Sprint
and Sanyo Fisher Company today announced the PCS Phone by Sanyo 4900,
featuring a vivid color screen and a versatile, hands-free speakerphone
all for an affordable suggested retail price of $179.99. The new handset
is designed to make the
most of the advanced new PCS Vision(SM) services and applications.
PCS Vision enables customers to use their Vision-enabled PCS Devices
to check personal and corporate e-mail, play games with full-color graphics
and
polyphonic sounds and browse the Internet wirelessly with speeds comparable
to
a home computer's dial-up connection. The shift to providing clarity
you can see and hear has revolutionized virtually every aspect of wireless
service
from Sprint to provide the introduction of applications, features and
devices
that no other wireless carrier in the nation can match.
The
PCS Phone by Sanyo 4900 supports the following PCS Vision
applications:
Ringers -- Sprint was the first to offer polyphonic ringtones and now,
with Vision-enabled PCS Phones from Sprint, users can express even more
personality with hundreds of unique downloadable ringers, including
the
latest music releases, showtunes and sound effects that can be assigned
to specific numbers in the address book. Included Compact Media Extension
(CMX(TM)) multimedia software in the Vision-enabled Sanyo 4900 makes
it
an ideal device for this animated application.
Screen Savers - PCS Vision allows customers to personalize their wireless
service by wirelessly downloading screen savers right from their phone,
many featuring synchronized animation.
Web - PCS Vision provides an improved Web experience with downloads,
icons and full-color graphic versions of popular Internet sites.
Games - PCS Vision enables Sprint and its development partners to move
the wireless game experience from the text-based games of today to
graphically rich, full-color brand name games on Vision-enabled PCS
Phones using the Java 2 platform, Micro Edition (J2ME?).
Messaging - PCS Vision makes wireless messaging services from Sprint
an
extension of the desktop experience with fully functioning Web-based
PCS
Mail, PCS Short Mail, Wireless Chat by Jumbuck and Messaging Fun games
by
Scan Mobile.
The PCS Phone by Sanyo 4900 is an ergonomically designed, dual-band
handset featuring a large, 1.7-inch, 4096-color, half-permeable LCD
display
and a built-in, hands-free speakerphone. Sanyo's proven-quality speakerphone
makes it easy to keep working while you talk, or to have friends gather
around
and join the conversation. The handset can also act as a portable answering
machine, allowing the user to listen in as the caller leaves a message.
The PCS Phone by Sanyo 4900 provides talk time of up to 4.5 hours and
standby time of up to 16 days (standard Sanyo Lithium Ion battery/digital
mode). The handset measures 4.88 inches high by 1.89 inches wide by
.98 inches
deep. It weighs 4.6 ounces with its standard 1350mAh Lithium Ion battery
attached.
"The PCS Phone by Sanyo 4900 places the Vision-enabled advancements
into
one device at an affordable price of $179.99 in Sprint Stores nationwide.
The
Vision-enabled Sanyo 4900 builds on a popular form factor with key features
such as strong battery life and a quality, hands-free speakerphone by
adding a
full-color screen and Java capability for downloading interactive popular
game
titles," said John Garcia, senior vice president of sales and distribution
for
the PCS division of Sprint.
"The 4900 is expressly designed to take full advantage of the advanced
voice and data capabilities of PCS Vision on the enhanced Sprint Nationwide
PCS Network," said Atsushi Kodera, group vice president, general
manager of
Sanyo Fisher Company's Communications/Information Technology Division.
"The
vivid color screen of our 4900 is the most advanced that Sanyo has ever
introduced on a mobile phone in North America. This feature-laden handset
also
offers consumers a wide variety of Java(TM) and WAP 2.0 information
and
entertainment options."
The advanced new WAP 2.0 Web Browser supports improved content including
PNG, JPEG, BMP and WBMP graphic formats. Java(TM) (J2ME(TM)) capability
allows
the users of either phone to run enhanced games, maps, detailed reports
and
other applications that can be downloaded wirelessly.
One-touch voice memo allows up to eight 18-second memos to be recorded
simply by pressing a key. Voice-activated dialing lets users call up
to 30
stored entries by speaking the name into the handset's microphone. Access
to
menu options, including e-mail accounts, is achieved via a speedy, thumb-
operable navigation key. For ease in reading text, font sizes are adjustable.
Feature highlights of the PCS Phone by Sanyo 4900 include:
Personalization:
-- Photo/Ringer Caller ID offering virtually endless personalization
options
-- Eight embedded 16-chord polyphonic ringtone melodies
-- Animation: if enabled, occurs while placing a call
-- Ringers meet graphics with CMX(TM) multimedia software
-- Vibrating ringer mode
-- Adjustable font sizes (4 selections)
-- User-defined folder holds up to 200 messages in up to 10 folders
-- Enhanced Internal Phone Book: stores up to 300 entries, up to nine
numbers per entry; holds up to 500 phone numbers, 300 e-mail addresses
and 300 URL entries
-- Personal Profile stores the user's name, blood type, birthday, address,
etc.
-- Spanish text and voice support
Productivity Tools:
-- Electronic Organizer: a scheduler/calendar and to-do list with function
alarm reminds the user to make important calls, and helps to keep track
of important events
-- One-Touch Wireless Web Access for easy Internet connectivity
-- One-Touch Voice Memo for up to eight 18-second voice memos or incoming
caller messages
-- Voice-activated Dialing for up to 30 names
-- Call Screening acts like an answering machine to allow the user to
listen in as the caller leaves a message
-- Speed Dialing (dial 2-9)
-- Call History (20 outgoing, 20 incoming and 20 missed calls)
-- 2.5mm headset jack to connect a headset for convenient, hands-free
operation.
The PCS Phone by Sanyo 4900 comes with a standard battery, travel charger
and user guide. It is available for a suggested retail price of $179.99
