Sprint Announces Exclusive Availability of Web Enabled, Dual-Band Touchpoint Phone - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, August 16, 1999

Sprint Wednesday announced the nationwide availability of the Dual-Band Sprint PCS Touchpoint Phone manufactured by DENSO Wireless and provided to customers exclusively by Sprint PCS. This powerful, dual-band phone with micro-browser will offer the ability to access the Internet plus, is simple to use with its built-in mouse that allows easy navigation through menus and functions. With improved features and a suggested retail price of $199.99, the Dual-Band Sprint PCS Touchpoint Phone provides callers a simple, affordable way to enjoy the clarity of voice and data with the assurance of uninterrupted coverage no matter where they travel. Sprint PCS operates the nation's largest, 100-percent digital, 100-percent PCS nationwide network.

Sprint PCS recently announced agreements with Phone.com and Yahoo! that will enable Sprint PCS to bring to its customers a variety of select Internet information content as well as offer Yahoo! Web content and services to Sprint PCS phones. These services are expected to be available nationwide to Sprint PCS customers later this year.

The Dual-Band Sprint PCS Touchpoint Phone features an internal modem capability which allows customers to connect to important personal information tools and corporate networking content, such as e-mail, schedules and task lists. Additionally, with the introduction of Sprint PCS wireless data services, the Dual-Band Sprint PCS Touchpoint Phone will allow users to connect to the Internet to interactively browse versions of favorite web sites via a micro-browser. With its large, easy-to-read display screen and mouse-like navigation feature, this phone is ideal for Internet browsing and text messaging.

The new and improved Dual-Band Sprint PCS Touchpoint Phone is easy to use, yet incredibly sophisticated and powerful. Some of its enhanced features from the single-band Touchpoint Phone include longer battery life, the ability to scroll up and down with the "mouse," more ringer options (includes silent vibrating ringer), a phone book label for data entries, a calculator, and three games.

"The Dual-Band Sprint PCS Touchpoint Phone is a highly-functional wireless data product and is the perfect phone for the integration of Sprint PCS' clear voice and data services in one device," said Charles Levine, chief sales and marketing officer for Sprint PCS. "As the mobile workforce continues to grow, being able to connect and communicate clearly anytime, anywhere is a valuable asset. Sprint PCS makes this simple by extending the clarity of voice to the data world while providing superior coverage at an affordable price. "

"With the launch of the Dual-Band Sprint PCS Touchpoint Phone DENSO is pleased to take another step in our long-term initiative to manufacture highly-reliable, technically-advanced products for Sprint PCS," said Roy Nakaue, executive vice president for DENSO Sales California, Inc. "The Dual-Band Sprint PCS Touchpoint Phone innovatively combines enhanced features like data/fax and dual-band capabilities, while keeping the same small size and relative weight of the single-band phone."

In digital mode, the Dual-Band Sprint PCS Touchpoint Phone provides up to 3.25 hours of continuous talk time or up to 130 hours of stand-by time with its standard lithium ion battery. In analog mode, the battery provides up to 1 hour of continuous talk time or up to 15 hours of stand-by time. The optional extended lithium ion battery (purchased separately) provides up to 5 hours of talk time or 220 hours of stand-by time in digital mode; or 1.7 hours of talk time or 25 hours of stand-by time in analog mode.

This compact, lightweight phone is the lightest dual-band phone from Sprint PCS, weighing just 5.5 ounces with the standard lithium ion battery and 6.1 ounces with the extended lithium ion battery. The Dual-Band Sprint PCS Touchpoint Phone is packaged with a standard lithium-ion battery, a desktop charging stand and a separate AC adapter that can be used as a travel charger (the phone has a built-in rapid charger).

DENSO, a global supplier of advanced technology, systems, and components, is a leading manufacturer of wireless communications products such as PHS and PDC handsets, and intelligent communications systems in Japan, as well as CDMA and AMPS handsets in North America. In North America, DENSO employs more than 11,000 people at 16 sites. North American consolidated sales for 1998 totaled $3.1 billion. Worldwide, DENSO employs more than 72,000 people in 26 countries, including Japan. In 1998-99, consolidated global sales totaled nearly $14.5 billion.

DENSO Wireless is a joint undertaking of three DENSO companies. DENSO International America's LA Laboratories provides engineering, research and development, while DENSO Sales California provides product planning, sales, marketing and technical support. Both are located in Carlsbad, Calif. The manufacturing facility, DENSO Wireless Systems America, Inc. is located in Vista, Calif.