Latest rumor on the block is that Sprint is planning to launch five new handsets and a data card on April 16th, including at least one that boasts compatibility with the Qchat push-to-talk network (and thus will work on the EVDO Rev.A network as well as becoming inter-operable with Nextel PTT users).  Among the handsets will be the LG LX400, which we first saw leaked images of earlier this month; it’s expected to hit with a MRSP of $279.99 before significant subsidies.

Also expected are two Sanyo Direct Connect handsets: the Sanyo PRO-200, which is a slim clamshell with a MRSP of $249.99, and the rugged Sanyo PRO-700 which meets Military Specification 810F for vibration, dust and shock resistance at a MRSP of $269.99.

A colour update of the popular BlackBerry Curve 8830 is also rumored to land on April 16th, adding a titanium option to the black model Sprint launched early last year, and finally the super-budget Sanyo Katana LX to replace the existing Katana II.  This basic handset - available in pink, black and blue - has a VGA camera and Bluetooth, just like its predecessor.

The data card among the April 16th choices is Sierra Wireless’ 597, apparently 70-percent smaller than the model it replaces despite the addition of a microSD card reader.

All this is still speculative; there’s a Sprint event scheduled for April but the dates don’t tally, and as such we’d advise taking all of it with a pinch of the proverbial.  However, I might also suggest holding off picking up a new handset if any of the above take your fancy.