Sprint and Samsung Make Conquer 4G Official
Sprint Announced the Sanyo Katana Eclipse X
Sprint has announced the Sanyo Katana Eclipse X, a better version of the already released Katana Eclipse. What’s better? Sprint’s One Click interactive user interface will let you customize the phone’s home screen as you like. Add shortcuts like Sprint’s Now Network or anything that’s on your favorite list.
The Eclipse X has a unique illumination feature which will let you assign lots of lightning schemes to incoming calls, SMS messages and alerts. Besides that, here are the rest of this Eclipse’s features:
* 2.0 inch TFT internal display with 176 x 220 pixels
* 1.0 inch external display
* GPS & Sprint Navigation
* Sprint Mobile Email
* Sprint TV
* Sprint Music Store
* MP3 player
* Stereo Bluetooth
* Wireless Backup
* 1.3 MP camera with video recording
* 256MB MicroSDHC card
The Eclipse X will be available for $99 with a two-year Sprint agreement.
Sprint Software Updates
The latest news brought by Sprint is the availability of a at software upgrade for the HTC Touch, with EV-DO Rev. A data speeds support, and Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system support for the HTC Mogul.After following the at download instructions, users of HTC Touch will be able to download content at up to 1.4Mbps speeds and upload at 500kbps, which is a great advantage for productivity on the go, when you need to transfer large files.
GPS comes enhanced and provides support for Sprint Navigation service with audio and visual turn-by-turn directions, 10 million points of interest, and one-click traffic rerouting.
With the Opera browser, you’d have access to full web pages with images, and the possibility to customize, search, save, and take shortcuts on the Internet.
There is also a 40-key on-screen QWERTY keyboard that saves time when replying to emails or writing long text messages.
The software update fro HTC Mogul provides Sprint TV for watching live shows, news, sports and weather information, on 50 channels.
Using Windows Mobile 6.1, the data is more secure and easier to manage, while there is also the Microsoft Office suit for professional documents and the Live Search feature.
"Sprint is committed to matching customer needs with the technology that gives them the freedom to access and download the content they want and have a PC-like experience," said Michael Hahn, vice president of customer equipment for Sprint. "Whether it's simplicity in setting up the handset, getting turn-by-turn driving directions, sending emails with large attachments or having a better Web experience, the Touch and the Mogul by HTC deliver all of that so customers can have what they want in an instant, from virtually anywhere."The company offers the two smartphones together with its $99.99 Simply Everything pricing plan featuring unlimited voice and data services. HTC Touch costs $99.99 and the HTC Mogul has a price of $299.99, both coming with a 2-year agreement and a $100 mail-in-rebate.
Sprint simplifies cell plans in market grab
Sprint this afternoon has introduced changes to its cellphone plans it hopes will bolster its network. The US provider says it now has just two basic talk-only plans that offer 450 and 900 minutes of talk time at $40 and $60 respectively. Subscribers can add $10 per month to get unlimited messaging and also get access to a $90 plan at the same level that adds unlimited calling. The existing Everything plans are intact and give unlimited access to all of Sprint's subscription services, including data, navigation, and streaming media for the same amounts of minutes (including unlimited) at $70, $90, and $100 per month.A similar effect is in place for shared plans that offers a basic 700-minute, two-phone service for $70; 1500 and 3000 minutes are available for $100 and $150 per month each, while the two larger plans can also get unlimited extra features for $130 and $170.
Sprint claims that the plans both end ambiguities over their past plans but also outmatch similar plans from AT&T and Verizon, which cost more at $210 and $220 per month for the same 3000-minute family plan but also strip out features such as BlackBerry mail or Internet radio.
The initiative comes roughly one week ahead of the launch of the Samsung Instinct, which has already been deemed the iPhone 3G's most direct competitor and which should have a similar $200 price and minimum requirement of a $70 monthly phone and data plan.
Sprint officials have previously suggested such a move was forthcoming as part of an effort to turn around mounting subscriber losses in recent quarters, most of which has been attributed to poor customer service as well as an at times complex service plan catalog.
Labels: Sprint
Sprint Instinct starts selling on June 20
Sprint says that this touchscreen cell phone from Samsung is going to be one hell of an iPhone killer and we're going to have the opportunity to find out for ourselves starting June 20. That's the confirmed launch date for the Samsung Instinct, getting much more specific than earlier reports that pointed toward a "late June" release.Interestingly, June 20 is more than a week after WWDC, an event where we expect Steve Jobs and the Cupertino crew to unveil the 3G version of the Apple iPhone. Aren't Sprint and Samsung concerned at all that the 3G iPhone will steal some of the thunder away from the launch of the Instinct? They're both touchscreen phones and they'll largely be going after the same segment of the market, no?
In case you haven't heard, the Samsung Instinct gets high-speed EVDO, a 2 megapixel camera, microSD expansion, stereo Bluetooth, and a high-resolution touch sensitive display. No word on pricing.
North American Version of Samsung F490
The North American version of Samsung F490 is released by Sprint under the name SPH-M800.
It is considered one of the iPhone killers because of its full touch sensitive technology adopted for the user interface showing a 16:9 display of 3.2 inches.
Unlike the F490 with a 5MP camera sensor, M800 integrates a 2MP camera and EV-DO Rev. A support for high speeds during Internet browsing, as well as access to Sprint T, Music Store, Navigator GPS and other Sprint exclusive services.
The Bluetooth wireless connectivity features A2DP for stereo headsets.
There wasn’t made public any information regarding the price or availability yet.
It is considered one of the iPhone killers because of its full touch sensitive technology adopted for the user interface showing a 16:9 display of 3.2 inches.
Unlike the F490 with a 5MP camera sensor, M800 integrates a 2MP camera and EV-DO Rev. A support for high speeds during Internet browsing, as well as access to Sprint T, Music Store, Navigator GPS and other Sprint exclusive services.
The Bluetooth wireless connectivity features A2DP for stereo headsets.
There wasn’t made public any information regarding the price or availability yet.
Sprint Updates LG Rumor Firmware
Sprint contacted us several minutes ago to announce a new over-the-air software upgrade for the LG Rumor model.
The upgrade is completely free and brings improvements to text messaging, enhancing also the user experience, and it is available for download via the cell phone using menu>settings/tools>update firmware, or at the Sprint retail locations where users can get assistance directly.
Besides enhancing the text messaging, the firmware update fixes also the problem encountered when certain keys were pressed causing the firmware erasure.
The upgrade is completely free and brings improvements to text messaging, enhancing also the user experience, and it is available for download via the cell phone using menu>settings/tools>update firmware, or at the Sprint retail locations where users can get assistance directly.
Besides enhancing the text messaging, the firmware update fixes also the problem encountered when certain keys were pressed causing the firmware erasure.
Sprint Released Samsung M520
Sprint has released Samsung M520, the first Slider Vision model equipped for entertainment with Sprint Navigation, Live Television and Over-the-Air music downloads.
The slider has Internet browsing, GPS tracking, voice access to information via Live Search, interactive maps, over 50 channels of live videos and music, and multi-tasking capability to browse through all these services simultaneously and saving time while searching what you need.
The slider has Internet browsing, GPS tracking, voice access to information via Live Search, interactive maps, over 50 channels of live videos and music, and multi-tasking capability to browse through all these services simultaneously and saving time while searching what you need.
Other special features include modem functionality, picture caller ID, Wireless Backup, up to 4Gb extendable memory from the 64MB default capacity, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and a built-in 1.3MP camera with 2x digital zoom and camcorder function.
Samsung M520 doesn’t come with FM radio, document viewer or instant messaging, but it is a good companion when you need other applications and functions such as taking pictures on the go, recording videos, watch TV, send e-mails, read the latest news on the Internet, or mobile printing.
Sprint sells the slim phone model for $49.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate and a 2-year agreement.
Samsung M520 doesn’t come with FM radio, document viewer or instant messaging, but it is a good companion when you need other applications and functions such as taking pictures on the go, recording videos, watch TV, send e-mails, read the latest news on the Internet, or mobile printing.
Sprint sells the slim phone model for $49.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate and a 2-year agreement.
Samsung Ace Available at Sprint
Samsung announced the availability of a new mobile phone that you’ve probably have heard of before.
Samsung Ace is great for calls, e-mails and web browsing and is available at Sprint, in a nice design and with support for Mobile Broadband Network and running on Windows Mobile 6.
As the phone comes with access to the Sprint’s entertainment services, Ace’s users will be able to browse through over 50 live TV channels for quality videos and music using the Sprint TVSM, or get the latest news about sports, weather, money and others via On Demand.
Ace works on CDMA/GSM/GPRS networks and is available for pre-orders on Sprint’s official website at a low price of just $199.99 but with a 2-year agreement and a $100 mail-in rebate.
You will be able to get Samsung Ace from stores starting March.
The Smartphone has a full QWERTY keyboard to ensure best ergonomics while writing e-mails and documents, and comes in a slim and lightweight form factor measuring 4.65 x 2.32 x 0.46 inches weighting under 4 ounces. It is equipped with a 2.3-inch large TFT display which is good enough for watching videos and pictures while on the go, and it has also a slide click wheel type for easy navigation through multimedia applications.
Samsung Ace supports Bluetooth for wireless connectivity with the other enabled devices.
It has a built-in 1.3 MP camera with camcorder function and zooming capability for medium-quality pictures and videos and an extendable memory up to 2GB via a microSD card, on which you can store all your media including the Microsoft Office Mobile documents like Excel, PowerPoint presentations or Word files.