Sprint today is making three key announcements, all of which are aiming to give Sprint's Now Network a serious boost. First, there's the availability of One Click, a customizable user interface available on three multimedia devices. And second and third, there's the launch of the anticipated HTC Touch Diamond and Touch Pro, and the upcoming arrival of several new iDEN devices, including the Motorola i576.
HTC Touch Diamond
The HTC Touch Diamond (specs) introduces TouchFLO 3D to Sprint's customers. Sporting an elegant design, the HTC Touch Diamond offers a high-resolution 2.8-inch VGA display, smooth Web experience powered by an Opera browser, 3.2-megapixel camera and stereo Bluetooth technology. Aimed at both business users and consumers, the HTC Touch Diamond leverages the functionality of Windows Mobile 6.1 and provides access to Sprint services such as Sprint Music Store and Sprint TV. The HTC Touch Diamond will be available beginning in September. It will cost $250 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.
HTC Touch Pro
The Touch Pro (specs) is a workhorse that aims to let mobile professionals easily balance their professional and personal lives. Along with features available on the Touch Diamond, the Touch Pro adds a five-row, slide-out QWERTY keyboard for data entry, expandable storage capabilities with a microSD card slot (1GB card included) and a business card scanner application. The latter uses the Touch Pro's 3.2-megapixel camera. Additionally, with Windows Mobile 6.1, users have access to security and device management capabilities when used with Microsoft's System Center Mobile Device Manager solution. The Touch Pro will be available October 19 for $300 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.
LG Lotus
Available in October for $150 with a two-year contract, the stylish Lotus makes a distinctive fashion statement as a full QWERTY flip phone with a unique square shape and two color options - textured purple or satin black. The phone is one of the first phones to offer One Click. A Sprint exclusive, the phone aims to offer the combination of both style and substance, featuring stereo Bluetooth, a 2-megapixel camera and Wireless Backup.
Samsung Highnote
Available on October 19 for $100 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, the Highnote offers a dual-slide design. The phone slides up to reveal a dial pad and slides down to showcase its stereo speakers. Available in either red or blue, the phone features Sprint's new One Click user interface, offering quick access to Sprint Music Store, Sprint Navigation, Web surfing, e-mail, texting and more. Additional features include a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, expandable memory up to 16GB and speaker-independent voice recognition.
Samsung Rant
Available in October for $50 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, the Rant offers Sprint Mobile Broadband Network connectivity and a popular messaging form factor. The phone features a horizontal slide with a full QWERTY keyboard. The device provides access to Sprint Navigation, Sprint Music Store and Sprint TV through the new One Click user interface. Additional features include a 2-megapixel camera, stereo Bluetooth, expandable memory up to 16GB and speaker-independent voice recognition. The phone will be available in red or black, and Best Buy will offer an exclusive purple color option.
Motorola i576
Certified to military specification 810F for dust, shock and vibration, the i576 complements Sprint's already robust portfolio of ultra-rugged Nextel devices and delivers a stylish clamshell design. Available on October 19, the phone will be selling for $70 with a two-year contract. In addition to Nextel Direct Connect services for one-to-one and group communications, the i576 will offer Bluetooth and GPS navigation.
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