Messaging

Customers have a variety of messaging platforms including SMS text messaging, MMS multimedia messaging, instant messaging, email and communicate in Web-based chat rooms through Sprint's Power Vision Network.

The M500 can also send picture, voice and video mail, and supports instant messaging over AIM, Yahoo! and MSN. Users can send up to 160 characters per message. Supported email services include AOL Mail, Yahoo! Mail, MSN Hotmail and EarthLink.

For faster messaging, users can type with T9 Word, a program that anticipates words as they are typed and inserts them into messages from a database of common words. This feature can also be disabled to T9 Input, to type one letter at a time.

Entertainment

Whether users are into TV, MP3 downloads or games, the Sprint Power Vision Network offers many options for entertainment on the M500.

Subscription to Sprint TV Live gives customers access to continuous broadcast television content from select channels including FOX Sports, ABC News Now, The Learning Channel (TLC) and Discovery Channel at a streaming rate of up to 15 frames per second. Users can even watch video highlights from the NFL Network, see the latest news reports from C-SPAN and watch music videos from the California Music Channel.

With Sprint TV Live - which costs $9.99 per month - there is no need to continuously download or store video files onto the M500; channels are automatically streamed to the phone via the Sprint network.

Music lovers can access the Sprint Music Store to purchase full-length songs and download them onto their phone or download songs onto a personal computer. Another good feature from the Sprint network is streaming music channels from Sirius Music to listen to all kinds of genres including R&B, hip-hop, rock and country. The service also features video clips of artist interviews and performances.

The M500 comes with six demo versions of Java (J2ME) games: Midnight Pool, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Tetris, World Poker Tour and Zuma. More are available to download from the Sprint network.

In terms of Internet access, the M500's Web browser can be used to keep track of sports scores, headline news, weather and entertainment via mobile Web versions of sites from CNN, Reuters, USA Today and ABC News. The Sprint Web browser helps users also keep up to date with information in money, travel and shopping.

For users willing to pay extra subscription fees, the M500 has access to a variety of mobile entertainment and news through the Sprint Power Vision Network. With many streaming options, there is less worry in overloading the handset with bulky media files; ideal for consumers looking to take entertainment and information wherever they go.

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