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Sprint Gives the Gift of Choice with a Diverse Holiday Lineup for Consumers and Businesses Offering the Benefits of the Now Netw

By Jason
Created Sep 11 2008 - 8:36am

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 NetworkTM:

 

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:

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 TouchFLOTM 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:

A LEGACY OF PUSH-TO-TALK LEADERSHIP

With more than 15 years of expertise, Sprint is the undisputed leader in push-to-talk with the largest community of users in the world. Nextel Direct Connect has set the industry standard for push-to-talk and serves millions of Nextel Direct Connect subscribers on the fastest national push-to-talk network. These customers made more than 90 billion Nextel Direct Connect connections in 2007.

Nationally, the Nextel National Network continues to operate at best-ever performance levels based on internal metrics. Nextel Direct Connect is the only push-to-talk product in the industry that offers:

Sprint will debut several new iDEN handsets this fall, including the Motorola i576, allowing customers to access the benefits of Nextel Direct Connect, as well as Bluetooth and GPS.

"The announcement of our One Click user interface, two blockbuster Windows Mobile devices and several new iDEN devices redefines our commitment to make life easier for our customers and offer something for everyone in a variety of colors, styles, form factors and platforms," said Kevin Packingham, Sprint senior vice president of Product and Technology Development. "These devices represent the best of wireless technology available today, offer ease of usability in accessing Sprint-exclusive features, and provide simple-to-navigate Internet access - all on Sprint's Now Network. This lineup represents a very strong holiday offering for Sprint customers."

To take advantage of all the great features on these new phones without having to worry about additional monthly charges, Sprint customers can sign up for the $99.99 Simply EverythingSM plan, which includes unlimited domestic calling, messaging, email, Web surfing, GPS navigation, Sprint Music Premier, Sprint TV® Premier, NFL Mobile Live, Sprint NASCAR Cup Mobile, Direct Connect and Group Connect on compatible phones. For more details on these devices and to pre-register to be among the first to own them, please visit www.sprint.com/newphones [1].

ABOUT SPRINT NEXTEL

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 52 million customers at the end of the second quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com [2].


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