Sleek and Powerful Smartphone Delivers Business and Personal Email, Messaging, Web Browsing and Multimedia Capabilities Around the Globe
Offering customers the ability to stay connected through voice calls, email, and Web browsing around the globe, Sprint (NYSE:S) and Samsung Mobile today announced the upcoming availability of the Samsung Ace™, a sleek, stylish and commanding smartphone powered by the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network and Windows Mobile 6.
The Samsung Ace™ delivers the versatility of a slim and compact smartphone combined with the experience of a personal computer, complete with Windows Mobile 6 capabilities. Operating in the U.S. on the Sprint Mobile Broadband Network, the Samsung Ace™ provides clear voice calls, core PDA and organizational capabilities and easy access to exclusive Sprint content, including Sprint TVSM with more than 50 channels of live television and on-demand video and audio and On Demand with up-to-date information on sports, weather, news, money and more customized to the user’s zip code. With quad-band capabilities, the Samsung ACE also operates globally on CDMA and GSM/GPRS networks where Sprint has international roaming agreements. With the Samsung ACE Sprint customers can make or receive calls in approximately 180 countries and access professional and personal email, view documents and files, surf the web, and sync their Outlook calendar in nearly 100 countries. More information about expansive international coverage options with Sprint can be found at http://www.sprint.com/international.
“Mobile professionals and consumers alike need to stay connected wherever they are,” said Danny Bowman, vice president of customer equipment for Sprint. “The Samsung ACE combined with the benefits of SprintSpeed, competitive rates and expansive coverage through multiple technologies makes it one of the strongest Windows Mobile devices on the market today, a clear value for customers in the U.S. and just about anywhere else.”
Exceptional International Values from Sprint
Recognizing that cross-border trips into nearby countries make up a significant portion of travel outside the United States, Sprint provides clear value for its customers through the following offers:
- Canada Voice Pricing – All Sprint wireless calls placed within Canada are $.59 per minute regardless of the call destination. For $2.99 per month customers may subscribe to a special Canada calling plan and reduce their per-minute rate for these calls to $.20 per minute.
- Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Guam – Voice calls placed within any of these three countries where Sprint has coverage are billed the same as minutes used within the continental U.S for customers with roaming included in their service plan. Data roaming, available in Puerto Rico and Guam, is also billed the same way, allowing customers to use available services in these territories the same way they do in the continental U.S. based upon their individual data service plan.
- Special Business Pricing – Sprint offers a variety of special international pricing offers to enterprise and government customers under contract.
- Unlocked SIM Capabilities – In addition to taking advantage of any Sprint International Roaming services, Sprint customers can also use a third-party SIM for international voice and data services, giving them greater flexibility for their global communications needs.
- International Mobile Broadband Access for Laptop Users – Sprint is the only U.S. carrier to offer EV-DO data roaming in Canada and Mexico meaning a customer can use their Sprint Mobile Broadband cards in these North American countries for an affordable rate of $0.0002/kb, approximately $2 per Mb. Sprint also offers this same value for 1XRTT data roaming services in Israel and China
- North American Connection Card Plus Plan – For customers that travel to Canada and Mexico frequently they can take advantage of Sprint’s North America Connection Card Plus Plan which allows Sprint Mobile Broadband customers unlimited data usage with a laptop everywhere in the US, Canada, and Mexico for $109 monthly charge and a 1 year contract*.
“Samsung is thrilled to be working with Sprint and Microsoft to bring this powerful and comprehensive networking device to our loyal customers in the U.S. to use in the States and around the world,” said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer at Samsung Mobile. “The Ace is what Sprint and Samsung customers have been waiting for, a smart, sleek device that can deliver unlimited connectivity anywhere in the world.”
In addition to its international capabilities, the Samsung Ace™ offers an impressive feature set, including:
- Slim, light form factor with a full QWERTY keyboard – The Samsung Ace™ measures 4.65″ x 2.32″ x 0.46″ and weighs just under four ounces
- Large 2.3″ TFT color display – perfect for viewing live and on-demand channels available through Sprint TV, as well as up-to-date information with On-Demand.
- Slide Click Wheel – Experience easy navigation between a multitude of applications
- Stereo Bluetooth Wireless Technology – Enjoy the convenience and versatility of hands free communication by pairing the Samsung Ace™ with headsets, car-kits and other Bluetooth-enabled devices.
- External Memory – The Samsung Ace™ supports up to 2GB MicroSD card for storing music, videos and pictures.
- 1.3 Megapixel Digital Camera and Camcorder – Capture quality images with integrated digital camera and zoom. Shoot video clips to share with family and friends.
- View Documents – The Samsung ACE™ allows customers to view documents and files on the phone with Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel and Microsoft Office PowerPoint.
Personal Computer Power in a Pocket-Sized Design
Thanks to Windows Mobile 6, the Samsung Ace™ from Sprint delivers a powerful personal computer to the mobile phone market with pinpoint connectivity across the globe. The Ace assists people in keeping track of contacts and schedules through Outlook Mobile, browsing the Web using Internet Explorer Mobile and viewing Word, Excel and PowerPoint files using File Viewer.
“A Windows Mobile phone works across a person’s entire life whether that is sending business email from Beijing’s airport or posting a picture of a child’s visit with the grandparents in Texas to a family blog,” said Scott Horn, general manager, Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft Corp. “The Samsung ACE™ is a solid choice for anyone that wants one phone to stay connected to family, friends and information around the world.”
The Samsung ACE is available today in business sales channels, online at http://www.sprint.com and through telesales at 1-800-SPRINT1 for $199.99 with a two-year service agreement and $100 mail-in-rebate. The device will be available in Sprint retail stores beginning in March.
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 robust wireless networks serving approximately 54 million customers at the end of 2007; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone.
About Samsung Telecommunications America
Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC, a Dallas-based subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., researches, develops and markets wireless handsets and telecommunications products throughout North America.
* In addition, the North American Connection Card Plus plan includes discounted data GPRS roaming rates in 21 countries, rate reduced from $0.016/kb to $0.010/kb. (Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom). All other countries billed casual rate of $0.016/kb. Customers will need to purchase a separate GPRS connection card to access GPRS in these countries, as the Sprint Mobile Broadband cards are only capable of accessing CDMA. For more information contact Sprint Worldwide at 888.226.7212 option 2. Sprint currently sells the 875U by Sierra Wireless card for this purpose.
