Announcements

Nexus One from Google Coming to Sprint

2010-03-17T18:50:37Z

Nexus One, the first wireless phone sold through Google’s web store, is planned for Sprint’s 3G Mobile Broadband Network.

Pricing and an exact availability date will be announced soon.

Nexus One will benefit from Sprint’s 3G network with twice the coverage of AT&T and 10 times the coverage of T-Mobile, both based on square miles.(1)

“Nexus One is a powerful device that belongs on a powerful network. This is another step in our continued partnership of innovation with Google,” said Fared Adib, Sprint vice president of product development. “Sprint customers already have the option of two amazing Android devices with Samsung Moment and HTC Hero. It is a natural fit for us to add Nexus One to the list of choices available for Sprint customers who want the best value in wireless with the best in Android.”

We will keep everyone updated on all of the details about the phone and how Sprint subscribers can get one.

In the meantime, here are some specifications about the phone:

Nexus One runs on Android 2.1, a version of the platform's Eclair software, which offers advanced applications and features including:

• Google Maps Navigation: offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output.
• Email: multiple Gmail accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support.
• Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook.
• Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications.
• Android Market: access to more than 30,000 applications.
Hardware features of Nexus One include:
• Display: 3.7" AMOLED 480x800 WVGA display
• Thinness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g
• Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus with flash and geo tagging
• Onboard memory: 512MB Flash, 512MB RAM
• Expandable memory: 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB)
• Noise Suppression: Dynamic noise suppression from Audience, Inc.
• Ports: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with four contacts for inline voice and remote control
• Battery: Removable 1400 mAh
• Personalized laser engraving: Up to 50 characters on the back of the phone
• Trackball: Tri-color notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive

In addition, Nexus One offers new functionality and software enhancements including:

• Enter text without typing.
• Use a voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields: speak a text message, instant message, tweet, Facebook update, or complete an email.
• Tell your phone what you want it to do.
• Search Google, call contacts, or get driving directions by just speaking into your phone.
• Take personalization to the next level.
• Dynamic, interactive, live wallpapers react to the touch of a finger.
• More widgets and five home screen panels allow for further device customization.
• Capture camera-quality pictures and video with your device.
• 5 megapixel camera includes LED flash, auto focus, zoom, white balance and color effects.
• View pictures and Picasa Web Albums in the new 3D Gallery.
• Record Hi-Res MPEG4 video, and then upload to YouTube with one click.
• Read your voicemail messages.
• Get transcribed voicemail with Google Voice integration, without changing your number.

Google

Google's online consumer channel was created to provide an efficient way to connect online users with selected Android phones. Nexus One will not be available in any Sprint retail channels. It will be available directly from Google at google.com/phone.

The online experience of Google’s web store is designed with a focus on simplicity allowing consumers to match a phone with the service plan that best meets their needs.

“While a pricing plan has not yet been determined for Nexus One, we are confident that it will be consistent with Sprint’s commitment to deliver more value than our competitors and keep pricing simple,” Adib said. “Right now, our Sprint Everything Data 450 plan with Any Mobile, Anytime gives customers unlimited calling with any mobile phone in America, unlimited text and unlimited Web for just $69.99 per month – the same price AT&T and Verizon charge for just unlimited talk. Our Everything Data plans include unlimited GPS Navigation at no extra charge and annual phone upgrades with Sprint Premier.”

More information

Visit www.Google.com/phone.
Follow Sprint on Twitter @sprint to keep up with news on Nexus One for Sprint’s 3G Mobile Broadband Network.

(1)Coverage comparisons based on publicly available information as of 1/01/10 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners.

HTC Hero from Sprint Wins 2010 Best Smartphone Award

2010-03-05T16:20:57Z

In January, About.com asked readers to nominate their favorite smartphones. From Feb. 1-24, readers were allowed to vote for their favorite through an online poll. The results are in and the winner of the 2010 Reader’s Choice Awards for Smartphones is HTC Hero from Sprint.

HTC Hero took home an overwhelming 81 percent of the vote, and beat out several well-known finalists, including BlackBerry Bold 9700, iPhone 3GS and Motorola Droid.

Even About.com’s device reviewers noted, “While the HTC Hero may not be as well known as its rivals, its victory is not exactly an upset. This phone can match many of the bigger-name devices feature for feature. When I reviewed it last year, I called it the "best Android phone yet." And even after testing the Motorola Droid and the Nexus One, I'd still call the Hero my favorite Android-based device.”

This isn’t the first award HTC Hero has received. It was recognized as Best Mobile Handset or Device at the 15th Annual Global Mobile Awards at the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Additionally, Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg called Sprint’s HTC Hero “the best Android phone I’ve tested, and a worthy competitor to the iPhone, the BlackBerry and the Pre.”

Wondering how HTC Hero stood out?

HTC Hero is a full-featured smartphone with Wi-Fi, a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with pinch-to-zoom capabilities and a fingerprint resistant coating, integrated GPS Navigation and trackball navigation.

HTC Hero was the first U.S. device to feature HTC Sense, an intuitive experience that was built with a guiding philosophy to put people at the center and allow the device to completely be customized to the wants and needs of the user. The devices’ seven-panel wide home screen can be populated with customizable widgets that bring information to the surface.

It is the first Sprint device to offer HTC Footprints™, an application experience that enables users to chronicle their special moments by capturing a digital postcard on their phone. Once captured, Footprints provides the ability to take notes and an audio clip of that favorite restaurant or special place, while its specific GPS coordinates; Footprints also auto-names each postcard with its general location or area.

HTC Hero also lets users easily create and switch between Scenes to reflect different moments or roles in their lives, such as work, social, travel and play.

HTC Hero features an integrated 5.0 MP camera and camcorder. It also offers easy access to personal and business email, instant messaging and text messaging through POP, IMAP and Exchange Active Sync accounts.

Two Sprint Devices Recognized as Industry Bests at Mobile World Congress

2010-02-18T18:36:47Z

GSMA announced the winners of the coveted Global Mobile Awards at the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. And the winners are:

Best Mobile Handset or Device: HTC Hero

Sprint is the only national U.S. carrier to offer HTC Hero™. It is a full-featured smartphone with Wi-Fi, a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen with pinch-to-zoom capability and a fingerprint resistant coating, integrated GPS navigation, and trackball navigation. HTC Hero also features an integrated 5.0 MP camera and camcorder.

HTC Hero was the first U.S. device to feature HTC Sense, an intuitive experience that was built with a guiding philosophy to put people at the center and allows the device to be completely customized to the wants and needs of the user. The device's seven-panel wide home screen can be populated with customizable widgets that bring information to the surface.

It is the first Sprint device to offer HTC Footprints™, an application experience that enables the user to chronicle their special moments by capturing a digital postcard on their phone. Once captured, Footprints provides the ability to take notes and an audio clip of that favorite restaurant or special place while identifying its specific location. In addition to identifying each postcard with its specific GPS coordinates, Footprints also auto-names each postcard with its general location or area.

HTC Hero also lets users easily create and switch between Scenes to reflect different moments or roles in their lives, such as work, social, travel and play.

At launch, Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg called Sprint's HTC Hero "the best Android phone I've tested, and a worthy competitor to the iPhone, the BlackBerry and the Pre."

About.com readers have also nominated HTC Hero as their favorite smartphone for the 2010 Reader's Choice Awards. Now through Feb. 24, 2010, readers can vote for their personal favorite. Vote for HTC Hero from Sprint as Best Smartphone for About.com's 2010 Reader's Choice Awards at http://smartphones.about.com/od/phonereviews/ig/Best-Smartphone-Nominees/.

Best Mobile Connected Device (non-handsets): MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot

Sprint MiFi Intelligent Mobile Hotspot is part of Sprint's game-changing open approach to rolling out new types of wireless services and delivering the significant value and capabilities of the Now Network to its customers. This portable, secure and truly wireless mobile broadband access device was the first of its kind to be added to Sprint's portfolio.

Users can connect to the Internet by bridging Wi-Fi-enabled devices like laptops, MP3 players and gaming devices, to America's most dependable 3G network, the EVDO Rev. A Sprint Mobile Broadband Network.

Sprint Mobile Hotspot is ideal for businesses looking to extend the speed and anywhere convenience of America's most dependable 3G network.

How MiFi works

The Sprint Mobile Hotspot creates a personal cloud of high-speed Internet connectivity that can be easily shared between up to five users and a variety of Wi-Fi-enabled devices through its connection to America's most dependable 3G network, the EVDO Rev. A Sprint Mobile Broadband Network.

For example:

Mom on-the-go: As mom shuffles her three children and their two friends from one soccer game to the next, she keeps her Sprint Mobile Hotspot turned on and in her purse. Between games, the kids in the mini-van occupy themselves – two are playing with their gaming devices and the other three are streaming music on their MP3 players.
Portable retail: Five vendors at a local art fair have kiosks in close proximity. Accessing one Sprint Mobile Hotspot device's signal, they each run a credit card point-of-sale device over WiFi and have secure backhaul.
Business travelers: Two business travelers share a cab to the airport, then wait for their flight. Sharing the signal of one Sprint Mobile Hotspot device that is safely tucked away in a briefcase, they download emails and surf the Internet on their notebooks and stream music to their MP3 players.

The Mifi:

Easily fits in the palm of your hand
Provides mobile broadband Rev. A Internet access wirelessly
Supports up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices
Simple to connect with Hands-Free Activation (OMA-DM). No software installation required
Universal Wi-Fi compatibility
Advanced security through WPA2-PSK, WEP and SPI Firewall
Battery provides four hours of user time, 40 hours standby on single charge

PC Magazine said Sprint's MiFi card "is the one to get," because "Sprint does a better job, makes it easier, and comes cheaper if you decide to get the Simply Everything plan with Mobile Broadband, which includes data, text, Sprint TV, and GPS Navigation."

PC World surveyed the three major carriers' 3G networks in 13 cities and reported: "Sprint easily delivered on its dependability promises in our tests, with a reliability rate of 90.5 percent." Sprint was more reliable than AT&T in every market, and tied or more reliable than Verizon in 8 markets, the magazine said.

Boy Genius said "Wow. Sprint's average EV-DO Rev. A download speed bested AT&T by a huge margin — 428kbps — and it nearly doubled Verizon's showing amongst our readers."

TheStreet.com announced results of its own tests of wireless Internet service and modems and reported, "If you want to stay connected to the Web wirelessly as you travel, it's hard to beat Sprint."

Recognition like this is one of the many reasons Sprint is well recognized for offering the best device portfolio of any U.S. wireless carrier.

These devices are also an important part of why Sprint is the best value in wireless. These exciting devices combined with the fact Sprint tested as the most reliable network in comparison to AT&T and Verizon in a 13-city 3G performance test conducted by PC World, and Sprint's Everything Data plans with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM, gives customers unlimited 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. And, for those who want unlimited voice, data and text, the Simply Everything^SM plan from Sprint offers a truly unlimited experience for only $99.99 per month. (All price plans exclude surcharges and taxes. Other exclusions apply.)

Links:

http://www.theprovince.com/mobile/business/businesswire/GSMA+Announces+Winners+15th+Annual+Global+Mobile+Awards/2573541/story.html

http://www.intomobile.com/2010/02/17/gsma-names-steve-jobs-mobile-personality-of-the-year-htc-hero-wins-best-mobile-handset.html

http://www.mobilenewscwp.co.uk/News/417905/mwc_hero_wins_handset_award.html

http://www.thefonecast.com/News/tabid/85/EntryId/2493/GSMA-announces-Global-Mobile-Awards-winners-at-Barcelona.aspx

http://www.itnewsonline.com/showrwstory.php?storyid=2370

http://www.gsmarena.com/gsma_awards_2010_htc_hero_phone_of_the_year-news-1460.php

http://www.which.co.uk/news/2010/02/htc-hero-crowned-phone-of-the-year-203937

HTC Hero news release: http://newsreleases.sprint.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=127149&p=irol-newsArticle_newsroom&ID=1327394&highlight=htc%20hero

MiFi news release: http://newsreleases.sprint.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=127149&p=irol-newsArticle_newsroom&ID=1287934&highlight=Mifi

HTC Hero from Sprint is a 2010 Reader's Choice Awards Nominee for Best Smartphone

2010-02-10T22:35:38Z

About.com has announced its nominees for the Reader’s Choice Award; ‘Best Smartphone’ and we are happy to announce HTC Hero is a finalist. Along with the HTC Hero, nominees include: Apple’s iPhone 3GS, BlackBerry Bold 9700, Motorola Droid and Nokia N97.

Wondering how Sprint’s HTC Hero made it this far? Consider the following:

HTC Hero is a full-featured smartphone with Wi-Fi, a 3.2-inch capacitive touch screen with pinch-to-zoom capability and a fingerprint resistant coating, integrated GPS navigation, and trackball navigation.
HTC Hero was the first U.S. device to feature HTC Sense, an intuitive experience that was built with a guiding philosophy to put people at the center and allows the device to be completely customized to the wants and needs of the user. The device’s seven-panel wide home screen can be populated with customizable widgets that bring information to the surface.
It is the first Sprint device to offer HTC Footprints™, an application experience that enables the user to chronicle their special moments by capturing a digital postcard on their phone. Once captured, Footprints provides the ability to take notes and an audio clip of that favorite restaurant or special place while identifying its specific location. In addition to identifying each postcard with its specific GPS coordinates, Footprints also auto-names each postcard with its general location or area.
HTC Hero also lets users easily create and switch between Scenes to reflect different moments or roles in their lives, such as work, social, travel and play.
HTC Hero features an integrated 5.0 MP camera and camcorder. It also offers easy access to personal and business email, instant messaging and text messaging through POP, IMAP, and Exchange Active Sync accounts.

Visit About.com and vote for HTC Hero from Sprint as About.com's 2010 Reader's Choice Award for best smartphone. Voting ends February 24, 2010. Let your opinion be heard. Vote for your favorite now! http://smartphones.about.com/od/phonereviews/ig/Best-Smartphone-Nominees/

Sprint offers advantage to Apps developers

2010-01-05T14:42:27Z

- Brian Marcinak, vice president business development for Loopt

“Sprint’s ‘open’ strategy and the tools provided on the developer Web site, give Loopt and other developers an advantage when creating applications for customers. In particular, the location-based API’s are very flexible and gives us a cost-effective way to get new services implemented in our applications.”

Apps, apps and more apps

At Sprint we know how important it is to have a great phone, and we offer a bunch of them. Increasingly, though, a great wireless experience also relies on an abundance of applications.

Sprint is addressing these customer expectations by supporting applications developers with an expanding kit of tools and other assistance.

In October more than 1,300 developers and other key industry members attended Sprint’s ninth annual developer conference in Silicon Valley. Sessions covered application development across a range of platforms, including Android, Palm® webOS™, RIM, Windows Mobile and Java; machine-to-machine solutions, 4G and more.

Developers lined up for 400 new HTC Hero phones and an Android™ coding session at Sprint’s ninth annual developer conference last October.

(Recap of the 2009 Sprint Developer Conference)

Yadong Liu, founder and CTO, M-Square Apps, attended the 2009 Developer Conference and already has added to the growing number of Android apps.

"It was an awesome conference and really got me started on Android development," Liu said. "I used the free HTC Hero to develop an app called "Best Quotes." It is already available on Android Market and I am planning some more apps to be released in the future."

Rick Boatright, chief evangelist, Webos-Internals.org, also attended the 2009 Developer Conference.

“At the Sprint Developer Conference, Sprint provided small and individual developers access to its developer team and also to the developer teams with smartphone manufacturers,” said Rick Boatright. “Sprint is committed to opening up its network to all developers and is the only carrier delivering access and providing experts to help developers create exciting new applications to run on the Sprint network.”

New tools

Sprint is:

Expanding its open location service enabler program with a new partner -- TechnoCom Corporation. TechnoCom is a location-based aggregator that provides customization and integration support services tailored to call center and IVR–based services.
Introducing new capabilities for iDEN development. Free Developer Sandbox – for iDEN and CDMA - open to all Sprint registered developers – developers can create and test innovative applications for Sprint, Nextel and Boost brands.
Continuing to enrich the tools available through the Sprint Application Developer Program.

Application Developer Program

An ‘Open’ Leader

Sprint invests in technology and processes that enable developers to have access to important capabilities unique to Sprint’s network such as location and presence to make their apps richer.

Sprint’s guiding philosophy:
• Let consumers determine the application winners
• Be easy to do business with
• Create a developer’s “Garage” where new innovation happens
• Use the proven Open Internet model as guide
• Support is best performed by the creators of the content
• Open still requires management

More information:

Sprint Outlines "Open" Approach at Ninth Annual Developer Conference -- Sprint Offers Developers the Tools They Need to Be Successful

Sprint Open Developer Conference Gives Developers Hands-on Training With Android, Palm webOS, Java ME, RIM and Windows Mobile

Sprint Launches Support for Android on Sprint Developer Web Site

Sprint Demonstrates 'Open' Leadership with New Programs for the Developer Community

Sprint Launches Open Location Platform with WaveMarket and WHERE

Three Sprint devices awarded CTIA ‘must-have’ distinction

2009-10-09T18:12:23Z

Three Sprint products – the MiFi, HTC Touch Pro2 and the Samsung Reclaim – emerged as winners this week in the CTIA Hot for the Holidays awards program.

CTIA–The Wireless Association announced the winners of what it considers “this year’s must-have mobile consumer electronics products and applications.”

”CTIA Hot for the Holidays has given retailers and consumers a preview of the mobile CE products that will be in high demand this holiday season,” said Robert Mesirow, vice president and show director for CTIA.

The MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot for CDMA won in the category of “Mobile Internet Device or Netbook” and the HTC Touch Pro2 won in the smart phone category. The Reclaim earned the most text votes onsite in San Diego and took home the CTIA 2009 Hottest in Show award.

This news came as Sprint wrapped up a week of announcements of its own at CTIA. More information is available about two of those announcements, the upcoming arrival of the Samsung Intrepid and the Android-powered Samsung Moment.

The eco-friendly Samsung Reclaim, the HTC Hero on the Android platform and the end of ‘calling circles’ with Any Mobile, Anytime rate plan are just some recent announcements from Sprint.

Samsung Intrepid Announcement

Sprint Introduces Android-Powered Samsung Moment™ with Google

What Others Are Saying

Wireless Week: “Samsung Has an Android 'Moment' with Sprint"

TechNewsWorld: “Sprint Seizes the Android Moment”

MocoNews : “The CTIA Wrap: Samsung Has Google Moment”

Geek.com : “Sprint to offer the Samsung Moment”

Sprint Announcements from CTIA; October 6-9, 2009

2009-10-06T18:44:42Z

Sprint is at CTIA in San Diego this week. If you can’t make it to the show stay tuned to this site for news and information about Sprint’s latest devices and business announcements. The eco-friendly Samsung Reclaim, the HTC Hero on the Android platform and the end of ‘calling circles’ with Any Mobile, Anytime rate plan are just some recent announcements from Sprint. Check back often to discover what’s next.

Samsung Intrepid Announcement

Sprint Introduces Android-Powered Samsung Moment™ with Google

Sprint to Launch Its First Android Device

2009-09-02T21:30:07Z

HTC Hero will Bring Innovation and Openness of a True Mobile Internet Experience to America’s Most Dependable 3G Network

News Highlights:

Sprint and HTC Corporation today announced the upcoming arrival of the first wireless device offering the combination of the open and innovative Android platform with the high-speed connectivity of Sprint’s 3G network, EVDO Rev. A, HTC Hero™ with Google™.

Google Integration: HTC Hero offers synchronization for built-in Google mobile services™, including Google Search™, Google Maps™, Gmail™, and YouTube™ as well as access to thousands of applications built on the Android platform.

Availability/Pre-Registration: Beginning on Oct. 11, customers will be able to purchase HTC Hero through all Sprint retail channels including Web (www.sprint.com), Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and our national retail partner Best Buy for $179.99 after a $50 instant savings and a $100 mail-in rebate with a two-year service agreement. Pre-registration begins today at www.sprint.com/hero.

Applications: Through Android Market™, HTC Hero users have access to more than 6,000 useful applications, widgets and fun games to download and install on their phone, with many more to come. Thousands of developers are working to introduce new Android applications every day.

Multimedia:

Meet the HTC Hero (Device demonstrated in this video is the global version of Hero)

David Owens, a Sprint director of consumer acquisition, discusses the upcoming introduction of the HTC Hero.

Photos:

Quotes:

Kevin Packingham, senior vice president of product development, Sprint:

“The arrival of HTC Hero and the Android platform to Sprint’s network is an important milestone for our customers and the U.S. wireless industry.”
“With the superior dependability and coverage of Sprint’s 3G network, HTC Hero users will appreciate a much better experience than is possible now with any other Android phone operating in the United States. They will enjoy the robust potential to personalize their wireless experience as well as the best value in wireless with a Simply Everything plan from Sprint.”

Andy Rubin, vice president, mobile platforms, Google:

“Sprint and HTC are helping to drive openness and innovation in the mobile industry with the introduction of the Android-powered HTC Hero.”

“As the world’s first truly open mobile platform built with the Internet in mind, Android provides to consumers the same Internet services they have become accustomed to on their desktop PC. Offering access to thousands of applications, a suite of Google™ services, and unique personalization features, HTC Hero offers a compelling mobile experience.”

Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America:

“HTC Sense on HTC Hero revolves around three basic principles: Make it Mine, Stay Close and Discover the Unexpected. These principles are based on the recognition that people want their mobile device to conform to their needs and wants, easily keep them in touch with the most important people in their lives, and surprise them with small moments of joy and delight.”

“Working with Sprint to introduce HTC Hero to the US was a natural fit, as both HTC Hero and Sprint’s Simply Everything plan are designed to give customers everything they need in a simple package.”

Related Information:

• Sign up for the latest Android updates at sprint.com/hero

• Get HTC Hero news on Twitter. Follow @sprintnews

• HTC Hero Fact Sheet

• Competitive and Value Matrix

• Press release

• High resolution image gallery

What is Android?
Android, devised by a group known as the Open Handset Alliance, is a system intended to bring Internet-style innovation to mobile phones. As the alliance states on the official Android Website, “Android breaks down the barriers to building new and innovative applications.”