14 DAY TRIAL // Sprint has gone crazy (in a very good way) and, in the same press release that announces the availability of HTC Touch Diamond and HTC Touch Pro, the US carrier presents no less than four other new handsets. These are LG Lotus, Samsung Highnote, Samsung Rant and the iDEN Motorola i576.
The first three handsets (meaning, sans the Moto) are coming with a brand new user interface developed by Sprint. Called One Click, the interface is presented as being “highly interactive,” giving users “the ability to easily access the features they use most on their wireless phone.”
Featuring a full QWERTY keyboard, LG Lotus is a weirdly-designed clamshell that will become available starting October, priced at $149.99 (with a contract agreement for two years). Furthermore, the Lotus brings Sprint Navigation, email and Web capabilities, Bluetooth, Sprint TV, Sprint Music Store, a 2.0 Megapixel camera and Wireless Backup. LG Lotus will be on sale in two color versions, satin black and textured purple.
Samsung Highnote comes with a dual-sliding design, and is apparently targeted at music lovers. The handset features “powerful stereo speakers,” stereo Bluetooth, Sprint Music Store, speaker-independent voice recognition, Sprint Navigation, Web browser, email, up to 16 GB of extendable memory, and more. Sprint will start selling the Highnote on October 19, in blue and red, for $99.99 (together with a two-year contract agreement and a 50 bucks mail-in rebate).
Samsung Rant is another handset that packs a full QWERTY keyboard, but this is a normal sliding one. Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, Sprint Music Store, Bluetooth, a 2 MP camera and expandable memory are also included in the phone. The Rant will also go on sale in October, priced at only $50 (after a $50 mail-in rebate and the signing of a 2-year agreement with Sprint).
"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," declared Senior Vice President of Product and Technology Development at Sprint, Kevin Packingham. "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."
All in all, it looks like a busy autumn season is in store for Sprint's North American users, with lots of new handsets to choose from.
