Sprint launches phone module for Visor

Sprint PCS Group will roll out a CDMA (code division multiple access) module for Handspring Inc.'s Visor next month that will let users turn their Visor into a Sprint PCS phone for voice and wireless Internet access, the companies announced.

The Sprint PCS Wireless Web Digital Link will be manufactured by CDMA product vendor AirPrime Inc., and will be available online and in stores from next month, the companies said in a statement. The Digital Link module allows users to make calls from anywhere on Sprint PCS' nationwide network. The module's battery provides seven hours of talk time, or 300 hours of standby time and weighs 3.4 ounces (95.2 grams), the companies said.

The module will also be compatible with 3G (third-generation) telecommunication technology when Sprint begins offering 3G service next year. The 3G service will offer speeds up to 144K bps (bits per second), and a software upgrade for the module will be available from the middle of next year, the companies said.

In addition, an existing Sprint PCS customer buying the Digital Link module can share the same number and service plan between their Visor and their mobile phone, a Handspring spokesman said.

Pricing for the module was not immediately available, but just last month Handspring cut the price of its own VisorPhone GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) module from US$249 to $49 when purchased with a one-year service contract from specific wireless providers.

Handspring, in Mountain View, California, can be reached on +1-650-230-5000 or http://www.handspring.com/. Sprint, in Westwood, Kansas, can be reached at +1-816-854-0903, or via the Web at http://www.sprint.com/.