Sanyo Pro-700 (Sprint)
Manufacturer: Sanyo Part number: PRO700KTA
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The Sanyo Pro-700 is a good push-to-talk phone with a ruggedized exterior.
Read more
Where to buy
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CNET editors' review
Sanyo Pro-700 (Sprint) price range: $89.99
- Reviewed by: Nicole Lee
- Reviewed on: 06/06/2008
- Released on: 06/06/2008
The good: The Sanyo Pro-700 has a rugged military-spec exterior and works with Nextel's Direct Connect push-to-talk network. It also has built-in GPS, Bluetooth, and great performance.
The bad: The Sanyo Pro-700 is rather bulky with a lackluster display.
The bottom line: The Sanyo Pro-700 is a good push-to-talk phone with a ruggedized exterior.
When Sprint merged with Nextel almost three years ago, there were concerns with how Sprint would integrate its CDMA network with Nextel's iDEN network, and how the two companies would coordinate their respective push-to-talk services. A new push-to-talk technology was developed by Qualcomm, called QChat, to help that process along. QChat is a CDMA upgrade to iDEN, and allows interoperability between CDMA phones and the iDEN network. Three years later and we finally see the first QChat phones to hit the market, in the form of the Sanyo Pro Series--the Pro-200 and the Pro-700. Even though both phones are CDMA handsets to be used via the Sprint network, they are compatible with Nextel Direct Connect.
The Pro-200 and the Pro-700 have essentially the same features, with different designs. The Pro-700 is the bulkier of the two, because it is clad in a rugged exterior built to military standards. Aside from push-to-palk capabilities, the Pro-700 has Bluetooth, built-in GPS, a speakerphone, and EV-DO Rev. A. The Pro-700 is definitely built to withstand the elements, and is slightly more expensive than the Pro-200 at $69.99 with a new two-year service agreement.
Design
The key difference between the Pro-200 and the Pro-700 is in design. The Pro-700 is clad in a rubberized shell and is definitely ruggedized for the great outdoors. It's built to military standards, meaning it will withstand dust, shock, and vibration. However, it's not water resistant. Measuring 4 inches long by 1.8 inches wide by 0.8 inch thick, the Pro-700 is only a slightly bigger than the Pro-200, and weighs a bit more at 3.8 ounces. Thanks to the rubber exterior, the Pro-700 has a very nice feel in the hand, with a good solid grip. Unlike the Pro-200, the Pro-700 is clad in almost all black, except for a silver chrome border around the external display.
Similar to the Pro-200, the Pro-700 has a 1.5-inch monochrome external display that shows the date, time, battery life, signal strength, and caller ID. Backlight time and font size are adjustable. The speaker grille sits underneath that. Above the external display is a speakerphone microphone, which is only activated in speakerphone mode. The volume rocker and push-to-talk button is on the left spine while the right is home to a headset jack, a Side Call key, and a Side End key. The Side Call key lets you make calls with the phone closed, plus it toggles the push-to-talk speaker on or off. The Side End key can end a call, and it also brings up the recent call history when in standby mode.
Just like the Pro-200, the Pro-700 has a lackluster 1.9-inch 65,000 color display. You can adjust the backlight time, the background, the animation for outgoing calls, the color of the screen for incoming calls, the contrast, and font size.
Underneath the display is quite a large navigation array. It consists of two soft keys, a dedicated new text message button, a four-way toggle with a middle Menu/OK key, a dedicated Web browser key, and a Back key. The toggle also doubles as a shortcut to the messaging menu, the My Content folder, the recent Direct Connects/Push to talk history, and the calendar. Under that are the Talk and End/Power keys, plus a speakerphone key. The keys are a bit more rubberized than the Pro-200, and they are easy to dial and text, thanks to how well spaced apart they are.
Features
Editor's note: The features on the Pro-700 are the same as on the Pro-200, so this section is identical to the Pro-200 review.
The Sanyo Pro-700's big feature is that it utilizes QChat for push-to-talk communications, but it has other smaller features as well. For starters, it has a 600-entry phone book, with room in each entry for seven numbers, an e-mail address, a URL, a physical address, and a memo. You can also add them to caller groups or Direct Connect groups, or pair them one of 26 polyphonic ringtones or one of four vibrating patterns. You can add an image for picture caller ID, but bear in mind that the Pro-200 doesn't have a camera, and the external screen won't support it. Other essentials include a vibrate mode, a speakerphone, text and multimedia messaging, a calendar, an alarm clock, a stopwatch, a countdown clock, a world clock, and a calculator. Also, the Pro-700 steps it up a notch from other push-to-talk phones with a very fast EV-DO Rev. A connection (which it uses to run QChat), a wireless Web browser, instant messaging, e-mail, Bluetooth, voice dialing, and built-in GPS.
Of course, the reason to get the Pro-700 is its compatibility with Nextel's Direct Connect push-to-talk network. You have the capability to Group Connect, which lets you chat with up to 20 other Direct Connect users at the same time. You also have the option to create a customized caller group called Team DC, which allows nationwide group calling with other Direct Connect users. You'll have to go online to Sprint's Web site to set up your own Team DC. Sprint claims that Team DC is especially useful for small companies who want to keep in touch with all members of the group. However, as of this writing, Group Connect and Team DC are only available with Sprint phones, and not Nextel handsets. Sprint hopes to upgrade these features in the future.
You can personalize the Pro-700 with a choice of wallpaper, graphics, screensavers, and alert tones. You can always download more options via the wireless Web browser as well. Games include demo versions of Midnight Pool, Pac-Man/Ms. Pac-Man, Tetris, Tower Bloxx, and World Series of Poker, and you can download more via the browser as well.
Performance
We tested the Sanyo Pro-700 in San Francisco using the Sprint service. Call quality was very good--callers came through loud and clear, and they heard us with great clarity as well. They did report some echo while we were on speakerphone, but that is to be expected. We also tested the Direct Connect service with the Pro-200, and that worked out great--sound quality is similar to that of regular calls.
Even though the Pro-700 is saddled with a WAP 2.0 wireless Web browser, the surfing was fast thanks to EV-DO Rev. A. Mobile Web pages loaded in seconds, and downloads took a few seconds as well.
The Pro-700 has a rated battery life of 5 hours talk time and 10 days of standby time. Our tests revealed a talk time of 5 hours and 23 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the Pro-700 has a SAR rating of 1.24 watts per kilogram.
User reviews
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Finally a phone that is a 'Phone' first
by SNRMAGIC on July 22, 2008
Pros: Reception, sturdy, call quality, fit
Cons: Texting does not show entire text log
Summary: I have had plenty of Smart Phones and I finally just got so fed up with these devices that seemed to do everything BUT be a good phone. I have ...
Summary: I have had plenty of Smart Phones and I finally just got so fed up with these devices that seemed to do everything BUT be a good phone. I have had Treos and even used an Iphone and these phones never provided the type of call quality I wanted. On this phone, it has a very comfortable fit to my face. I can hear the caller clearly and I never get the feeling I have to yell into the phone for the other person to hear me.
So far the only complaint I have is when texting, the text log (conversation) is not fully shown. Each text seems to be its own little file. Not a big deal, but coming from a Treo I was used to seeing the entire log. But again, this is a small con for an outstanding 'PHONE'.
If you want a phone that has good reception, makes and receives clear calls, and is a phone FIRST. This is the phone for you.
Buy an Ipod for your music, and this phone to make calls.2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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A big step up from iDEN
by ai4ui on July 2, 2008
Pros: cell service that works
Cons: DC coverage is limited
Summary: I've been a Nextel customer for many years. It's been a struggle, especially after the merger. When I got a hybrid (IC-902) I liked the CDMA cellular, better ...
Summary: I've been a Nextel customer for many years. It's been a struggle, especially after the merger. When I got a hybrid (IC-902) I liked the CDMA cellular, better voice mail, & high speed mobile internet, but it wouldn't roam on 800 MHz CDMA. Most of the places I go do not have 1.9 GHz CDMA, so I could direct connect, but no cellular. With this phone, I have just the opposite. Since it will roam on 800 MHz CDMA, I can just about always make a phone call, & I can still DC quite often. What would be perfect is a hybrid that would do DC on 800 MHz iDEN and CDMA, as well as one that would provide CDMA cellular on 1.9 GHz & 800 MHz. Since that's not probably going to happen, this phone will do just fine. Battery life is excellent - figured in days, not hours, call quality is excellent, internet works well, and when there is Sprint Rev. A coverage, the DC works just like any other Nextel. Well done, Sprint.
2 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Phone!
by ltfm161 on August 6, 2008
Pros: Easily navigated menus. Customizable DC tones. LOUD ringers
Cons: Difficult to add photos for contacts, Monochrome exterior display. spotty coverage for EVDO and QChat
Summary: I had written a pretty decent review for a SAMSUNG Z400 that I purchased. That phone was exchanged for this one based solely on the fact that the DC tones ...
Summary: I had written a pretty decent review for a SAMSUNG Z400 that I purchased. That phone was exchanged for this one based solely on the fact that the DC tones were barely audible and as a result I missed no fewer than 8 calls on the first day. NOT WITH THIS PHONE. The SANYO PRO 700 has really impressed me so far. Having been a NEXTEL customer for over 10 years and working in the field of public safety I know waht qualities are important for a rugged phone. So far this one has most of them. Keeping in mind that the EVDO network is the new kid on the block so coverage is a bit spotty in some places ON THE MAP, but I haven't had any issues yet. the inner display is vibrant with good contrast and bright colors. Easy to read and navigate menus are a boon for club handed people like me. The ringers and incoming message/DC tones are completely customizable which is nice if you don't care for the NEXTEL beepidy beep. The tones are also plenty loud for folks who work in noisy atmoshperes. QCHAT is a little different than traditional direct connect so that take a bit of adjusting but I have had no problems in connecting with all my NEXTEL IDEN buddies. Battery life seems good as I am writing this at 930 PM the phone has been used several times today since being unplugged at 7 o clock this morning I am still showing 3/3 bars on the charge meter. A micro SD card would have been a GREAT touch as would a color outer screen with photo contact capabilty. All in all a great first offering from SANYO into the direct connect world. I am very happy thus far and will probably re-review after a few months use.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Phone! Q-Chat is great!
by wumpus on June 30, 2008
Pros: Solid phone, no complaints!
Cons: You have to open text messages for the alert to disappear from the screen
Summary: On June 15th, 2008, my prayers were finally answered by Sprint with the release of four new qchat phones to the general public. Like many other Nextel users out there, ...
Summary: On June 15th, 2008, my prayers were finally answered by Sprint with the release of four new qchat phones to the general public. Like many other Nextel users out there, I find the direct connect feature to be essential and cannot live without it. At the same time, I need the increased voice and data coverage offered by Sprintâ??s CDMA network. I purchased the Motorola IC902 thinking that it would be the solution for my needs. I quickly released that it was not, and I was very disappointed with the lack of the 850mhz band, the constant lockups, and overall sluggishness of the phone. (Insert just your basic criticism of hybrids here)
So on June 15th, I went out and upgraded to a Sanyo Pro 700 (I will be ebaying my IC902 next week). The transaction was simple and took less than five minutes at my local Sprint store. They had confirmed that I was in fact the only person to ask for the phone and that it was likely the only one in northern Virginia. (I had called over 10 stores looking for itâ?¦ yes, Iâ??m a cell phone junkie). They were able to activate the phone on the spot, but they recommended that I call CS to set up the D/C because the rep was afraid she would mess up my SERO plan (Thank you for being honest). The activation of the D/C feature was not as simple. In total, I spent roughly two hours on the phone with Sprint CS. Believe it or not, I was on the phone with one outstanding rep for the majority of the time. Apparently she had to conduct a lot of research and talk with a lot of higher ups to find out how to activate the phone. She initially thought I was trying to activate ReadyLink, but I quickly explained the differences between iden, qchat, and readylink and how I was trying to activate D/C on a qchat device. By the end of the conversation, she admitted that they had received absolutely no training on these phones and that she had only seen it once during a training session a few months prior. She eventually was able to activate the D/C (at no additional charge per month) and I was able to use the feature about three minutes later.
The phone (Sanyo Pro 700) has just been absolutely fantastic to use compared to the IC902. My honeymoon/glow/new phone syndrome phase is over and Iâ??m still very pleased with the device. The phone is fast, fast, fast! I can fly through the menus and Iâ??ve had no problems with the device freezing and other Motorola-esque idiosyncrasies. I was able to install Gmail, Google Maps, and Opera without the slightest problem. It was also very refreshing to be able to use 850mhz roaming once again (even though it account for less than 5% of my overall usage, I find it essential to have).
Qchat is definitely not iDen, but I have not been disappointed and I firmly believe it is a comparable technology. The initial connect speeds are really about the same (still less than one second to connect). The youtube video that many of you have seen where they demonstrate the connect speeds is accurate. The only noticeable difference is that there is a slight delay of the voice with qchat (if you were standing next to the other person, itâ??s about a one second delay). I would say itâ??s similar to the difference between Direct Connect with iDen and Direct Talk (Off-Network W/T). Anyone who has used the two would know what Iâ??m talking about. As for the quality, I would say the voice quality is about the same with qchat. My coworkers claim that I sound the same and they donâ??t notice a difference but I swear the voice quality sounds just the slightest bit lower with qchat. Iâ??d also like to mention that Iâ??ve had no problems communicating with people on iden.
Coverage is not the same for qchat and iden devices. Anyone considering these new devices needs to keep this in mind. Qchat D/C will ONLY work in Sprint EVDO areas and it will not work if you are roaming on another carrier (Alltel, for example). Voice coverage is the same as any Sprint phone.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Much Better that Expected from previous Review
by baderboys1 on June 19, 2008
Pros: Excellent Screen, Durable, Holster and Speaker
Cons: No Camera and Not Water Resistant
Summary: I was excited to hear that Sprint was going to offer a new set of Direct Connect phones so I went and bought one of these Pro 700â??s based ...
Summary: I was excited to hear that Sprint was going to offer a new set of Direct Connect phones so I went and bought one of these Pro 700â??s based upon what I have heard about the device. Let me be very clear on one thing the Screen on this phone is AMAZING to say the least. I donâ??t know what the previous post was talking about when they said â??lack-luster displayâ????! ARE YOU BLIND!! The device works really well and the Speaker phone is very clear. I got about 5 hours of talk time after my first initial charge that included Direct Connect and Phone calls. Another cool feature was the built in email client that Sprint is now offering. I was able to get my Gmail and Comcast accounts loaded on with ease. All of my calls sounded great in the earpiece and I have not experienced a drop call yet.
The device doesnâ??t have a camera and I just didnâ??t like the look of the Samsung unit, the outer screen on that phone is very ugly. I would like to see one like the PRO 700 with a camera.
I was able to use my phone number also as my Direct Connect number and I canâ??t wait for some of my co-workers to pony up and get some of these. Itâ??s going to make it so much easier to communicate. The text button was a nice addition, but I am having a hard time adjusting to being able to text so easily. I still want to go through the menu to get to text. Itâ??s a great feature of the phone. Navigation is simply the best device I have used with Sprint Navigation bar none due to the fast data speeds of CDMA rev.a.
I havenâ??t had a chance to do the Phone as a Modem thing, but its next on my list as its only a $15.00 add on. Broadband like speeds and a killer direct connect phoneâ?¦how could I go wrong!
STRONG BUY on this one if youâ??re thinking about it! I will post again in a few weeks after I do the Phone as a modem deal. I paid $129.99 and have a $50.00 MIR on the phone ($79.99 final price).1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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DEFECTIVE.
by katelynnschill on October 16, 2009
Pros: It is simple and easy to use.
Cons: The way it is built water/steam/condensation can get into the side of the phone, into the motherboard (section A4) and not only void the waranty but ruin the phone.There are also many "duds" sent out of this phone too.
Summary: This product made by Sanyo is defective and the company knows the problem but will not fix it. The product is not made to even withstand condensation. If a little ...
Summary: This product made by Sanyo is defective and the company knows the problem but will not fix it. The product is not made to even withstand condensation. If a little bit of steam gets into the side of the phone where it was not properly sealed, the phone is ruined and will not be covered on the warranty. This phone was a big time disapointment, still waiting for a company to come out with a properly built phone. Sanyo has proved they are cheap and just want more products sold. By making cheap phones, the more they break and the more products sold. Thats their goal.
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Supposed to be tough--IS NOT!!
by soliv01 on October 10, 2009
Pros: The phone looks good. Mobile sync works great--makes keeping track of and updating contacts easy.
Cons: No camera. Billed as one of Sprint's toughest phones, but breaks constantly.
Summary: I'm a landscaper, and I asked for a phone that can take working conditions. I paid a premium for this phone when it first came out. I've been ...
Summary: I'm a landscaper, and I asked for a phone that can take working conditions. I paid a premium for this phone when it first came out. I've been through 3 in 1 year. The first died when I answered it with a wet hand. Second one, the charging port broke. Third one doesn't even have to get wet--it stops working when the weather is humid. When I took it in, the Sprint tech was both incompetent and rude--it took her three tries just to get the phone back together, and she got irritated when I pointed out that the side button wasn't re-installed correctly.
So since the phone is not working anyway, maybe I can open it up and try to see what's wrong (no insurance, so nothing to lose). Oh, wait--they've got these weird five- and three-sided screws so you can't do anything with it. Great--an expensive junk phone that you can't do a thing with. All you can do is take it back to Sprint and be told "We don't know what's wrong--would you like to upgrade?" [and we can't even get your phone back together right]
Verizon, here I come!!
Bottom line--this phone is expensive JUNK. -
NOT A GOOD PHONE. DOOR and EDGES HURTS THE EAR
by nosprint on August 10, 2009
Pros: Small, Slender, Slips into pocket. THAT'S IT..PERIOD.
Cons: Lack of clam-shape design hurts the ear when talking on phone.
Edges are sharp and hurt the ear.
Battery door squeaks when you press numbers to make call.Summary: 1 - Flat sharp edged door hurts ear when talking.
2 - Battery door squeaks when you press numbers to make call and is somewhat loose.
I WOULD PASS ON ...Summary: 1 - Flat sharp edged door hurts ear when talking.
2 - Battery door squeaks when you press numbers to make call and is somewhat loose.
I WOULD PASS ON THIS ONE TOO.! -
cell use very good. poor voice quality sanyo to nextel
by fjpor on July 21, 2009
Pros: Love feel, look and use of phone. Cell use and DC from PPT to PPT good but not PPT to Nextel direct connect
Cons: Battery life less than advertised but main complaint is connection with this phone to nextel phone via direct connect voices sound "stuffy" like each side has bad head cold. Does not happen sanyo to sanyo.
Summary: Bought this phone because of ability to connect between cdma and iden sides of phones but sound quality when direct connecting to nextel (iden) side is poor. Have to have ...
Summary: Bought this phone because of ability to connect between cdma and iden sides of phones but sound quality when direct connecting to nextel (iden) side is poor. Have to have quiet to hear and voices sound as though each party has a bad cold. Hope Sprint will put out service update to help SOON! Since we live in an area with better Sprint coverage will probably keep phone for now.
Have been Sprint customers for over 10 years and if the Nextel friends leave we probably will, too, because of the CONTINUOUS poor customer service. Had Sprint phone (home) for many years and DSL also in addition to cell Home phone and internet now Cox. Quality of phone, dsl and cell reception always very good but customer service has to be worst ever. Online site is poorest considering the business they are in - slow, cumbersome, drops service and BIG (no, make that Huge) attitude problem. Main reason for their loss of customers in my opinion. Lots of family/friends seriously considering transfer of service over to Verizon. -
Very poor sound quality!
by mamunera on July 15, 2009
Pros: Nice design, durable.
Cons: Too many calls didn't go in, and went straight to voice mail. People could not hear me clearly.
Summary: It could be the area where I live, but I did not like this phone at all!
Summary: It could be the area where I live, but I did not like this phone at all!
Specifications
- Manufacturer: Sanyo
- Part number: PRO700KTA
- Description: Now enjoy SANYO's acclaimed quality and performance together with the speed of Nextel Direct Connect, providing instant two-way communication at the touch of a button. The rugged PRO-700 meets Military 810F specifications for dust, shock and vibration, and is packed with powerful capabilities to enhance productivity.
General
- Product Type Cellular phone
- Service Provider Sprint Nextel
- Width 1.8 in
- Depth 0.8 in
- Height 4 in
- Weight 3.8 oz
Cellular
- Technology CDMA2000 1X - Dual-band
- Band CDMA 850/1900
- Phone Design Folder type phone
- Antenna Internal
- Vibrating Alert Yes
- Polyphonic Ringer Yes
- Call Timer Yes
- Conference Call Capability Yes
- Voice Recorder Yes
- Caller ID Yes
- Speakerphone Yes
- Wireless Interface Bluetooth
- Additional Features aGPS, E-911 compliant, Push-to-talk mode, Intelligent typing (T9)
Phone Memory
- Phone Book Capacity 600 names & numbers
Messaging & Data Services
- Short Messaging Service (SMS) Yes
- Internet Browser Yes
- EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) Yes
- Messaging / Data Features Text messages, WAP Push
Organizer
- Alarm Clock Yes
- Calendar Yes
- Reminder Yes
- Calculator Basic
Display
- Type LCD display
- Technology TFT
- Display Resolution 240 x 320 pixels
- Color Support Color
- Color Depth 16-bit (65000 colors)
- Display Illumination Color White
- Multi-language Menu Yes
- Display Languages English, Spanish
- Features Wallpaper, Screensaver
Display (2nd)
- Type LCD display - Monochrome
Connections
- Connector Type Micro-USB
Power
- Type Power adapter
Battery
- Technology - Lithium ion
- Capacity 1050 mAh
- Talk Time 325 min
Accessories
- LG HBS-250 stereo Bluetooth headset (33439213)37.99 - 59.99
- Plantronics Explorer 390 - headset (33721858)39.99 - 52.23
- LG HBM-520 Bluetooth headset (33499497)20.29 - 29.99
- Jabra BT8010 Stereo/Mono Bluetooth Headset (32327768)13.97
- Motorola S9 Bluetooth Active Headphones (red) (32363768)37.99 - 130.42
Manufacturer info
- Sanyo
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Sanyo products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.sanyo.com/
- Address:
2001 Sanyo Ave.
San Diego, CA 92173 - Phone: 818-998-7322 Ext. 464
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