjoy full pinch-to-zoom capabilities.
Others may prefer the XPRT’s full QWERTY keyboard, which is important for many workers accustomed to texting from a Research In Motion Blackberry or some other keyboard-dominant device while traveling.
Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync for corporate and personal email are supported by the XPRT, which also has a 5-megapixel camera with dual LED flash and a 2GB memory card, expandable up to 32GB.
Following Verizon Wireless’ Motorola Droid Pro, the XPRT includes not only 256-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption but IT administrative controls, such as remote pin and password locks, password recovery and data wipes.
The phone supports Code Division Multiple Access (Evolution-Data Optimized Revision A), GSM/UMTS (High-Speed Packet Access) for international roaming in over 200 countries, and has a 1,860-mAh lithium-ion battery, and allows access to Sprint’s 3G mobile hotspot for connecting up to 5 WiFi-enabled computing gadgets.
Sprint will begin selling Motorola XPRT June 5, in Sprint stores, online, and by phone and business sales for $129.99 with a two-year service contract. The XPRT requires Sprint’s Everything Data plans, which start at $69.99 plus a $10 premium data surcharge for smartphones.
The Sprint Worldwide Voice add-on for $4.99 a month will entitle subscribers to discounted rates in more than 100 countries.
The Android 2.1-based Motorola Titanium leverages Sprint’s “sub-second” push-to-talk capabilities. Like the XPRT, the Titanium has a 3.2-inch touch-screen and a full QWERY keyboard.
Following in the footsteps of its Android 1.5-based Motorola i1 predecessor, the Titanium is certified to Military Specification 810G for dust, shock, vibration, low pressure, solar radiation, and high and low temperatures.
There is as yet no pricing or availability information for the Motorola Titanium, which also has a 5MP camera, a microSD slot with a 2GB memory card, expandable to 32GB and a 1,820-mAh lithium ion battery.