• evo,  htc,  pre,  sprint,  web os

    HTC EVO 4G – Sprint’s Best One Day Sales Leader

    Sprint has announced that Friday’s launch of the HTC EVO 4G was the best handset launch, ever. The one day sales of the EVO 4G on Friday, June 4th, topped last year’s sales leader, the Palm Pre that features the webOS platform.

    Friday sales of HTC EVO 4G marked the largest quantity of a single phone sold in one day ever for Sprint – the record was previously held by both Samsung InstinctTM and Palm PreTM. In addition, the total number of HTC EVO 4G devices sold on launch day was three times the number of Samsung Instinct and Palm Pre devices sold over their first three days on the market combined.
    “HTC EVO 4G is a clear winner for customers with the powerful combination of an amazing multimedia experience in 3G coverage areas that becomes even better in our growing number of 4G markets. It is terrific to see customers react so positively to this device and the innovative experience it brings to them,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO.
    The record pace of HTC EVO 4G sales led to temporary shortages of the device at some of the 22,000 sales locations across the United States, including Sprint retail stores, national retail partners including RadioShack, Best Buy and Walmart, and indirect dealers. Sprint and HTC are diligently working around the clock to increase inventory in all sales channels. Additional shipments are arriving in retail stores on a regular basis with many stores seeing daily deliveries.
    “HTC EVO 4G has more than lived up to our expectations that it would be one of the most anticipated technology products of the year,” said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president – Product Development for Sprint. “We are working closely with our partners at HTC to increase the supply and get EVO 4G into the hands of everyone who wants one as quickly as possible.”
    You can read the full press release on the Sprint website.
  • blackberry,  blackberry os,  bold,  rim,  sprint,  tour

    BlackBerry Bold 9650 Available from Sprint

    The Sprint edition of the RIM BlackBerry Bold has gone on sale via the Sprint website today, according to BoyGeniusReport.com. The Bold 9650, which started out life as the BlackBerry Tour 2, will eventually replace the Tour on Sprint’s Now Network.

    The BlackBerry Bold 9650 can be purchased for $199.99 after a $100 instant rebate and a $100 mail in rebate when you sign-up for a new line of service or add a 2-year contact extension to your existing plan.

    The BlackBerry Bold 9650’s feature list includes:

    • Trackpad
    • BlackBerry® Push Technology
    • Mobile Email
    • BlackBerry App World™
    • 3.2 Megapixel Camera and Camcorder
    • Dual Network Capability for International Travel
    • Wi-Fi Enabled – 802.11 b/g
    • External Memory (Up to 32GB SDHC microSD card)
    • BlackBerry® Messenger and Instant Messaging
    • Attachment Viewing and Editing (DataViz Documents to Go)
    • GPS capable
    • BlackBerry® Media Sync (sync with Apple iTunes)
    • Bluetooth® Enabled including Stereo BT profile
    • Voice Activated Dialing
    • Hearing Aid Compatible (HAC)

    For more information and upgrade pricing, visit the Sprint website. For detailed product specifications on the BlackBerry Bold family of smartphones, visit the Research In Motion BlackBerry website.

    [Via BoyGeniusReport.com…]

  • android,  google,  sprint

    HTC EVO 4G Arrives on Sprint June 4th

    Get ready Sprint fans! The HTC EVO 4G hits store shelves on June 4th!

    Sprint issued a press release earlier today to announce the release date of their new 4G Google Android handset.

    If you were creating your dream wireless device what would it look like? Two cameras and video chat so you can say goodnight to your children when you are away on a business trip? Simultaneous voice and data, so you can call in your take-out order while you look at their menu on the Internet? The ability to plug your phone into your HDTV, so you can let your children finish the movie they started watching in the car’s backseat when you get home? And a huge screen for watching the videos you download in seconds – not minutes – with the fastest wireless data speeds available in America today? Stop daydreaming and get ready for Sprint to make your dreams come true on June 4 when the highly anticipated HTC EVO 4G debuts.

    “HTC EVO 4G is a fantastic 3G device, but when you use it in our growing 4G coverage area, it becomes a multimedia powerhouse,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. “The EVO 4G experience is much like going from TV to HDTV. But EVO has more than just an impressive list of features – it is also fun to use with remarkable gaming, video and web-browsing capabilities.”

    Amazing Features, Beautiful Design

    HTC EVO 4G features the latest version of the increasingly popular Android platform, Android 2.1, offering more than 35,000 apps, as well as a mind-blowing list of features, including:

    • Simultaneous voice and data capability in 4G and Wi-Fi coverage areas, enabling Web surfing and more while the conversation continues.
    • Offering a new way to search with pictures instead of words, Google Goggles(TM) works with everything from books, DVDs and barcodes to landmarks, logos, artwork and wine labels.
    • Superfast 1GHz Qualcomm(R) Snapdragon(TM) processor, ensuring a smooth and quick movement within phone menus.
    • Two cameras – an 8.0 megapixel auto-focus camera with HD-capable video camcorder and a forward-facing 1.3 megapixel camera.
    • Built-in mobile hotspot functionality allowing up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 3G or 4G experience on the go with a laptop, camera, music player, game unit, video player, or any other Wi-Fi enabled device.
    • Integrated HD video capture with the ability to capture and share live video via the Qik Web site, Facebook, YouTube or Twitter(TM).
    • Ability to easily watch video with the device on an HDTV via an HDMI cable (sold separately).
    • Custom Web browser optimized for the 4.3 inch display and Sprint 4G speeds to deliver a full, no-compromise Internet experience.
    • A handy kickstand built into the back, making it easy to watch videos on-the-go.
    • Adobe Flash technology ensures that rich Internet content, such as embedded video and animation, are displayed the way they are meant to be seen.
    • Pinch-to-zoom and automatic text reflowing provide easy Web page views.

    HTC EVO 4G boasts the newest version of the highly acclaimed HTC Sense user experience. With HTC Sense, HTC EVO 4G users can use Friend Stream to aggregate multiple social communication channels, including Facebook and Twitter into one organized flow of updates; a “Leap” thumbnail view to easily switch between home screen “panels;” the ability to download new, interactive widgets; and a “polite” ringer, which quiets the ringing phone once lifted up.

    HTC EVO 4G Pricing and Availability

    HTC EVO 4G will be available in all Sprint retail channels, including Sprint.com and national retail partners, RadioShack, Best Buy and Wal-Mart. Sprint will price the award-winning device at $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and after a $100 mail-in rebate (taxes excluded) with a new line activation or eligible upgrade. Pre-registration is available now at www.sprint.com/evo.

    In order to provide the best experience, HTC EVO 4G will use Sprint’s industry-leading Everything Data or Business Advantage Messaging and Data plans that include unlimited Web, texting and calling on the Sprint Network to every mobile in America with Any Mobile, Anytime. Everything Data plans start at $69.99 per month. A $10 per month Premium Data add-on will apply allowing customers to take advantage of a richer data experience than ever before.

    Additionally, an optional pricing add-on will turn HTC EVO 4G into a mobile hotspot connecting up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, gaming devices and digital cameras, simultaneously at 4G speeds where available and at 3G speeds anywhere on the Sprint 3G network for just $29.99 per month – half the monthly cost of the current Mobile Broadband plan (pricing excludes surcharges and taxes).

    For more details about the Sprint HTC EVO 4G, visit the Sprint website. The full version of today’s press release can be found on the Sprint Newsroom website. Sprint has also made the EVO 4G spec sheet available.

  • android,  droid,  google,  sprint

    Sprint to Google: We’ll Pass On the Nexus One

    The Sprint, the Now Network, told us that they, like Verizon Wireless, won’t be carrying the Nexus One smartphone either. Take that Google!

    BoyGeniusReport.com reported late yesterday afternoon that “Sprint’s PR people have let it be known that the Google Nexus One will never have a home with the Now Network. Singling out the lack of need for the handset in their portfolio thanks to the bigger, better, faster and stronger HTC EVO 4G[…]”

    [Via BGR.com…]

  • apple,  blackberry,  ipad,  iphone,  macbook pro,  palm,  pre,  rim,  sprint,  verizon

    Admitting I Have a Problem

    Another long work day has come to an end and I’m “degearing” for the night. Just a few minutes ago, I realized why my blog has the word “Fanatics” in it.

    Right now, on my person, I’m carrying my Sprint Palm Pre, a 2G Apple iPhone, a 5th gen iPod, my iPad, and my new company issued Verizon BlackBerry Storm2 9550. Oh, and let’s not forget the 17-inch MacBook Pro that I needed at work today.

    So, I have to ask myself, why the hell and I carrying all this gear anyway? “They” say that admitting you have a problem is the first step. I’ll have to pencil that into my calendar at some point?

    I’ll have to take a break from all of this technology by drinking this can of Diet Coke.

  • blackberry,  rim,  sprint

    Sprint: BlackBerry Trade In Program Coming Soon

    I was skimming the new Entertainment Weekly (issue 1099/1100 for April 23/30) and saw a Sprint add for the new BlackBerry Curve 8530 and the free trade in program.

    I hopped on the Internet to check out the details on the Sprint Trade In website only to see a “coming soon” message.

    According to the print ad, you can get a new BlackBerry Curve 8530 in black or royal purple for free when you trade in any BlackBerry device (must be deactivated already) and purchase a new 2-year service agreement. Customers who have the same device for 22 months are also eligible for the upgrade promotion. You may be required to pay a $36 dollar activation fee and the normal $200 early termination fee applies if you exit the plan early. The fine print also states that this is a mail-in rebate deal. You order the phone an get $100 off. Then you have to send in the MIR for the remaining $49.99. As usual, the rebate check will take 10 to 14 weeks and you will need to keep the phone active for 30 days.

    The ad’s fine print also goes on to state that the offer is good until 6/5/10 or while supplies last. I’m not sure what that means, as I don’t expect Research In Motion or Sprint to stop selling the Curve 8530 on 6/5/10.

    You can learn more about the Sprint edition BlackBerry Curve 8530 on the Sprint online store website.

    Even with all the fine print and red tape, if you are looking to get an inexpensive BlackBerry, this is a great way to go. I had used the older Curve, the 8330, for a good 6 months an really liked it. If I wasn’t using a Palm Pre, I’d likely be using the new Curve 8530 or a Tour 9630. (Yes, I’m an Apple fan, but I really like the physical keyboard on my devices.) Both the Curve and Tour have great battery life which is something that I really don’t like about my Pre. If I forget to place it on my Touchstone charger nightly, the battery will be dead in the morning. Hmmm…maybe it’s time to get a new Curve.

  • apple,  ipad,  sprint

    Sprint 4G Case for Apple iPad

    I don’t know if the folks over at Sprint are crazy or crazy like a fox. It looks like Sprint has a back door marketing campaign for Apple customers, like me, for their 4G network. The latest gimmick is Sprint’s 4G Case of the iPad.

    The good folks over at BoyGeniusReport.com summed it up best by writing:

    “How can you not love Sprint when it pulls stunts like this? Following up on its 4G iPhone commercial, the Now Network has absolutely outdone itself with the introduction of the Sprint 4G Case for iPad. That’s right… the Sprint 4G Case for the freakin’ iPad.”

    You can get more details on the Sprint website.

    [Via BoyGeniusReport.com…]

  • pixi,  pre,  sprint,  web os

    Palm webOS 1.4.1.1 Update Available

    Palm Pre and Pixi customers on Sprint can jump on the webOS 1.4.1 fun today Palm has released the webOS 1.4.1.1 update is available for download. You can install the update over the air using the Updates application on your Palm Pre or Pixi.

    Palm webOS 1.4.1.1 delivers the following fixes:

    Bluetooth

    • This release fixes an issue so that the phone now correctly connects with supported BMW car kits.

    Camera

    • This release fixes an issue so that newly taken photos and videos do not overwrite existing ones.

    Doc View

    • If you open a file and perform the back gesture, the app now returns to the file list screen.
    • Pinching in/out to zoom out/in now works correctly.

    System

    • This release fixes an intermittent issue so that the volume slider no longer appears onscreen incorrectly.

    Touchstone charging dock

    • When the phone is on a Touchstone charging dock, the screen now consistently turns off correctly (displaying the lock icon and the time) after the shut-off interval.

    You can read the full list of changes and enhancements in Palm webOS 1.4.1.1 on the Palm webOS updates website. Bell and Verizon customers who have the Pre and Pixi will have to wait a little bit longer as the 1.4.1.1 update is not listed on the Palm website.

  • pixi,  pre,  sprint,  verizon,  web os

    Sprint Only: webOS Yahoo IM

    I just found out from a reliable source that only Sprint edition webOS devices, namely the Palm Pre and Pixi, are the only webOS devices that can use Yahoo IM from inside the Palm Messaging application.

    No reason was given as to why there is a difference between the Sprint and Verizon webOS phones – only that Sprint phones can and Verizon phones can’t.

    Go figure.

  • android,  google,  sprint

    Sprint Announces the HTC Evo 4G

    Sprint and HTC Corporation today announced summer availability of the world’s first 3G/4G Android handset, HTC EVO 4G exclusively from Sprint. HTC EVO 4G delivers a multimedia experience at 4G speeds that is second to none, making it possible to download music, pictures, files, or videos in seconds – not minutes – and watch streaming video on the go with one of the largest pinch-to-zoom displays, at 4.3 inches, in the wireless industry.

    Sprint 4G offers a faster wireless experience than any other U.S. national wireless carrier, and Sprint is the only national carrier offering wireless 4G service today in 27 markets. Sprint 4G delivers download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G1,giving HTC EVO 4G the fastest data speeds of any U.S. wireless device available today.

    “Sprint continues to lead the 4G revolution as we introduce HTC EVO 4G to give our customers an experience that is unlike anything available in wireless to date,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. “Not only is this feature-rich device incredible on our Sprint 3G network, but Sprint 4G speeds will take mobile multimedia, including live video streaming, gaming and picture downloads, to a whole new level.”

    “HTC and Sprint have a strong history of working together to bring consumers technologies and advancements that make their lives easier,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC. “We believe that the HTC EVO 4G represents the best of Sprint and the best of HTC working together to bring an unmatched device to the U.S. This combination of HTC and Sprint innovation will allow people to do even more while on the go, faster than ever on the Sprint 4G network.”

    HTC Evo 4G Specifications

    Productivity

    • 3G/4G capability
    • Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ QSD8650 (1GHz) processor
    • 4.3” capacitive display with pinch-to-zoom and tactile feedback
    • World-class HTML browser
    • Android 2.1
    • Google mobile services: Google Search, Google Maps, Google Talk, Gmail, YouTube, and syncs with Google Calendar
    • Sprint Navigation, with turn-by-turn driving directions and 3D maps
    • Updated HTC Sense, which includes Friend Stream to integrate Facebook, Twitter and more
    • Visual voicemail
    • 4G data speeds (WiMAX) – peak download speeds of more than 10 Mbps
    • 3G data speeds (EVDO Rev A.) – peak download speeds of up to 3.1 Mbps

    Entertainment

    • 8MP autofocus camera with dual LED flash and 1.3MP front-facing camera
    • High-quality video streaming and downloads at 3G and 4G data speeds
    • Capture and share HD-quality video (720p) from your phone
    • Output pictures, slides and videos in HD quality (720p) via HDMI cable (sold separately)
    • Live video sharing with Qik
    • Built-in kickstand for hands-free viewing
    • Media player with 3.5mm stereo headset jack
    • FM radio and Amazon MP3 store
    • Sprint applications including Sprint TV and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile
    • Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP Stereo and EDR
    • Built-in WiFi: 802.11 b/g
    • Digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor, GPS
    • Expandable memory: 8GB microSD card included; supports up to 32GB

    Hardware Specifications

    • Dimensions: 4.8″ x 2.6″ x .5″ (LxWxT)
    • Weight: 6 ounces
    • Main display: 4.3” WVGA (800×480) 65K colors
    • Standard removable 1500mAh Lithium (Li-on) battery
    • Memory: 1GB ROM, 512MB RAM

    Pricing and Availability

    Customers will be able to purchase HTC EVO 4G through all Sprint channels and through national retail partners, RadioShack, Best Buy and Walmart, this summer. Pricing will be announced at a later date. Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/evo.

    You can read the full version of today’s announcement on the Sprint website.