Good night, sweet prince: HTC Arrrive 2011-2012
We reported a few weeks ago that Sprint threw down the flag on the venerable HTC Arrive, giving the device end-of-life (EOL) status. Now tonight, we can sadly report that Sprint has all but wiped the device from its online site, making the Arrive officially a has-been. Store availability is expected to be very limited with only replacement devices available for order.
Launched in March 2011 the Arrive was Sprint’s only Windows Phone offered on the CDMA network and the only other Windows Phone with a horizontal physical keyboard (the other being the LG Quantum), carving itself a nice little niche for itself. Though slightly bulky with an underwhelming LCD screen (as was common with Gen 1 devices), the phone has a loyal following and some of the highest satisfaction ratings from customers...
None of that of course stopped Sprint from ever promoting the device or in our opinion, giving it a fair shake (they infamously used it as a poster-child for a trade in program a mere 7 months after release). At the very least, Sprint could have offered a follow up device for its customers but alas they evidently could not be bothered.
As we now approach the launch of Windows Phone 8, Sprint unfortunately is nowhere to be found. Though they are expected to get an Apollo device eventually, there seems to be no plans until early 2013 to rejoin the Microsoft family. That leaves just every other carrier in the US as an option for those wanting a new Windows Phone this fall, as Verizon, T-Mobile and of course AT&T will all offer not only Windows Phones, but the coveted Nokia Lumia series.
Source: Sprint; Thanks, venom5150, for the heads up
