LG Lotus Elite and LG Rumor Touch, Exclusively from Sprint,

Sprint (NYSE: S) and LG Electronics MobileComm U.S.A., Inc. (LG Mobile Phones) today announced the upcoming availability of the fashionable LG Lotus Elite™ and LG Rumor Touch™, successors to the popular LG Lotus™ and LG Rumor™. These sleek and stylish messaging devices offer users a more advanced handset with the additions of touchscreen technology and new exclusive features.

“With their new touchscreen technology, the stylish LG Lotus Elite and Rumor Touch deliver the best in functionality and fashion. It’s no wonder the Rumor series is a perennial best seller and the Lotus is award-winning.”

The red LG Lotus Elite will be available Jan. 10, in all Sprint retail channels including www.sprint.com and 1-800-Sprint1 for $99.99 with a new two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate (excludes taxes and surcharges). LG Lotus Elite will be available in black on Feb. 14.

LG Rumor Touch will be available in the first quarter; pricing and availability will be announced at a later date. Beginning today, customers can pre-register for LG Rumor Touch at www.sprint.com/lgstyle.

“LG Lotus Elite and LG Rumor Touch provide access to the latest in wireless technology with a flair for style on America’s most dependable network1” said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president of product development for Sprint. “Lotus Elite helps customers express their individual personality with its unique square shape and tattoo design; and our award-winning Sprint One Click user interface also makes it quick and easy for customers to move through the product applications.”

One Click is an award-winning interactive user interface design that lets users personalize the home screen on their LG Lotus Elite by selecting and organizing one-click access to features and content, such as text messaging, Google search, Sprint Navigation, email, favorite Web sites, music and social networking. With One Click, scrolling through the customized 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, he or she will see the number of new messages received. A single click takes the user directly to the feature selected.

Winner of the “Good Design of the Year Award” at the German IF awards, LG Lotus Elite makes a distinctive fashion statement with a unique square flip-phone shape, attractive tattoo pattern and full QWERTY keyboard. LG Lotus Elite has an external touchscreen enabling users to view emails, texts and pictures, as well as access your voicemail without opening the phone. Customers can view Sprint TV®, listen to music and use Sprint Navigation from the external screen after starting the program using the main phone menu.

“Our customers want feature-rich handsets that allow them to stay connected and remain productive throughout the day without sacrificing personal style,” said Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of marketing and innovation for LG Mobile Phones. “With their new touchscreen technology, the stylish LG Lotus Elite and Rumor Touch deliver the best in functionality and fashion. It’s no wonder the Rumor series is a perennial best seller and the Lotus is award-winning.”

LG Lotus Elite features several enhancements, including dual 2.4-inch QVGA screens, expandable MicroSD™ supporting up to 32GB memory card and dedicated shortcut keys for social networking, email and text.

LG Lotus Elite includes all the popular features of LG Lotus including:

  • Sprint One Click menu, a highly customizable user interface that makes texting, Web access, email and other features easier to use
  • 2 megapixel camera and camcorder
  • Full QWERTY keyboard
  • SMS text messaging
  • Google Search

The LG Rumor series first launched in 2007 with the release of LG Rumor, a full QWERTY keyboard device that soon became one of Sprint’s most popular messaging devices. LG Rumor Touch will give consumers the latest in touchscreen technology to keep them in touch while on-the-go.

The feature-rich LG Rumor Touch boasts a large 3-inch WQVGA touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera and camcorder, MicroSD card slot supporting up to 32GB, Google Search and 3G data capabilities operating on Sprint’s EVDO Rev. 0 network – keeping customers in the middle of the action with instant access to update their Facebook status, upload a picture to Photobucket or find the coolest hangout with its built-in GPS.

LG Rumor Touch also offers access to Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, Sprint Music and Sprint Mobile Email with personal and corporate calendar features. LG Rumor Touch will be available in blue in the first quarter, with more color options coming later in the year.

Sprint’s affordable Everything Data plans now include Any Mobile, Anytime, a feature that removes restrictive calling circles and provides unlimited calling on the Sprint network to and from any U.S. wireless phone regardless of carrier, at no additional charge with Everything Data plans starting at $69.99 per month (all price plans exclude surcharges and taxes).

Sprint’s Simply EverythingSM offers nationwide unlimited calling, unlimited text and unlimited data, including email, social networking, Web browsing, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, streaming music, NFL Mobile Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup Mobile, for only $99.99 per month (plus taxes and surcharges). That is a $1,200 savings over two years vs. a comparable AT&T iPhone® plan2. Both Everything Data and Simply Everything plans are available to existing customers without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.

The Sprint Mobile Broadband Network (inclusive of data roaming) reaches more than 269 million people, 18,652 cities and 1,838 airports. The Sprint Networks (inclusive of data roaming) have twice the coverage of AT&T’s current 3G network and 14 times the coverage of T-Mobile’s current 3G network, both based on square miles3.

According to Sprint performance data, Sprint Mobile Broadband connections are successfully connected and maintained better than 99 out of 100 times. According to a recent independent network test conducted by PC World, Sprint tested as the most reliable network overall among U.S. carriers in a 13-city performance test4.

Sprint is also the only wireless carrier to offer Ready Now service with trained retail associates to work one-on-one with customers to personalize their LG Lotus Elite or LG Rumor Touch, 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.

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 more than 48 million customers at the end of the third quarter of 2009 and the first and only 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; 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.

About LG Electronics, Inc.

LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing more than 84,000 people working in 115 operations including 84 subsidiaries around the world. With 2008 global sales of $44.7 billion, LG comprises five business units – Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning and Business Solutions. LG is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, audio and video products, mobile handsets, air conditioners and washing machines. LG has signed a long-term agreement to become both a Global Partner of Formula 1™ and a Technology Partner of Formula 1™. As part of this top-level association, LG acquires exclusive designations and marketing rights as the official consumer electronics, mobile phone and data processor of this global sporting event. For more information, please visit www.lge.com.

About LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company

The LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company is a leading global mobile communications and information company. With its cutting-edge technology and innovative design capabilities, LG creates handsets that provide an optimized mobile experience to customers around the world. LG is pursuing convergence technology and mobile computing products, while continuing its leadership role in mobile communication with stylish designs and smart technology. For more information please visit: www.lgmobilephones.com

1Dependable” based on independent, third-party drive tests for 3G data connection success, session reliability and signal strength for the top 50 most populous markets from January 2008 to July 2009. Not all services available on 3G and coverage may default to separate network when 3G unavailable. Coverage may not be available everywhere. Customers should refer to sprint.com/coverage for details.

2Savings based on publicly available information comparing AT&T Nation Unlimited plus required iPhone data plan and optional unlimited text messaging totaling $149.99/month for AT&T as of publication date, excluding taxes, surcharges and fees. iPhone is a registered trademark of Apple Inc.

3 Coverage comparison based on publicly available information as of 04/01/09 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners. Based on square miles.

4 The PC World tests took place in March and April 2009 in 13 major markets across the country. In each location, testers measured download speed, upload speed and reliability. In all, 5,443 individual tests from 283 testing locations were conducted for each provider’s 3G service. Testing was one minute in duration, and network performance can be highly variable from neighborhood to neighborhood.

  1 comment for “LG Lotus Elite and LG Rumor Touch, Exclusively from Sprint,

Comments are closed.