OVERLAND PARK, Kan. & DALLAS, May 10, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Sprint (NYSE: S) and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the number one mobile phone provider in the nation(1), today announced immediate availability of Samsung Seek(TM), an affordable and compact messaging device featuring a full-QWERTY slide-out keyboard, intuitive touchscreen and the speed of Sprint's 3G network. Customers can express their individual style with three color options and an easy-to-use, customizable menu system that provides instant access to their favorite features and applications.
Samsung Seek is now available in Cool Blue and Scarlet Red in all Sprint retail channels, including online (www.sprint.com) and Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) for $29.99 with a new two-year service agreement, after a $50 mail-in rebate (taxes and surcharges excluded). It will be available in Fantasy Pink beginning June 6.
Innovative Environmentally Friendly Packaging With the launch of Samsung Seek, Sprint and Samsung are the first in the United States to trial a new recycling solution that enables customers to easily reuse the packaging to ship old wireless phones, batteries, accessories and data cards with a postage-paid paper mailing label. Customers who purchase the Cool Blue or Fantasy Pink Samsung Seek can use the label and box to repackage their old equipment for recycling in less than one minute and at no charge. Sprint will recycle both the equipment and the box. To compare the performance of this new solution, the Scarlet Red Samsung Seek will contain the traditional postage-paid envelope made of LDPE #4 recyclable plastic for customers to recycle their old wireless device.
Samsung Seek eco-friendly packaging: -- Several plastic elements -- the inner tray, bags for literature and the battery, and mailing envelope -- are replaced with paper-based solutions.
-- Box and inner tray contain at least 90 percent post-consumer waste (PCW) paper fiber, are 100 percent recyclable, and come from sustainable forests. Top sheets and liners are chlorine-free, printed with soy inks, and have a water-based aqueous coating.
-- Mailing label contains 30 percent PCW paper fiber, is 100 percent recyclable, has a water-based acrylic adhesive, and is attached with glue dots that are RoHS and REACH compliant.
-- Literature band contains at least 30 percent PCW paper fiber and is 100 percent recyclable.
"Sprint is committed to environmental sustainability and product responsibility," said Kevin Packingham, Sprint senior vice president-Product Development. "Each time customers use the postage-paid mailing label with the box to recycle an old device, they are helping keep electronic and packaging waste out of landfills and support Internet safety for kids. All net proceeds from the sale of recycled equipment collected will be used to fund and promote 4NetSafety, a charitable program of Sprint Project Connect(TM)." Feature-Rich Device Samsung Seek provides convenient messaging features, including threaded text messaging, picture messaging, instant messaging and quick shortcuts to popular social networking applications such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. It also makes multitasking simple. Customers can listen to their favorite songs while surfing the Web, playing games or checking e-mail. Features include a 1.3 megapixel camera, expandable memory with microSD card (supports up to 32GB) and Sprint Family Locator. Customers don't have to wait for technology to catch up with their lives; Sprint provides advanced technology so they can get what they want, now! The Now Network(TM) is about matching human needs with technology to give people the wireless experience they want.
"Samsung Seek offers Sprint customers the best messaging features and multimedia favorites in a compact and stylish design," said Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung Mobile. "Seek provides easy customization and quick access to favorite applications and functions, and features prepaid recyclable packaging that makes mailing your old mobile phone to be recycled simple and convenient." For just $69.99 per month, Sprint's affordable Everything Data 450 plan with Any Mobile, Anytime(SM)pairs nicely with Samsung Seek to give customers on the Sprint network unlimited nationwide calling to or from any U.S. wireless phone, unlimited text and picture messaging, unlimited Web, e-mail and social networking, and unlimited GPS navigation for the same price AT&T and Verizon charge for unlimited talk only (pricing excludes surcharges and taxes).
Sprint Everything Data plans automatically enroll customers in the Sprint Premier(SM) loyalty program, whose benefits include annual device upgrades on the primary line, discounted accessories, six-month plan checks and "just-because" perks. Existing Sprint customers can switch to an Everything Data plan without extending their service agreement. New lines of service require a two-year service agreement.
Additionally, the Sprint Free Guarantee gives any customer opening a new line of service the chance to try Sprint for 30 days. If a customer isn't completely satisfied, they can get reimbursed for the device purchase and activation fee, get the early termination fee waived, get a full refund for service plan monthly recurring charges incurred and get all associated taxes and Sprint surcharges associated with these charges waived. Sprint will waive the restocking fee for new customer exchanges as part of this policy.
Sprint ranked highest among all U.S. telecom companies and #15 overall on Newsweek's Green Rankings, with a series of new environmental initiatives and green innovations. Sprint also scored highest among U.S.-based national wireless companies on the Carbon Disclosure Project's (CDP) 2009 Global 500 Report on carbon disclosure.
For more information on Sprint programs which protect the environment, go to www.sprint.com/green, or follow @SprintGreenNews on Twitter.
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 served more than 48 million customers at the end of the first quarter of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, and the first and only wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile and Assurance Wireless and instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone.
With its customer-focused strategy, you can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
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. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2009 consolidated sales of (US)$116.8 billion. Employing approximately 188,000 people in 185 offices across 65 countries, the company consists of eight independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.
(1.) Based upon reported shipment data, according to Strategy Analytics Q4 2009 U.S. Market Share Handset Shipments Report.
SOURCE: Sprint and Samsung Telecommunications America CONTACT: Sprint Natalie Papaj, 703-586-0048 Natalie.Lariviere@sprint.com or MWW Group for Samsung Mobile Ashley Lane, 214-532-6276 alane@mww.com Copyright Business Wire 2010 -0- KEYWORD: United States
North America
Kansas
Texas INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Technology
Consumer Electronics
Networks
Telecommunications
Mobile/Wireless
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