Sprint’s Samsung SPH-i325 (Samsung Ace) originally comes with Windows Mobile 6.0 OS installed on it.

Sprint announced recently the availability of a firmware update available for the Samsung SPH-i325 that will upgrade the device to Windows 6.1 Standard Edition.

This firmware update will also improve threaded text messaging, enhanced GPS support via Sprint Navigation and web browsing.

This update can be downloaded from Samsung’s website.

BlackBerry Curve 8350i, new RIM iDEN smartphone, will soon be released in the US by Sprint, the third largest North American mobile carrier. Sprint has come up with a webpage that showcases the Curve 8350i, which means that the smartphone will soon be commercially available.

BlackBerry Curve 8350i features a TFT display with 320 x 240 pixel and 65K colors, a full QWERTY keyboard, trackball navigation, built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, Push to Talk capabilities, DataViz Documents to Go for reading and editing documents, push email, Web browser, Instant Messaging, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, a 2 Megapixel camera with flash and video recording, picture and video messaging, Media Player with lots of formats supported, microSD card slot and a 1400 mAh battery.

The price of Curve 8350i is not known for the moment.

BlackBerry Curve 8350i, a new iDEN-enabled smartphone, has been announced by RIM and Sprint.

BlackBerry Curve 8350i’s features include: Push to Talk capabilities, Sprint’s Nextel Direct Connect network, Wi-Fi, Web browser, integrated GPS, “unmatched push email and messaging capabilities,” organizer, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, speakerphone, Advanced Media Player, a 2 Megapixel camera with flash, digital zoom and video recording, DataViz Documents to Go, expandable memory and a1400 mAh battery said to offer “exceptional” talk and stand-by times.

The exact release date of BlackBerry Curve 8350i has not been announced, nor about its price, but the new smartphone will surely be available before the year’s end (only via Sprint, obviously).

Motorola VE20 (or MOTORAZR VE20), a new mid to low-end clamshell, is now available from Sprint.

Weighing 3.5 ounces and measuring 3.9 x 2.0 x 0.6 inches, the new VE20 brings the following features: a 2.2 inch LCD internal screen with 262K colors, a 1.6 inch CSTN external display with 65K colors and 120 x 60 pixels, Music player with touch-sensitive dedicated keys, built-in GPS, stereo Bluetooth, a 2 Megapixel camera (with video), Sprint TV, Sprint Radio, Sprint Music Store, Sprint email and Web capabilities, NFL Mobile Live, a 256MB memory card and a 910 mAh battery that should be able to provide up to 4 hours of talk-time.

Motorola VE20 costs $99.99, with a contract agreement for two years. The retail price is $329.99.

Sanyo Katana Eclipse, a new mid to low-end clamshell, is now available from Sprint.

Presented as a multimedia phone, the new Katana Eclipse comes with “40 different lighting effects,” including pulse, echo, blink and multi-color patterns. These can be assigned to messages, incoming calls, playing music and various alerts.

It also brings the following features: a 2 inch TFT internal display with 176 x 220 pixels and 65K colors, a 1-inch external display, a 1.3 Megapixel camera with video recording, internal GPS, Bluetooth, Sprint TV, Sprint Music Store, Sprint Radio, Web and email capabilities, speakerphone, expandable memory and an 840 mAh battery said to last up to 4.6 hours in talk-time mode.

Sanyo Katana Eclipse weighs 3.4 ounces, measures 3.6 x 1.9 x 0.7 inches.

The new clamshell costs $99.99, with a contract agreement for two years. The retail price is $299.99.

Touch Diamond is said to hit Sprint’s stores on August 28. Sprint will apparently release the new HTC in a CDMA red edition. The red HTC Touch Diamond is a bit thicker than the GSM one.

Besides the slightly changed look, there is only one other difference between the GSM and the CDMA Touch Diamond: the new red one comes with a better battery of 1350 mAh.

HTC Touch Diamond touchscreen smartphone features a 2.8 inch TFT touchscreen display with 640 x 480 pixels (VGA), 4GB of built-in memory, Windows Mobile 6.1, GPS, Wi-Fi and so on.

Sprint does not confirm the release date for the Diamond, so the smartphone might actually be out later.

Samsung Instinct has been released via Sprint. The new touchscreen phone was first announced in April. It costs $129.99 with an unlimited data plan (at $69.99 per month) after signing a contract agreement for two years.

Samsung Instinct is presented as an iPhone competitor. Measuring 117 x 56 x 12.7 mm and weighing 127 g, the Instinct packs a 3.1 inch TFT touchscreen display with 240 x 400 pixels, a 2 Megapixel camera with video, a 2GB memory card, expandable memory (up to 8GB), GPS, EV-DO connectivity for high speed data transfers, Sprint Email, Sprint TV, Sprint Music Store, full HTML browser, Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP, Microsoft’s Live Search, speaker-independent voice dialing, 3.5mm headphones (with microphone) and a 1000 mAh battery which can provide up to 5.75 hours of talk-time.

Video after the break:

Samsung Ace (I325) has been released on the Sprint network. It’s a dual mode CDMA/GSM Smartphone which comes in a slim candy bar form. Samsung Ace runs on Windows Mobile 6.0 OS, but has no touch-sensitive display. It features a full QWERTY keyboard, a 2.3-inch 65000 colors TFT display with 320×240 pixel resolution, a 1.3-megapixel camera with 5x digital zoom lens, 64.0 MB internal memory, microSD card slot, Sprint Music Store, Sprint TV, Sprint Navigation, Bluetooth 2.0, EV-DO, push e-mail capabilities. measures 118 x 59 x 12 mm and weighs 111 g.

Overall the Ace is a very strong entry from Samsung, but the exclusion of Office Mobile is very curious and it loses some points for the keyboard design. Other than that the Ace stacks up well with other Windows Mobile 6 Standard devices. Being a world phone is a major bonus, with even more points for an unlocked SIM slot. As we have come to expect from Samsung the build quality is top notch. While we did not care for the keyboard, those with small hands and fingers may appreciate the narrowness.

[via phonearena & phonemag]

Sprint announced it will offer Samsung M520 soon. The Samsung M520 comes in a slim slider form, and features a 2.1 inch TFT color display, a 1.3 Megapixel camera with camcorder functionality, microSD card support for up to 4GB of extended memory, Bluetooth, GPS, Sprint Music Store, Sprint Exclusive Entertainment, Sprint TV. The Samsung M520 offers users easy ways to surf the Internet, watch live television, download music or use GPS. It measures 101 x 51 x 12.7 mm, weighs 79 g.

“We are pleased to introduce this simple-to-use and inexpensive slider phone into our robust Power Vision portfolio,” said Danny Bowman, Sprint’s vice president of Customer Equipment. “Accessing services that are useful and entertaining is truly effortless with the M520 by Samsung. Customers will appreciate the uncomplicated menus and smooth multi-tasking capabilities.”

The Samsung M520 will be available in all Sprint retail channels and on Sprint’s website, and have a retail price for $49.99 with a $50 mail-in rebate and 2-year contract.
[via softpedia]

Samsung M800 for Sprint will be announced soon. It has a similar design to the Samsung F700, and features a 3.2-inch full-touch screen, a 2MP camera, a microSD card slot, built-in media player supporting MP3, WMA, AAC, H.264, and MPEG-4, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and supports CDMA and EV-DO. Samsung M800 measures 115 x 54 x 12 mm, and weighs 102 g. No more details is released yet.