CTIA 2006 on-site report

At CTIA 2006, UTStarcom officially announced their new low-end CDMA 7025 phone. It is a clamshell with stub-retractable antenna and lacks any type of external display for called ID functionality - it has a service light instead. The FCC already approved two versions of the 7025 - a silver one for Verizon and black one for Sprint PCS. On CTIA, UTStarcom showcased a silver phone with no carrier branding on the housing, but with Sprint name on the display. We it is somewhat confusing, but the one with AMPS and CDMA will go to Spring.

The 7025 is not the smallest clamshell available, but it is solid built and was comfortable to hold. You will not have problems if your fingers are big, as the numeric keypad is pretty large with lots of space between each (thanks to the bulky shell). The internal (and only) display is a mediocre 1.5 STN unit, but this is OK for a low-end device, especially when it features neither a camera, nor internet browser. We expect the 7025 to launch on both Verizons and Sprints networks later this year for the people who need a PHONE and nothing more. 

UTStarcom CDM-7025 short video

At CTIA 2006, UTStarcom also showcased the CDM-7075 phone. It is another low-end device, but it adds some vital features to the 7025.  Again nothing too spectacular about its specification – 65k color STN (128x160) main display, greyscale STN (96x64) external one, and VGA (640x480) camera. The 7075 supports MP3 files for ringtones but there is no music player. Voice dialing and speakerphone complement the short feature list.

The standard 950MAh battery delivers 3.5 hours of Talk and about 7 days of Stand-by time. The CDM7075 measures 3.5" x 1.9" x 0.9”, weights 3.5 ounces, and will most likely be launched by Verizon Wireless.

UTStarcom CDM-7075

UTStarcom CDM-7075 short video