Sprint makes Touch Diamond and Touch Pro official

Three wireless phones debut with Sprint’s exclusive One Click interactive user interface that allows one-step access to favorite content, including Google search Sign up for the latest information on these new holiday phones at www.sprint.com/newphones

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sept. 10, 2008–Sprint (NYSE:S) today is making three key announcements, all of which reinforce speed, simplicity and exclusive access for customers – benchmarks of Sprint’s Now Network(TM):

• The availability of One Click, a simple and customizable user interface available on three multimedia devices – LG Lotus(TM), Samsung Rant(TM) and Samsung Highnote(TM).
• The launch of the much-anticipated HTC Touch Diamond(TM) and HTC Touch Pro – two additions to Sprint’s robust Windows Mobile portfolio.
• The upcoming arrival of several new iDEN devices, including the Motorola i576, extending Sprint’s leadership in push-to-talk technology.

These devices and One Click represent new value packed into Sprint’s Now Network, which already features Nextel Direct Connect’s sub-second connectivity, Simply Everything’s unprecedented worry-free pricing, and Sprint Mobile Broadband’s immediate access to exclusive content.

Customers purchasing these or any devices at Sprint retail locations can experience Ready Now, a revolutionary customer experience announced yesterday. Ready Now is designed to provide customers one-on-one tutorials on their new devices and on applications before they leave the store. Sprint’s Ready Now program is a first in the industry – no other wireless company offers its customers a similar program. Sprint retail associates will work with customers to explain, set up and demonstrate the features and applications of their device. With Ready Now, customers can virtually eliminate their learning curve before they leave the Sprint store.

MAKING WIRELESS SIMPLE WITH ONE CLICK

Continuing recent steps to enhance the industry-leading data experience on wireless phones, Sprint today announces One Click, a highly interactive user interface design that gives customers the ability to easily access the features they use most on their wireless phone. As simple to use as speed dial, One Click’s carousel menu style makes it easy to access favorite features in just one step.

One Click brings the simplicity, customization and easy navigation commonly found on smartphones and high-end wireless devices to Sprint’s mid-tier devices. Available first on the upcoming LG Lotus, Samsung Highnote and Samsung Rant, One Click allows users to personalize their home screen by selecting and organizing features and content such as text messaging, Google search, Sprint Navigation, email, favorite Web sites, music, and call log. Sprint will offer One Click on additional phones in the future, including two new colors of Katana Eclipse from SANYO this fall.

One Click personalizes the device by allowing customers to select from a list of features and content to include on their home screen bringing the Now Network right to their fingertips. One Click also allows users to access Google on their home screen, so they can take advantage of the ultra-fast speed of the Now Network to search the Internet and access other Google services in just one step. Customers can also use One Click to add shortcuts to their favorite open Internet sites so they can be accessed directly from the home screen as well.

With One Click, scrolling through the customizable carousel-style menu on the home screen provides instant information related to each feature. For example, when a customer with text messaging on their home screen scrolls to that feature, they will see the number of new messages received. A single click takes the user directly to the feature selected.

The following three devices will be the first to offer One Click:

• LG Lotus: Available in October for $149.99 with a two-year contract, the stylish LG Lotus makes a distinctive fashion statement as a full QWERTY flip phone with a unique square shape and two attractive color options – textured purple or satin black. LG Lotus is one of the first Sprint devices to offer One Click, a highly customizable user interface that makes texting, Web access, email, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV(SM), Sprint Music Store(SM) and other features easier to access. A Sprint exclusive, it offers the perfect combination of both style and substance with a full QWERTY keyboard that is ideal for quick text messaging, email or instant messaging. It also features stereo Bluetooth(R), a 2.0 MP camera/camcorder and Wireless Backup for safekeeping your contact list in the event that the device is lost, stolen or damaged.
• Samsung Highnote: Available on Oct. 19 for $99.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, Samsung Highnote offers a unique dual-slide design, making it easy to take your favorite music with you on-the-go. Samsung Highnote slides up to reveal a dial pad and slides down to showcase its powerful stereo speakers. Available in either red or blue, this device features Sprint’s new easy-to-personalize One Click user interface offering quick access to Sprint Music Store, Sprint Navigation, Web surfing, email, texting and more. Additional features include a 2.0 MP camera/camcorder, stereo Bluetooth, expandable memory up to 16GB, and speaker-independent voice recognition.
• Samsung Rant: Available in October for just $49.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, Samsung Rant offers blazing fast speeds of the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network and a popular messaging form factor. Samsung Rant features a smooth horizontal slide with a full QWERTY keyboard. This device provides easy access to Sprint Navigation, Sprint Music Store and Sprint TV with an extensive collection of live and on-demand content through Sprint’s new One Click customizable user interface. Additional features include a 2.0 MP camera/camcorder, stereo Bluetooth, expandable memory up to 16GB and speaker-independent voice recognition. Samsung Rant will be available in red or black, and Best Buy will offer an exclusive purple color option.

BEST-IN-CLASS WINDOWS MOBILE DEVICES

Combining HTC’s captivating 3D touch-screen experience, the broad functionality of Windows Mobile 6.1 and the largest mobile broadband network in the United States, Sprint will soon add two devices to its robust portfolio of Windows Mobile devices – HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Touch Pro. Sprint will be the first U.S. wireless carrier to offer both devices. HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Touch Pro set a new benchmark for mobile sophistication, introducing TouchFLO(TM) 3D, an unparalleled touch experience that puts live television, weather, email, photos, contacts, music and more at your fingertips.

Both devices use a new customized Web browser that enables easy viewing and effortless navigation of Web sites in the way they were designed. As part of this browsing experience, users can zoom and pan Web sites with one hand and automatically view optimized content that has been specially created to fit the display. Using gravity-sensor technology, turning the device sideways automatically rotates the Web page view from a portrait to landscape view.

Windows Mobile 6.1 includes Outlook Mobile for simple email integration, Office Mobile, Windows Live and the ability to run thousands of third-party applications. Detailed descriptions of both devices follow:

• HTC Touch Diamond: HTC Touch Diamond introduces TouchFLO(TM) 3D, a dynamic touch-screen experience that puts live television, weather, email, photos, contacts, music and more at your fingertips. Sporting an elegant design, HTC Touch Diamond offers a high-resolution 2.8-inch VGA display, smooth Web experience powered by an Opera browser, crisp 3.2 MP camera/camcorder and stereo Bluetooth technology. Ideal for both business and personal use, HTC Touch Diamond leverages the broad functionality of Windows Mobile 6.1 and provides easy access to Sprint-exclusive multimedia content, including Sprint Music Store’s quick over-the-air song downloads and Sprint TV with its extensive collection of live and on-demand channels. HTC Touch Diamond will be available beginning in September. It will cost $249.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.
• HTC Touch Pro: HTC Touch Pro is a professional workhorse that enables mobile professionals to easily balance their professional and personal lives. Along with the features available on HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Touch Pro adds a five-row, slide-out QWERTY keyboard for easy data entry, expandable storage capabilities with a microSD card slot (1 GB card included) and a business card scanner application to automatically capture and convert business card information to contacts using the built-in 3.2 MP camera/camcorder. Additionally, with Windows Mobile 6.1, users have access to security and device management capabilities desired by most business customers when used with Microsoft’s System Center Mobile Device Manager solution. HTC Touch Pro will be available Oct. 19 for $299.99 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.