First Push-to-Talk Slider Phone, Motorola Debut i856, Boasts Best-in-Class Push-to-Talk Services of Nextel Direct Connect

To Provide Flexibility at Work and Play

Available for $99.99 from Sprint, stylish Motorola Debut features easy-access keyboard, instantly expandable push-to-talk conversations and dynamic multimedia features

OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 12, 2009-- The first slider phone offering push-to-talk service, Motorola Debut^TM i856, is now available from Sprint (NYSE: S), combining Nextel Direct Connect^®, best-in-class push-to-talk services, with a stylish multimedia device for both business and consumer applications.

Motorola Debut's compact slider form factor offers a smooth gliding action for easy one-handed operation, keeps the keypad secure when not in use and offers easy access when needed for instant communication between two people or a group of people, next door or in the next state. It is also the first device to offer the upgraded ability to switch from an active push-to-talk call to an interconnect voice call at the touch of a button.

Motorola Debut can be purchased with Nextel Direct Connect^® calling plans in all Sprint sales channels, including Sprint retail stores, Business Direct Sales, Telesales (1-800-Nextel-9) and Web sales [1] for just $99.99 with a two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate (excluding taxes).

Nextel Direct Connect is the only national push-to-talk product in the industry that offers industry-leading performance with sub-one second call set-up, connection to the world's largest push-to-talk community and integrated business solutions, including one of the largest selections of GPS-solutions.

"Motorola Debut introduces an attractive and convenient form factor unlike any Nextel Direct Connect users have seen before," said Danny Bowman, president of Sprint's Integrated Solutions Group. "Debut is even more interesting when you combine Sprint's industry-leading push-to-talk capabilities of the Nextel National Network and our affordable rate plans, with a rich array of multimedia and texting capabilities that help users communicate faster and more flexibly both at work and at play."

When connected to the Nextel National Network - the fastest national push-to-talk network - Motorola Debut lets users manage their conversations, musical tastes and visual creativity with ease. Nextel Direct Connect users can also bring friends and business associates into a conversation on the fly with Group Connect^® - a powerful productivity tool on the job and a convenient way to coordinate family and social activities.

Nextel Direct Connect enables our customers to get things done faster, at the push of a button. When instant communication is needed between two people or a group of people, next door or in the next state, Sprint provides a solution to get the job done - in less than a second. The Nextel National Network reaches more than 274 million people and more than 17,500 cities, and nationally, the Nextel National Network continues to operate at best-ever performance levels for dropped calls and near best-ever for block calls, based on internal metrics as of June 2009.

Motorola Debut allows busy people to work at a fast and uninterrupted pace:

• send and receive messages, calendar events, pictures, location information and more, all without interrupting a Direct Connect call
• Play music while you text or talk
• threaded texting messaging to view entire conversations all on one screen

High-Quality Multimedia Experience

With its built-in MP3 player and external music controls, Motorola Debut offers a high-quality stereo music experience through wired headphones or Bluetooth^® wireless technology. The sound takes on additional dimensions for users who use the built-in 3D Audio equalizer to create special musical effects.

For users with a photographic bent, Motorola Debut's 1.3 megapixel camera features up to 4X digital zoom and video capture. Pictures can also be enhanced with advanced imaging features to create a variety of image styles - from full color on the vivid 176X220 color display to sepia tones to black & white. Users can also use GPS Tag Images to document exactly where a picture was taken and a variety of other applications to edit photos and manage video content.

In support of these capabilities Motorola Debut features include:

• Nationwide Walkie Talkie capability¹
• Music player with 3.5 mm standard audio jack
• 1.3 MP Camera with Video
• GPS & Wireless Web Enabled²
• Stereo Bluetooth® capabilities³
• Text Messaging¹
• Expandable memory, supporting up to 8 GB MicroSD card⁴
• Speakerphone with Voice-Activated Dialing
• Large Direct Connect button that backlights when a push-to-talk call is received
• Multimedia Messaging Service for sending audio, images, text, or all three in the same message to or from email addresses and other capable users with the ability to wirelessly store multimedia on the Sprint Web site
• Pre-loaded applications, including Sprint Mobile Email & SME-W, TeleNav Navigation, NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile and NFL Mobile Live
• Downloadable Games, Wallpapers and Real Music Ringtones¹

Affordable Push-to-Talk Calling Plans

Nextel Direct Connect Custom Plans focus on the services used most by workgroups, which are bundled with unlimited usage, at a low flat monthly rate. Specifically, businesses can choose from the following Nextel Direct Connect Custom Plans:

• Unlimited Workgroup Communications - with unlimited Direct Connect and Group Connect^® plus unlimited text messaging, mobile-to-mobile minutes and night and weekend minutes starting at 9 p.m.
  • $29.99 per month per line (excluding taxes and Sprint surcharges)
• Web & Navigation - includes the above features, plus unlimited data, Web browsing and GPS navigation
  • $39.99 per month per line for Nextel phones (excluding taxes and Sprint surcharges)
  • $49.99 per month per line for PowerSource and Nextel Direct Connect capable Sprint phones (excluding taxes and Sprint surcharges)
• Pooled voice minutes can be added to either plan for the group to share
  • 500 minutes for $30 per month per line (excluding taxes and Sprint surcharges)
  • Or 2,000 minutes for $100 per month per line (excluding taxes and Sprint surcharges)

For more details on Nextel Direct Connect Custom plans, visit www.sprint.com/nexteldirectconnect [2].

Sprint's Everything Data plans, with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM, which gives customers unlimited mobile calling on the Sprint network to and from any U.S. wireless carrier, unlimited nationwide texting, email, Web browsing and much more, starting at just $69.99. For customers that want Sprint's Simply Everything^SM Plan that offers a truly unlimited experience for only $99.99 per month, and they can save $1,200 over two years vs. a comparable AT&T iPhone^® plan³. (All price plans exclude surcharges and taxes. Other exclusions apply.)

Sprint is the only wireless carrier to offer Ready Now service with trained retail associates to work one-on-one with customers to personalize their Motorola Debut, set up features and demonstrate how it works before the customer leaves the store. Customers have the choice of sitting down with a Sprint retail associate at the time of purchase or they can schedule an appointment for a later time at www.sprint.com/storelocator [3].

About Nextel Direct Connect

With more than 16 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.

Nextel Direct Connect is the only push-to-talk product in the industry that offers:

• Industry-leading performance with the advantage of instant connection (call set-up times of less than one second)
• Connection to the world's largest community of users, with millions of existing Nextel Direct Connect subscribers
• Nationwide and international push-to-talk services
• The largest portfolio of push-to-talk phones, including the largest selection of rugged phones
• Integrated business solutions, including the largest selection of GPS-solutions

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 almost 49 million customers at the end of the second quarter of 2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company's customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com [4].

¹ Coverage not available everywhere. Network reaches over 274 million people. Additional restrictions apply.

² Network and/or SIM card dependent feature, not available in all areas. Airtime, data charges and/or additional charges may apply. Wireless email functionality requires an email account with wireless server capabilities.

³ This device supports Bluetooth A2DP, HSP, BT FTP and HFP profiles. In order for Bluetooth devices to communicate with one another, they must utilize the same Bluetooth profile. Certain Bluetooth features including those listed may not be supported by all compatible Bluetooth-enabled devices, and/or the functionality of such features may be limited in certain devices, or by certain wireless carriers. Contact your wireless carrier about feature availability and functionality.

⁴ MicroSD card with up to 8 GB of memory purchased separately.

 

Source: Sprint

Sprint
Mark Elliott, 603-621-4511
mark.j.elliott@sprint.com [5]