Sprint on Thursday announced the ZTE Optik Honeycomb tablet. The 7-inch device will be available February 5th for $99.99 with a new two-year agreement, as previously reported. ”ZTE Optik is ZTE’s first tablet in North America and makes the tablet experience available to a new segment of consumers,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO and president of ZTE USA. “Paired with Sprint’s cutting-edge network, ZTE Optik provides an exceptional user experience to consumers who demand affordability, flexibility and mobility in one package.” The Optik features a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor with 16GB of internal storage and 1GB of RAM. The device also contains a microSD slot, a 4,000 mAh battery, a front facing 2-megapixel camera and a rear 5-megapixel camera. The tablet will be available for $349.99 off contract and comes pre-loaded with Sprint Zone, Sprint TV, Sprint Music Plus, Sprint Navigation, Sprint Football Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM. Read on for Sprint’s press release.

ZTE Optik is an Android Tablet Offering Sprint Customers a Combination E-reader, Media Player and Portable Computing Device at an Affordable Price

Available beginning Feb. 5, ZTE Optik boasts a 7-inch touchscreen display, Android 3.2, Honeycomb, and dual cameras for under $100

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & RICHARDSON, Texas – Feb. 2, 2012 – Beginning on Sunday, Feb. 5, Sprint (NYSE:S) will introduce its first tablet for under $100, ZTE Optik™, a Sprint 3G tablet featuring a 7-inch touchscreen display with WXGA 1280×800 resolution and pinch-to-zoom, Android™ 3.2, Honeycomb, and dual cameras.

ZTE Optik will be available through Sprint direct ship sales channels, including Sprint Stores, Sprint Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and online (www.sprint.com) for just $99.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement. It will also be available without a service agreement for $349.99, and business customers may qualify for special pricing. (All pricing excludes tax.)

“Sprint is committed to delivering exceptional value and feature-rich devices to our customers,” said David Owens, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “ZTE Optik packs great features for under $100. When this device is combined with our Tablet Connection plans, customers can easily keep their personal and professional lives organized, stay connected with their social networks and get things done while on the go.”

Powered by Android 3.2, Honeycomb, the version of Android designed specifically for tablets, ZTE Optik is a dynamic e-reader, media player and portable computing device. It features a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon® processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and 7-inch capacitive touchscreen that allows the user to get work done or stay entertained surfing the web, playing games and watching videos with Adobe® Flash® enabled websites. It has two cameras – a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera and front-facing 2-megapixel camera that enables video chat.

“ZTE Optik is ZTE’s first tablet in North America and makes the tablet experience available to a new segment of consumers,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO, ZTE USA and president, North America Region, ZTE. “Paired with Sprint’s cutting-edge network, ZTE Optik provides an exceptional user experience to consumers who demand affordability, flexibility and mobility in one package.”

For those that want to get more out of their tablet, ZTE Optik provides access to Android Market™, which features more than 400,000 useful apps, games and widgets. Additional key features of ZTE Optik include:

• Google mobile services such as Google Search™, Gmail™, Google Maps™ with Navigation, Google Books™ and YouTube™
• Sprint Zone, Sprint TV, Sprint Music Plus, Sprint Navigation, Sprint Football Live and NASCAR Sprint Cup MobileSM
• Wi-Fi® (802.11 b/g)
• Swype™
• Integrated GPS
• 4000 mAh Lithium-ion battery
• Expandable memory slot, supporting up to a 32GB microSD card (not included)
• Bluetooth v2.1 + EDR
• Stereo speakers
• 3.5mm headset

The ZTE Optik Honeycomb-powered Android tablet is coming to Sprint for $99.99 with a two-year agreement, according to documents obtained by SprintFeed. The 7-inch Optik features a 1.2GHz dual-core processor with 16GB of internal storage and 1GB of RAM. The device also contains a microSD slot and a 4,000 mAh battery, but unfortunately it is a 3G-only tablet and does not feature LTE or WiMAX connectivity. With quad-core beginning to hit the market, Sprint will almost certainly be pushing the Optik’s low and very appealing price tag as its key selling point. The Optik will be available online on February 5th, and in stores by March 11th according to the leak.

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T-Mobile USA confirmed via Facebook on Monday that it will launch the HTC Radar, a Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) device, on November 2nd for $100 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a new two-year contract. BGR had a chance to see the HTC Radar 4G up close in September, and we found it to be an attractive mid-level handset at its price point. The Radar 4G is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor and is equipped with a 3.7-inch display, a 5-megapixel camera, 512MB of RAM and support for T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network.

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Introducing the All-New Kindle Family: Four New Kindles, Four Amazing Price Points

New latest generation Kindle – world’s bestselling e-reader now lighter, faster, and more affordable than ever – only $79
New “Kindle Touch” with easy-to-use touch screen – only $99
New “Kindle Touch 3G” with free 3G – the top of the line Kindle e-reader – only $149
New “Kindle Fire” – the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games, and web browsing with all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, Amazon’s new revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser, vibrant color touch screen, and powerful dual-core processor – all for only $199
SEATTLE, Sep 28, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –

(NASDAQ: AMZN)–Millions of people are already reading on Kindles and Kindle is the bestselling e-reader in the world for four years running. Today, Amazon is excited to introduce an all-new Kindle family: three all-new Kindle e-readers that are smaller, lighter, and more affordable than ever before, and Kindle Fire – a new class of Kindle that brings the same ease-of-use and deep integration of content that helped Kindle re-invent reading – to movies, TV shows, music, magazines, apps, books, games, and more.

“We’ve now reached the magical two-digit price point for Kindle – twice: the new Kindle and Kindle Touch are only $79 and $99. Kindle Touch 3G is the new top of the line e-reader with free 3G – no monthly fees or annual contracts – and is only $149,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “Kindle Fire brings together all of the things we’ve been working on at Amazon for over 15 years into a single, fully-integrated service for customers. With Kindle Fire, you have instant access to all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, the convenience of Amazon Whispersync, our revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser, the speed and power of a state-of-the-art dual-core processor, a vibrant touch display with 16 million colors in high resolution, and a light 14.6 ounce design that’s easy to hold with one hand – all for only $199. We’re offering premium products, and we’re doing it at non-premium prices.”

New Latest Generation Kindle–Fits In Your Pocket–Only $79

The new latest generation Kindle is for readers who want the lightest, most compact Kindle at an incredible price. The latest generation Kindle features a new design that is 30 percent lighter at just 5.98 ounces, 18 percent smaller, and turns pages 10 percent faster. Kindle is now small and light enough to fit easily in your pocket and carry with you everywhere, yet it still features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper, even in bright sunlight.

The new latest generation Kindle is only $79. Kindle is available starting today at www.amazon.com/kindle.

New Addition to the Kindle Family–”Kindle Touch”–Only $99

Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes – still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch is also lighter, smaller, eliminates battery anxiety with extra-long battery life and holds thousands of books.

New “X-Ray” Feature

Amazon invented X-Ray, a new feature that lets customers explore the “bones of the book.” With a single tap, readers can see all the passages across a book that mention ideas, fictional characters, historical figures, places or topics that interest them, as well as more detailed descriptions from Wikipedia and Shelfari, Amazon’s community-powered encyclopedia for book lovers. Amazon built X-Ray using its expertise in language processing and machine learning, access to significant storage and computing resources with Amazon S3 and EC2, and a deep library of book and character information. The vision is to have every important phrase in every book.

The new Kindle Touch is only $99. Kindle Touch is available to customers in the U.S. for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindletouch and ships November 21.

New Top of the Line Kindle e-reader–”Kindle Touch 3G” –Only $149

Kindle Touch 3G is a new addition to the Kindle family for readers who want the top of the line e-reader. Kindle Touch 3G offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch – small and light, easy-to-use touch screen, storage for thousands of books, and extra-long battery life – with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle’s free 3G connection means you never have to hunt for or pay for a Wi-Fi hotspot – you simply download and read books anytime, anywhere in over 100 countries around the world. Amazon pays for the 3G connection so there’s no monthly fee or annual contract.

The new top of the line Kindle Touch 3G is only $149. Kindle Touch 3G is available to customers in the U.S. for pre-order starting today at www.amazon.com/kindletouch3G and ships November 21.

All Kindles have instant access to the Kindle Store with the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. Millions of free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle devices, and Kindle customers can now borrow Kindle books from their public library. Kindle books are “Buy Once, Read Everywhere” – on Kindle, Kindle Touch, Kindle Touch 3G, Kindle Fire, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, PCs, Mac, Android phones and tablets, BlackBerry, Windows phones, and web browsers with Kindle Cloud Reader.

All three new Kindle e-readers also come with special offers and sponsored screensavers that appear when you’re not reading. Customers enjoy special money-saving offers delivered wirelessly sponsored by AT&T, the Dove beauty brand and Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card by Chase. Kindle e-reader customers will also receive special offers in their own backyards from AmazonLocal, Amazon’s local deals marketplace with discounts on local services, products, and experiences. Customers can also choose to purchase a Kindle without special offers and sponsored screensavers.

New Class of Kindle–”Kindle Fire”–Only $199

All The Content–Over 18 Million Movies, TV Shows, Songs, Apps, Games, Books, and Magazines

Kindle Fire puts Amazon’s incredible selection of digital content at your fingertips:

 

• Over 100,000 movies and TV shows from Amazon Instant Video, including thousands of new releases and popular TV shows, available to stream or download, purchase or rent – all just one tap away. Amazon Prime Members enjoy instant, unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 11,000 movies and TV shows at no additional cost. Kindle Fire comes with one free month of Amazon Prime.
• Over 17,000,000 songs from Amazon MP3, including new and bestselling albums from just $7.99 and individual songs from $0.69.
• Over 1,000,000 Kindle books, including thousands of bestsellers, children’s books, comic books and cookbooks in rich color.
• 100 exclusive graphic novels, including Watchmen, the bestselling – and considered by many to be the greatest – graphic novel of all time, which has never before been available in digital format, as well as Batman: Arkham City, Superman: Earth OneGreen Lantern: Secret Origin and 96 others from DC Entertainment.
• Hundreds of magazines and newspapers – including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, Wired, Elle, The New Yorker, Cosmopolitan and Martha Stewart Living – with full-color layouts, photographs, illustrations, built-in video, audio and other interactive features are available from the new Kindle Fire “Newsstand.” Kindle Fire customers will enjoy an exclusive free three-month trial to 17 Condé Nast magazines, including Vanity Fair, GQ and Glamour.
• All the most popular Android apps and games, such as Angry Birds, Plants vs. Zombies, Cut the Rope and more. All apps are Amazon-tested on Kindle Fire to ensure quality and Amazon offers a new free paid app every day.

Cloud-Accelerated Web Browser – “Amazon Silk”

The Kindle Fire web browser Amazon Silk introduces a radical new paradigm – a “split browser” architecture that accelerates the power of the mobile device hardware by using the computing speed and power of the Amazon Web Services Cloud. The Silk browser software resides both on Kindle Fire and on the massive server fleet that comprises the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2). With each page request, Silk dynamically determines a division of labor between the mobile hardware and Amazon EC2 (i.e. which browser sub-components run where) that takes into consideration factors like network conditions, page complexity, and cached content. The result is a faster web browsing experience, and it’s available exclusively on Kindle Fire. Additional technical details are available in the Amazon Silk press release, released today at www.amazon.com/pr. To see a video about Amazon Silk go to www.amazon.com/silk.

Simple and Easy-To-Use

Amazon designed the Kindle Fire user interface from the ground up to make it easier than ever to purchase, manage, and enjoy your digital content. Just like with Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire comes automatically pre-registered to your Amazon.com account so you can immediately start enjoying your digital content purchased from Amazon or shop for new content. All of your digital content is instantly available to enjoy and manage with a simple, consistent experience across all content types.

Free Cloud Storage

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire offers free storage for all your Amazon digital content in the Amazon Cloud. Amazon digital content is automatically backed up for free in the Amazon Cloud’s Worry-Free Archive where it’s available for re-downloading anytime.

Amazon Whispersync Now for Movies & TV Too

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire uses Amazon’s popular Whispersync technology to automatically synchronize your Kindle library, last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across the widest range of devices and platforms. With the introduction of Kindle Fire, Amazon is expanding this technology to include video. Start streaming a movie on your Kindle Fire, and when you get home, you can resume streaming right where you left off on your TV – avoid the frustration of needing to find your spot.

Easy to Hold in One Hand

Just like Kindle e-readers, Kindle Fire was designed to disappear so you can lose yourself in the content. Weighing in at just 14.6 ounces, Kindle Fire is small and light enough to hold in just one hand and carry everywhere you go. The lightweight, compact design makes Kindle Fire perfect for web browsing, playing games, reading and shopping on-the-go.

Brilliant Color Touchscreen

Content comes alive in rich color on a 7-inch full color LCD touchscreen that delivers 16 million colors in high resolution and 169 pixels per inch. Kindle Fire uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology – similar technology as used on the iPad, for an extra-wide viewing angle – perfect for sharing your screen with others. In addition, the Kindle Fire display is chemically strengthened to be 20 times stiffer and 30 times harder than plastic, which means it is incredibly durable and will stand up to accidental bumps and scrapes.

Fast, Powerful Dual-Core Processor

Kindle Fire features a state-of-the-art dual-core processor for fast, powerful performance. Stream music while browsing the web or read books while downloading videos.

Free Month of Amazon Prime

Right out of the box, Kindle Fire users will experience the benefits that millions of Amazon Prime members already enjoy - unlimited, commercial-free, instant streaming of over 11,000 movies and TV shows with Prime Instant Video and the convenience of Free Two-Day Shipping on millions of items from Amazon.com.

Only $199

The all-new Kindle Fire – with all the content, Amazon’s revolutionary cloud-accelerated browser, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, 14.6 ounce design that’s easy to hold with one hand, brilliant color touchscreen, and a fast and powerful dual core processor – is only $199. Customers in the U.S. can pre-order Kindle Fire starting today at www.amazon.com/kindlefire and it ships November 15.

For high resolution images and video of the all-new Kindle family, visit www.amazon.com/pr/kindle.

About Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. The new latest generation Kindle is the lightest, most compact Kindle ever and features the same 6-inch, most advanced electronic ink display that reads like real paper even in bright sunlight. Kindle Touch is a new addition to the Kindle family with an easy-to-use touch screen that makes it easier than ever to turn pages, search, shop, and take notes – still with all the benefits of the most advanced electronic ink display. Kindle Touch 3G is the top of the line e-reader and offers the same new design and features of Kindle Touch, with the unparalleled added convenience of free 3G. Kindle Fire is the Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games and web browsing with all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, Whispersync, Amazon Silk (Amazon’s new revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser), vibrant color touch screen, and powerful dual-core processor.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, www.amazon.cn, www.amazon.it, and www.amazon.es. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Verizon Wireless announced on Monday the Pantech Breakout will launch on September 22nd for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and with a new two-year contract. The Breakout is the first sub-$100 4G LTE smartphone from Verizon and it is equipped with a number of features typically found in more expensive devices. The Breakout’s specs include a 1GHz processor, a 4-inch display with an 800 x 480-pixel resolution, a 5-megapixel camera capable of recording 720p HD video, a secondary front-facing camera for video chats and 8GB of storage. The Pantech Breakout, which runs Android 2.3 (Gingerbread), is also capable of sharing its 4G LTE connection with up to 10 other Wi-Fi enabled devices. Read on for the full press release from Verizon Wireless.

Verizon Wireless to Launch Pantech Breakout™

Pantech Breakout Combines Tremendous 4G LTE Speed and the Latest Features with Affordability

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Sept. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon Wireless and Pantech today announced the Pantech Breakout™ will be exclusively available in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com beginning Sept. 22.

The Pantech Breakout smartphone, brought to market by Personal Communications Devices, LLC (PCD), shines with super-fast downloads packaged in a slim and attractive design.  Customers will have access to custom Pantech widgets and can share media files between Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-enabled devices by using the Net Media app on their Pantech Breakout.

Additional features:

Powered by 4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G mobile broadband coverage areas
Android™ 2.3 Gingerbread
1 GHz processor
4-inch capacitive touch display (480 x 800)
Support for Google™ Mobile Services, including Gmail™, YouTube™, Google Search™ and Google Maps™, as well as access to more than 250,000 apps available to download from Android Market™
4G LTE mobile hotspot supporting up to 10 Wi-Fi-enabled devices
Virtual QWERTY keyboard featuring SWYPE™ technology for quick and easy typing of messages and emails
5-megapixel autofocus rear-facing camera with HD video capture up to 720p
VGA front-facing camera for still shots and video chatting
Wi-Fi connectivity 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth® 3.0 support includes headset, hands-free, object push, advanced audio distribution (stereo), audio/video remote control, file transfer and phonebook access
8 GB pre-installed microSD™

Pricing and availability:

The Pantech Breakout will be available on Sept. 22 in Verizon Wireless Communication Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $99.99 after a $50 mail in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement.  Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted.
Customers that purchase a Pantech Breakout smartphone will need to subscribe to a Verizon Wireless Nationwide Talk plan beginning at $39.99 for monthly access and a smartphone data package starting at $30 monthly access for 2 GB of data.

Sprint announced the LG Marquee on Wednesday, a budget-friendly $99 Android smartphone that will be available on October 2nd, and we had a chance to get up close with it last night during a press event in New York City. The backside of the Marquee looks nearly identical to the back of the Samsung Focus on AT&T; its rear panel has nearly the same topography but has a nicer faux chrome finish. The Marquee powered through Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) with ease thanks to its 1GHz processor, but the real star of the show is its 4-inch NOVA display which was noticeably brighter than the displays on most comparable phones. The handset also comes equipped with a 5-megapixel camera, a 2-megapixel camera for video chat and support for sharing its 3G connection with up to five other Wi-Fi enabled devices. Unfortunately it doesn’t support Sprint’s WiMAX network, which means it has stiff competition on Sprint’s store shelves where it is joined by the Motorola Photon 4G and the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch. Its more affordable $99 price point will certainly make it an attractive option among 3G phones, however. We also had a chance to briefly check out the Kyocera Milano, a $49.99 Android smartphone. We liked the compact design and the keyboard felt decent. The Milano was very basic and reminded us more of a feature phone than a smartphone, but it does run Android 2.3, has a 3.2-megapixel camera and a 3-inch display with a relatively low 320 x 240-pixel resolution. Be sure to check out the gallery of both phones below.

Sprint quietly launched the LG Marquee on Wednesday, a new Android smartphone that will be available in stores on October 2nd for $99.99 with a new two-year Sprint contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. The Marquee is equipped with a 1GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera, a 2-megapixel camera for video chat and support for sharing its 3G connection with up to five other Wi-Fi enabled devices. This Sprint-branded Optimus Black is powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and is the first phone to launch in the United States with LG’s 4-inch super-bright NOVA display. Sprint will sell the phone online first and pre-orders placed by Tuesday, September 20th will be in customers’ hands by September 29th — before the phone lands in retail stores. Read on for the full press release from Sprint.

LG Marquee from Sprint Celebrates the Perfect Combination of Signature Style and Cutting-Edge Technology During New York Fashion Week

As Sprint’s first device available for advance pre-sale, customers can buy LG Marquee beginning on Sept. 20 at www.sprint.com/marquee for $99.99

TLC’s Stacy London and up-and-coming designers team up to invite consumers to make “The Bright Choice” with a MADE Fashion Week Campaign promoting the thin, light and bright LG Marquee

NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Sprint (NYSE: S) and LG Mobile today announced the upcoming arrival of an Android device that perfectly pairs fashion with technology – LG Marquee Android™, exclusively from Sprint. The device will be launched in partnership with non-profit design collective MADE, formally known as M.A.C. & Milk, at this year’s MADE FASHION WEEK in New York City. Keeping with the smartphone’s innovative convergence of technology and fashion, LG enlisted Stacy London of TLC’s “What Not To Wear” to act as resident style mentor to five up-and-coming MADE designers as they craft chic carrying cases for LG Marquee.

LG Marquee arrives on the Sprint Network on Sunday, Oct. 2 for just $99.99 (excludes taxes) with eligible upgrade or new two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate via reward card(1) (pricing excludes taxes). It will be the first Sprint device to be sold in advance online. Pre-sale orders begin on Tuesday, Sept. 20, and end on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at www.sprint.com/marquee. Customers who pre-order LG Marquee will begin receiving their devices on Thursday, Sept. 29 – three days before the device goes on sale.

“These days, a wireless phone is much more than just a communication device – it also echoes one’s personal style and taste,” said David Owens, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “Design has become a key factor in the purchase decision and the LG Marquee is sure to turn heads.”

“LG believes fashion and technology go hand-in-hand among today’s growing contingent of style-conscious and tech-savvy consumers,” said Tim O’Brien, vice president of marketing for LG Mobile. “By partnering with Sprint, MADE and Stacy London, LG effectively showcases three prominent phone features important to consumers: a sleek, thin profile, ultra light weight design and bright display.”

LG Marquee is an ideal mobile device for anyone who wants superior performance without sacrificing personal style. The sleek, ultra-thin smartphone features a 4-inch NOVA display and a virtual QWERTY keyboard. Encouraging consumers to make “the bright choice,” LG Marquee boasts a remarkably vivid and visible screen, even in direct sunlight.

LG Marquee ships with Android 2.3 and Mobile Hotspot capability supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously. It also offers a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera for maximum versatility in creating and sharing media and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera making your face-to-face video chatting experience even more memorable. Equipped with a 1GHz processor and Adobe Flash technology, LG Marquee makes downloading, posting, commenting, watching and playing faster and easier than ever.

The device features Sprint ID, allowing users to customize up to five screens on the device with a couple simple clicks.  Sprint ID allows users to cut through the clutter of Android Market’s more than 250,000 apps by simply selecting from a variety of mobile ID packs featuring apps, ringers, wallpapers, widgets and more. Available Sprint ID packs include: Fashion and Beauty, E!, MTV Music, Green, and NASCAR Sprint Cup.

LG Marquee requires activation on a Sprint Everything Data plan for smartphones(2). Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, Anytime(SM) includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge. The Mobile Hotspot option is available for an additional $29.99 per month supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously(3) (pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).

Celebrating Technology and Fashion

The LG Fashion Week campaign pairs Stacy London’s impeccable style with the innovative, futuristic eye of MADE. London brings years of fashion-industry experience to her LG style mentor role and will provide each of the MADE designers with creative consulting sessions as they design fashion-forward carrying cases to showcase the clean, modern, minimalist styling of LG Marquee. Participating MADE designers include Kevork Kiledjian, Katie Gallagher, The Lake and Stars, Erickson Beamon and Christian Cota.

“Being able to give our designers yet another platform for growth and exposure is part of the DNA of MADE; and allowing our designers to interact with major brands like LG is a great learning tool for future partnerships,” said Jenne Lombardo, Co-Director of MADE.

Celebrating a partnership of Sprint and LG’s rich style heritage, the campaign highlights the increasing influence of technology on today’s design community and includes a Fashion Week panel discussion and product launch reception hosted by London at Milk Studios on Thursday, Sept. 15. The MADE panel discussion, entitled “How Fashion Communicates,” will be moderated by Simon Collins, dean of fashion at Parsons The New School for Design, and will take an in-depth look at five key areas where technology has altered fashion design. As part of the esteemed panel, London will provide industry insights to discussion categories including designer communication, the rise of the blogger, public access to real-time happenings, retail and the shift from print to digital media.

The chic and functional LG Marquee carrying cases created by the participating designers will debut on Sept. 15 during LG’s launch event at MADE FASHION WEEK. The event will feature individual designer stations that will display the inspiration behind each case. In addition, at the end of the evening, London will announce her top designer pick for the overall campaign.

HP’s public relations manager Mark Budgell wrote a blog post Tuesday afternoon confirming a report from Reuters earlier in the day in which HP vice president Todd Bradley suggested the company would resurrect its TouchPad tablet. “Despite announcing an end to manufacturing webOS hardware, we have decided to produce one last run of TouchPads to meet unfulfilled demand,” Budgell wrote. “We don’t know exactly when these units will be available or how many we’ll get, and we can’t promise we’ll have enough for everyone. We do know that it will be at least a few weeks before you can purchase.” HP says it will manufacture the tablets during the fourth fiscal quarter of this year, which ends on October 31st. It is unclear if the new batch will be priced from $99, which had previously resulted in a quick fire sale of the tablet.

[Via AllThingsD]

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RadioShack has slashed the price of T-Moile’s LG G2x to just $99 for today only. The G2x is one of the hottest Android devices available and it rocks a dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor, 8 megapixel camera capable of recording 1080p HD video, and has a stunning 4-inch 800 x 480 pixel display. It’s even getting the latest Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) update soon. We fawned over the G2x even at its original $199 price point in our review, so if you’re a T-Mobile customer this is definitely a deal you’ll want to be taking advantage of.[Via Phone Arena]

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If you’ve been patiently waiting to get your paws on the Sidekick’s sweet, sweet, keyboard, the wait is over. The T-Mobile Sidekick 4G — built by Samsung — sports a 1GHz processor, Android 2.2 (Froyo), 3-megapixel rear-facing camera, and HSPA+ radio for access to T-Mobile’s 4G network. Despite packing more heat than any other Sidekick before it, the device still maintains the same lovable form factor of the Sidekicks from yesteryear. We dug the colorful user interface and sturdy build quality during our initial hands-on, and think it will be a big hit with Sidekick fans everywhere. T-Mobile’s offering the phone for $99.99 with a new two year contract, and it’s available in matte black and magenta.

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A Pennsylvania man has filed a class action lawsuit against Apple in a U.S. District Court in San Francisco alleging that the firm deliberately targets children with free applications that have appealing in-app purchases. Garen Maguerian believes that kids are purchasing in-app content and unknowingly costing their parents bundles of cash. In-app purchases are a great way to purchase extra content, such as levels or characters, in games. However, games such as Smurf’s Village or FarmVille can charge up to $99.99 for extra content that can be used to advance further in the game. “These games are highly addictive, designed deliberately so, and tend to compel children playing them to purchase large quantities of Game Currency, amounting to as much as $100 per purchase or more,” the suit says. Maguerian believes Apple is fostering these actions by allowing children to buy currency with the same iTunes App Store password they use to download free games. Since minors are entering the agreement with Apple to pay-up, Maguerian thinks that the contracts are not valid. “Apple has not offered to return to its account holders any of the millions of dollars it received from their minor children’s purchases,” Maguerian said in the lawsuit, which he is seeks refunds (including interest), damages, and legal fees.

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Looking to lasso yourself some of those sweet, sweet LTE airwaves being emitted by Verizon Wireless towers? Don’t really need a new smartphone? You’re in luck. In a pair of press releases today, Verizon announced two, new LTE-enabled network devices, the Verizon USB551L modem (made by Novatel) and the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot. The USB551L is a standard USB data-stick modem capable of connecting your Windows or Mac-based machine to Verizon’s ultra-fast, LTE network. The Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is a MiFi-like device that supports up to five simultaneous, Wi-Fi connections. Both devices will retail for $99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract signing, are backwards compatible with Verizon’s CDMA network, and promise LTE download speeds between 5Mbps and 12Mbps. The Samsung hotspot is available immediately and the Novatel USB511L will be available beginning on March 31st. Both press releases are after the break.

THE VERIZON USB551L 4G LTE MODEM LANDS ON THE VERIZON WIRELESS NETWORK MARCH 31

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., SAN DIEGO – Verizon Wireless and Novatel Wireless (NASDAQ: NVTL) today announced that the Verizon USB551L made by Novatel Wireless will be available to order on March 31 in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at http://www.verizonwireless.com. The USB551L gives businesses and consumers expected download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G LTE Mobile Broadband coverage areas in a portable device, small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.

The Verizon USB551L 4G LTE modem is a high-performing USB modem with a compact design and industry-leading flexibility, convenience and reliability. The USB551L modem is designed to provide connectivity to check email, download rich multimedia content and stay connected to family, friends and coworkers. Customers who travel outside of a 4G LTE coverage area, will stay connected on the Verizon Wireless 3G network.

Key features:

• Compact and lightweight USB modem with advanced proprietary antenna technologies to maximize data throughput and operating range
• Supports Windows® XP 32-bit, Vista® 32/64-bit (SP2) and Windows® 7 32/64-bit, MAC: 10.4 or higher

Pricing and data plans:

• The Verizon USB551L will be available for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan.
• 4G LTE Mobile Broadband plans begin at $50 monthly access for 5GB. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data usage can be tracked by logging on to My Verizon online at www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ 3G network. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years.

For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

VERIZON WIRELESS AND SAMSUNG DELIVER THE 4G LTE MOBILE HOTSPOT

Running on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Network, the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is Available Today

BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon Wireless and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile) today announced that the Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot is available for order today in Verizon Wireless Communications Stores and online at www.verizonwireless.com for $99.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate with a new two-year customer agreement on a 4G Mobile Broadband plan. The 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot will be available in stores on March 31.

Key features:

• Share 4G LTE internet connection with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices at the same time
• 4G LTE – customers can expect download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps in 4G Mobile Broadband coverage areas
• Backward compatible with the Verizon Wireless 3G network
• Dimensions: 2.32”(H) x 3.54”(W) x 0.45”(D)

Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot customers can take advantage of Verizon’s 4G LTE network by subscribing to a 4G LTE mobile broadband data package starting at $50 monthly access for 5GB. Customers will receive the rebate in the form of a debit card; upon receipt, customers may use the card as cash anywhere debit cards are accepted. Data usage can be tracked by logging on to My Verizon online at www.verizonwireless.com/myverizon.

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network, launched in December 2010, is the fastest, most advanced 4G network in the United States, providing speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless’ 3G networks. Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company’s entire 3G coverage area over the next three years. For more information about the LTE Innovation Center and Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte.

For additional information on Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.

Need a last minute present for… yourself? If you’ve had your eye on HTC’s EVO 4G from Sprint for a while, your patience may have finally paid off. RadioShack is guaranteeing customers a $100 trade in on their old mobile device when purchasing an EVO and opening a new line or signing a new 2-year contract. The exact verbiage of the deal is as follows:

Trade up to HTC EVO 4G for only $99

Starting Sunday, December 19, through December 25, RadioShack will be helping both new and upgrade customers get their hands on one of this year’s most popular devices, HTC EVO 4G from Sprint. For next week only, both new and upgrade customers are guaranteed a $100 trade-in value for any working cell phone through our Trade & Save program, so with a 2-year plan, they can get the HTC EVO 4G for the low cost of $99. (Trade-in offer limited to one per customer. Some restrictions may apply.)

Not a bad deal for what is arguably the hottest mobile handset of 2010!

It’s official. Via a press release, Dell has announced that its Windows Phone 7 handset offering, the Venue Pro, is now up for grabs. The device, which boasts a 4.1-inch AMOLED touchscreen display and vertical slide-out QWERTY-keyboard, will start at $99.99 (8GB) with a signed 2-year contract on wireless provier T-Mobile. Dell says the device will ship by December 9th. Hit the jump to check out the full press release.

DELL’S EXPANDING MOBILE PORTFOLIO DELIVERS UNRIVALED ENTERTAINMENT, PRODUCTIVITY AND SOCIAL EXPERIENCES FOR PROFESSIONALS, FAMILIES, STUDENTS, GAMERS & MORE

ROUND ROCK, Texas, Dec. 1, 2010 – Dell today announced an expansion to its mobile portfolio with the new Venue Pro, the only vertical QWERTY Windows Phone 7 smartphone that gives professionals, families, students and gamers more options to stay connected, access the content they love and applications for success. The Venue Pro is the latest in Dell’s commitment to provide innovative mobile solutions, which include the acclaimed Streak 5 pocket tablet.

The Venue Pro is designed to take productivity, social networking and on-the-go entertainment to new heights. Available immediately at Microsoft retail stores, Store.Microsoft.com, and today direct from Dell, the Venue Pro is a Windows Phone 7 Smartphone featuring a cutting-edge portrait layout QWERTY keypad for faster text entry, editing and connecting with friends and family.

Any Way You Slide It
In addition to the QWERTY keypad, the new Venue Pro comes with Xbox LIVE and pre-loaded work/life applications that make everything easier and more beautiful on its sharp, bright and responsive 4.1-inch AMOLED touch display, which features rugged Gorilla Glass® for exceptional durability. Windows Phone 7 Live Tiles keep priorities in focus, and the Venue Pro’s single-button access delivers everything you care about including Bing for search, Xbox LIVE for games, and Zune for music and video.

“No matter how you slide it, the Dell Venue Pro with Windows Phone 7 brings a fresh new approach of doing more with less,” said Michael Tatelman, Dell vice president and general manager, Dell consumer sales and marketing. “We’re continuing a path of creating smart, innovative and new mobile experiences to help people discover new ways to enjoy the web, connect with friends, and navigate their lives.”

Elegantly designed, the Venue Pro’s elliptical, slender form factor slips easily into your pocket. A 5-megapixel camera, high-speed wireless, and cloud-based services make it easy to keep in touch, share experiences and enjoy music, movies and more.

Carrier, Pricing & Availability Information
The Dell Venue Pro is available immediately at Microsoft retail stores, Store.Microsoft.com and direct from Dell by visiting www.Dell.com/VenuePro or calling directly at 1-800-308-DELL. Carrier and additional pricing information provided below.

Carrier: T-Mobile USA*, with two-year contract† and qualifying data plan are required
• New Activation: 8GB = $99.99*
• New Activation: 16GB = $149.99*
• Upgrade Activation: 8GB = $199.99*
• Upgrade Activation: 16GB = $249.99*
• Without Contract**: 8GB = $449.99
• Without Contract**: 16GB = $499.99

Specifications
• Portrait slider with QWERTY keypad
• 4.1” WVGA AMOLED multi-touch display
• Windows Phone 7 operating system
• Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon solution with integrated 1GHz processor
• 3G + Wi-Fi + Bluetooth
• Bands/Mode: UMTS 900/1700/2100/AWS, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900; HSDPA 7.2Mbps/HSUPA 5.76Mbps
• 5MP auto-focus camera

Follow conversations on Twitter and in the blogosphere: #DellVenuePro

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Thinking about treating yourself to one of Verizon’s DROID smartphones right before the holidays? You’ll definitely want to check out this latest deal from AmazonWireless. The online retail giant has the full compliment of DROID devices from Big Red — the DROID Incredible, X, 2, and Pro – on sale for a single penny for those opening a new line of service. The offer is good now through November 22nd and includes free activation. If you’re thinking about jumping over to Verizon, how can you go wrong with a deal like this?

Now, if you’re already a VZW customer, and the DROID Pro has caught your eye, Best Buy is offering the new candy bar set for a very reasonable $99.99 with a signed two-year agreement; that is a full $80 below the on-contract price being offered by Verizon. It also looks like Best Buy’s $100 offer is being served straight-up, with no mail-in rebate or other forms required. Man the holidays are a great time to buy a cell phone.

Let us know what you think of the two deals!

UPDATE: Wirefly is selling the DROID Pro to new 2-year contract signers for an even lower $50. [Read]

Read [AmazonWireless] Read [Best Buy]