Introduction

For the past year ultra-thin was (and still is) in. Pioneered by Motorola, the RAZR by and far outsold other cell phones on the market, causing competing manufacturers to reconsider their designs.

Now Samsung is launching its version of the ultra-thin phone with MM-A900 (aka the Blade) to Sprint's nationwide network. While not in direct competition with the RAZR (which was released on Cingular, T-Mobile, and recently Verizon Wireless), Samsung and Sprint have no doubt made it a priority to bite into Motorola's market dominance.

Released on Sprint's Power Vision Network, the A900 enables customers to access the latest news, music and entertainment content at broadband-like speeds. Also able to download and purchase complete songs through Sprint Music Store, watch Sprint TV, and listen to streaming online radio stations, consumers can access multimedia from their handsets in never before ways.

Compared to the RAZR released last year, the A900 features significant upgrades and improvements. Including a 1.3-megapixel rotating camera with flash and zoom, an MP3 player with Sprint Music Store accessibility, Bluetooth wireless technology for hands-free connectivity, and EV-DO broadband transfer rates to surf the web at lightening fast speeds, the A900 is a new breed of multimedia phone, integrating online functionality and off.

Just in time for the holidays, Samsung hopes to capitalize on the ultra-thin craze by luring consumers away from the RAZR dominated marketplace and establish itself as a contender in the ultra-thin arena.

Design

As the thinnest of the Sprint Power Vision phones, the A900's unique look and feel will delight the fashion-conscious user. It's not hard to see that the A900 was created to specifically take on the RAZR's popularity, and at just over a half-inch thin (0.6-inches), the ultra-compact A900 is barely thicker than the RAZR's profile (0.54-inches).

Using a lightweight magnesium metal instead of more commonly used plastic shell, Samsung managed to increase the rigidity of the A900 to withstand the everyday wear and tear of daily use.

Maintaining its slim profile, the front panel prominently features a brilliant 65K-color screen to glance at essential and incoming information. Blasting music through dual external speakers on the bottom corners, music listeners can control the built-in MP3 player through dedicated Rewind, Play / Pause, and Fast Forward Keys; all without ever having to open the phone

On the right, Volume Keys adjust earpiece and tone levels during calls and standby, and Power and Accessory Interface Connectors allow users to connect optional accessories such as the USB cable to transfer music and multimedia from a PC. Should users want to enjoy the music privately, headphones can be connected to the Headset Jack on the right side, also doubling as the output port for handsfree access. And a Camera / Voice Memo Key nearby allows consumers to take pictures in Camera Mode or record voice memos during a call.

Perfect for times when self-portraits or awkward angled shots are required, the A900's rotating 1.3-megapixel camera is located on the hinge. With the accompanying flash on the front panel, users have a 180-degree vertical range.

Opening the A900, the vivid 262K-color LCD is revealed. Used as a viewfinder in Camera Mode and for watching streaming television through Sprint TV, the internal screen is bright and clear for graphic-intense applications. Surrounded by Talk, End, Back, and Left and Right Keys, the 5-way directional and numeric keypads offer comfortable menu navigation and text messaging through T9 predictive text.

Out of the box, the Samsung MM-A900 comes with a standard 800 mAh Li-Ion Battery, Desktop Charger, USB Data Cable, Stereo Headset, and User Manual.

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