Consumer Electronics Daily News

Ethertronics' New Double Shot Molding Technology Shrinks Smartphone and Tablet Antenna Volumes by 15 Percent

Ethertronics, a leading technology company enabling innovative antenna and RF solutions to deliver the best connected experience, today announced Ethertronics Double Shot Molding technology. This advanced manufacturing technique enables device OEMs to leverage the trend toward ultra-thin smartphones and tablets by minimizing the amount of space required for antennas.  

Conventional double-shot manufacturing techniques produce antennas that are 1 mm thick. Ethertronics' Double Shot Molding technology reduces the antenna's thickness to 0.8 mm, freeing up space for more components in the mechanical stack-up – all with no performance tradeoffs and at a cost comparable to conventional manufacturing techniques. This equates to a volume reduction of 15 percent in a conventional form factor for the antenna's space.  

Ethertronics' Double Shot Molding solution also allows complex 3D antenna designs, including radius curvatures, to maximize the limited amount of space available inside today's increasingly slender smartphones and tablets. This flexibility enables OEMs to create innovative form factors that stand out in the marketplace without compromising performance.

"Our advanced Double Shot Molding technology gives device OEMs a convenient, cost-effective way to meet operator and customer demands for compact, high-performance tablets and smartphones," said Sung Ki Jung, vice president of advanced mobile technology and GM of Korea at Ethertronics. "No other commercial manufacturing technique provides Double Shot Molding's combination of cost, performance, and design flexibility. This technology is the latest example of how Ethertronics gives OEMs the solutions they need to stay competitive."

Ethertronics' double shot molding technology is more than just a manufacturing breakthrough. This technique is the next step in Ethertronics' evolution to an active antenna and RF system company by enabling the integration of more components within the volume of the antenna – offering greater flexibility in terms of vertical integration.

Antennas utilizing Ethertronics' Double Shot Molding technique are immediately available to OEMs, with commercial wireless devices expected to hit the market in the first half of 2012. 

iPhone 4S Hits Record High Activations While iPads Continue To Dominate Enterprise Tablet Activations

Good Technology, the leading provider of secure and managed enterprise mobility and collaboration tools for a range of mobile devices, today released its quarterly device activation report for the first quarter of 2012. The full report provides a breakdown of smartphone and tablet devices activated amongst Good's enterprise customers, which include eight of the top 10 financial institutions, seven of the top 10 healthcare organizations, half of the Fortune 100, and companies from every major industry. The results demonstrate that companies continue to embrace the 'bring your own device' (BYOD) trend and accept new devices into the enterprise.

The Q1 findings showed that Apple's iPhone 4S hit a record high, claiming the number one device spot overall, with 37 percent of all activations for the first quarter (four times that of any other device). The iPad™ 2 claimed the second spot overall, with 17.7 percent of activations for the quarter.  With less than one month on the market, the new iPad™, released in March 2012, rocketed to the number four spot with 4.3 percent of all activations for the quarter, and an impressive 12.1 percent of activations in March alone.

Amongst Android™ devices, the Motorola Droid™ took the top spot, with 1.6 percent of all activations, making it the seventh most popular device for the quarter. Overall, Android smartphones represented 26.1 percent of all activations for the quarter, while Android tablets came in at 2.7 percent.

BYOD and Tablets Drive Substantial Year-over-Year and Quarter-over-Quarter Activation Growth for Good

As the leader in enabling BYOD, Good Technology is seeing rapid growth in both the quantity and size of its customers' deployments.  The number of Good customers deploying iOS and/or Android devices grew by more than 50 percent over the past 12 months, while the average Good customer deployment size more than doubled over the same period.  Even more impressive, in Q1 2012 alone, Good's activations grew by 50 percent over Q4 2011, and were nearly double the two previous quarters combined.

"BYOD smartphones and tablets combined with proactive, company-owned iPad deployments are driving rapid growth both the size and number of new deployments amongst our customers," said John Herrema, Good Technology's SVP of Corporate Strategy. "This includes significant growth in the number of Good users who have both a smartphone and a tablet, with the iPhone 4S and iPad 2 as the most frequently occurring combination."

Enterprise Users Driving Tablet Adoption

A recent Gartner press release[1] forecasts 118.9 million tablets will be sold this year. Good found that iPads collectively represented roughly 97.3 percent of its tablet activations for Q1 2012. Apple's continued growth is not only being driven by consumers and the overall BYOD trend, but also by proactive enterprise deployment of iPads. Apple's iPhones and iPads remain the clear choice amongst end users when it comes to both BYOD and large company-driven deployments in verticals such as Financial Services, Business and Professional Services, Life Sciences and Healthcare.

Life Sciences witnessed the highest rate of growth in the quarter for iPad net activations by industry, steadily increasing from less than three percent in October 2011 to nearly 14 percent in January 2012. This growth mirrors anecdotal data around proactive iPad deployments to sales forces in that industry, most notably among Pharmaceutical and Biotech companies.

"With Windows 8, we expect more competition for Apple® and the iPad in the enterprise tablet space, especially for proactive, company-owned device deployments," said John Herrema, Good Technology's SVP Corporate Strategy. "On the smartphone side, we just released support for Windows Phone 7.5 last week and it will be interesting to see how it performs over the coming quarters."

Latin America's Mobile Penetration Rate to Reach 130 Percent by End of 2015

Despite Latin America's high mobile penetration rate, the market is far from saturated, driving operators to find new ways to capture the business of mobile users – one of the various topics Latin America service providers will discuss at the Rio Wireless International Conference on May 21 & 22, 2012. For more information, click here: http://www.riowireless.com.br/site.

"Mobile penetration in Latin America is already extremely high at 109 percent at year-end of 2011," says Vinicius Caetano, Senior Analyst for Pyramid Research, who will present research at Rio Wireless. "The reason behind the high penetration in Latin America lies on the pre-paid segment that often requires no minimum permanence contract; that makes it easier for users who want to change providers without cancelling the current subscription and for users that want to benefit from lower prices to have multiple subscriptions with different providers," he explains. "Therefore, a high penetration of subscribers does not translate into a high penetration of actual users."

"The mobile market in the region is far from being considered saturated; in fact, Pyramid expects the region to achieve 130 percent penetration by the end of 2015," Caetano says. "This provides an opportunity for service providers to focus on customer retention programs, strategies aimed at moving subscriptions from prepaid to postpaid, and the introduction of new services and applications that can be sold to existing subscribers," he adds. "Our upcoming Rio Wireless conference is designed to capture the amazing mobile opportunity in Latin America, and will be the place where market leaders can gather research-driven content that will focus on the region's mobile trends."

"The Light Reading Communications Network and Network Eventos have partnered to expand the conference's reach beyond Brazil's borders by providing an ideal platform for service providers seeking strategic advice as they develop their businesses in Latin America," says Joseph Braue, Executive Vice President/Group Director of the Light Reading Communications Network. "By combining Network Eventos' expertise in producing successful Brazilian telecom events with Pyramid's market growth analysis and Heavy Reading's telecom technology expertise, we can provide a conference of tremendous substance for regional telecom executives and regulators."

Executives from Oi/Telema, ITU, Ministry of Communications, VIVO, Sinditelebrasil and others plan to participate on the various panels scheduled during this two-day conference. To view the agenda, list of speakers and to register, click here: http://www.riowireless.com.br/site.

Pulse Electronics Introduces Programmable Antenna to Enable LTE Connectivity in Ultra Thin Laptops

Pulse Electronics Corporation, a leading provider of electronic components, introduces a high performance programmable antenna that enables LTE connectivity on mobile-connected laptop computers. The antenna can switch frequencies easily to accommodate both low and high operating bands. With a maximum height of 1mm, this low profile antenna fits the design of ultra thin laptops.

Pulse Electronics’ new antenna enables four states for low band operation: 700-750MHz (LTE low), 750-790MHz (LTE high), 820-900MHz (GSM850), and 880-960MHz (GSM900) as well as high band operation covering GSM 1800/1900/2100. The switch to change the frequency is on the same flex as the antenna, saving space and maximizing performance. To fit the ergonomic and cosmetic appearance and function of the laptop, the antenna can be implemented to the device display area and adjusted for various display sizes (as long as good grounding to the display shield can be provided). The pattern can be made planar so it fits very thin displays. It is compatible with several antenna manufacturing technologies such as LDS, flex, and sheet metal and can be adapted for a variety of display sizes and laptop computer configurations.

“Pulse Electronics designed this antenna in response to market demand for high performing antenna solutions for LTE-enabled laptops," explained Maritta Timosaari, sales and marketing director, Pulse Electronics Mobile Division. “This new antenna is a continuation of our Mobile Division’s switchable antenna family and LTE tablet antennas. It is an enabler for ultra thin laptops operating on LTE bands.”

Dimensions of these programmable antennas are 65mm (l) x12mm (w) x1mm (h), although the length can vary. They have low loss in all states, with a return loss of -6 decibels (dB) and an impedance of 50 Ohms. The efficiency is greater or equal to 40%/-4dB. The switch is Sony SP4T/ CXM3569XR.

Pulse Electronics’ programmable LTE antenna is RoHS compliant and comes packaged in trays. The antenna design is made to customer specifications. Engineering samples are available. The datasheet can be found at: http://www.pulseelectronics.com/download/3770/programmable_lte_antenna_for_laptops. For more information on LTE antennas visit the Pulse Electronics website at http://www.pulseelectronics.com/LTELaptopAntenna.

In Japan, Smartphones Surpass Feature Phones among Newly Acquired Devices for First Time Ever

comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, today released data from the comScore MobiLens service, reporting key trends in the Japan mobile phone industry during the three month average period ending February 2012. The study surveyed more than 4,000 Japanese mobile subscribers and found Sharp to be the top mobile handset manufacturer overall with 23.5 percent market share. Google's Android platform accounted for the majority of the smartphone market at 61.4 percent, followed by Apple with 34.2 percent of the market.

"Smartphones surpassed feature phones as the most acquired device type in February 2012, signaling an important shift in Japan's mobile market," said Daizo Nishitani, vice president of comScore Japan KK. "The rise in smartphone adoption opens the door to tremendous opportunity for publishers and advertisers to expand their reach and increase engagement with key consumer segments through this channel. Japanese mobile phone users were already highly engaged with their devices, but with the added functionality and higher levels of mobile media consumption we should expect to see significant changes in behavior among the Japanese mobile population in 2012."

Sharp Accounts for 1 in 4 Mobile Devices in Japan

For the three-month average period ending in February, 101.7 million people age 13 and older used mobile devices in Japan (feature phone and smartphone devices). Device manufacturer Sharp ranked as the top OEM with 23.5 percent of Japanese mobile subscribers, followed by Panasonic with 13.8 percent share. Fujitsu captured the #3 ranking in February with 11.8 percent of mobile subscribers, followed by NEC at 9.7 percent and Sony at 7.5 percent to round out the top five.

Apple, which ranked as the 8th largest OEM in Japan with 6.5 percent market share, experienced the strongest gain among device manufacturers increasing 1.6 percentage points since November 2011.

Top Mobile OEMs 3 Month Avg. Ending Feb. 2012 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Nov. 2011 Total Japan Mobile Subscribers (Smartphone & Non-Smartphone) Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens
	Share (%) of Mobile Subscribers
	Nov-11	Feb-12	Point Change
Total Mobile Subscribers	100.0%	100.0%	N/A
Sharp	24.6%	23.5%	-1.1
Panasonic	13.7%	13.8%	0.1
Fujitsu	11.6%	11.8%	0.2
NEC	9.8%	9.7%	-0.1
Sony	7.8%	7.5%	-0.3

Android Accounts for Majority of Japan's Smartphone Market, Apple Sees Strongest Growth

More than 19.3 million people in Japan owned smartphones during the three months ending in February, up 28 percent versus November. Android's share of the smartphone market reached 61.4 percent, while Apple ranked second with 34.2 percent of the smartphone market (up 1.3 percentage points versus November 2011), followed by Microsoft, which accounted for 3.9 percent in February 2012.

Top Smartphone* Platforms 3 Month Avg. Ending Feb. 2012 vs. 3 Month Avg. Ending Nov. 2011 Total Japan Smartphone Subscribers Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens
	Share (%) of Smartphone Subscribers
	Nov-11	Feb-12	Point Change
Total Smartphone Subscribers	100.0%	100.0%	N/A
Android	61.0%	61.4%	0.3
Apple	33.0%	34.2%	1.3
Microsoft	5.7%	3.9%	-1.8
Other	0.3%	0.5%	0.2

*Smartphones are defined as those phones that use the Android, Apple, Microsoft, RIM and Symbian platforms.

Mobile Content Usage

Analysis of selected activities consumers performed on their mobile phones found that 57.6 million users accessed email on their phone, representing more than half of all mobile phone users. Japanese mobile owners were more likely to use an application (55.4 percent) than a mobile browser (52.4 percent), while 45.4 percent sent a text message to another phone during the month. Nearly 1 in 5 mobile users accessed social networking or blog sites on their phone, while slightly less (18.8 percent) watched TV or video.

Selected Mobile Content Usage 3 Month Avg. Ending Feb. 2012 Total Japan Mobile Subscribers (Smartphone & Non-Smartphone) Ages 13+ Source: comScore MobiLens
	Total Audience (000)	% of Total Mobile Audience
Total Mobile Audience	101,700	100.0%
Used email	57,616	56.7%
Used application	56,327	55.4%
Used browser	53,302	52.4%
Sent text message	46,184	45.4%
Accessed weather	34,652	34.1%
Accessed search	30,464	30.0%
Accessed news	23,732	23.3%
Accessed social networking site or blog	19,793	19.5%
Accessed maps	19,316	19.0%
Watched TV and/or video on mobile phone	19,157	18.8%

25% of Consumers Intend to Purchase Smartphones and HDTVs in the First Half of 2012

Smartphones and media tablets continue to capture headlines while consumer electronic devices continue to see healthy interest from consumers. 25% of US respondents to ABI Research’s Technology Barometer survey said they intend to purchase a smartphone during the first half of 2012 - a percentage equaled by HDTVs. Additionally, more respondents intend to purchase Blu-ray players (17%) and game consoles (18%), rather than media tablets (16%).

“Mobile devices have clearly captured the attention of many consumers and companies within the content value chain, but consumer electronics devices like TVs, Blu-ray players, and game consoles remain at the heart of the digital living room,” says senior analyst Michael Inouye. “Connectivity continues to present new opportunities for all members within the value chain to enrich the user experience and mobile devices will increasingly be an additive part of the equation.”

Second screen applications and social TV applications like GetGlue, Miso, zeebox, Disney Second Screen, and Shazam are prime examples where mobile devices are accentuating the viewing experience in the living room. Programming the DVR and multiscreen services are also gaining a great deal of attention from pay-TV operators and consumers alike, but this is still a nascent facet of the market.

“There will always be value in viewing content on the large screen, so we do not see these mobile applications as subtractive or competitive to the connected CE space,” adds Inouye. “Respondents, for instance, continue to favor connected CE devices for viewing Internet video content on the main screen over alternatives like smartphones or tablets. While connecting a mobile device to the TV screen or wirelessly mirroring the screen may be foreign to many consumers, this practice will occur more frequently as the market and consumer behavior evolves, but given the portable nature of these devices and social nature of TV viewing fixed devices will continue to have a strong role to play in the digital living room.”

ABI Research’s two new surveys, “WAVE 3 US CE Purchase Intent” (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/1011122) and “WAVE 3 US Computer Purchase Intent” (http://www.abiresearch.com/research/1011128) track consumer behavior, purchase intent, brand preferences, and devices within the digital home.

Verizon Wireless to Conduct Spectrum License Sale

Verizon Wireless today announced plans to conduct an open sale process for all of its 700 MHz A and B spectrum licenses in order to rationalize its spectrum holdings.  The licenses cover dozens of major cities across the country, as well as a number of smaller and rural markets.

Verizon Wireless obtained the 700 MHz A and B licenses, as well as nationwide 700 MHz upper C licenses (with the exception of Alaska which has since been acquired), in FCC Auction 73 in 2008.  Verizon Wireless is deploying its 4G LTE network, which currently covers more than 200 million people, on its nationwide 700 MHz upper C spectrum.  If Verizon Wireless is successful in acquiring additional AWS (Advanced Wireless Services) spectrum licenses, it will use AWS spectrum in conjunction with its 700 MHz upper C band spectrum to deploy additional LTE capacity.  

Accordingly, the sale of the A and B licenses is contingent on the close of Verizon Wireless' pending purchases of AWS licenses from SpectrumCo (an entity jointly owned by Comcast, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks), Cox and Leap Wireless. These transactions are at varying stages of review by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) and are expected to close by mid-summer. 

The company is announcing the sale plans now and will begin the process of soliciting interest from potential buyers to ensure the process can move forward quickly once the AWS license transfers have been completed. 

"Since wireless operators, large and small, have expressed concern about the availability of high-quality spectrum, we believe our 700 MHz licenses will be attractive to a wide range of buyers," said Molly Feldman, vice president of Business Development for Verizon Wireless.  "Moreover, provided our acquisition of AWS spectrum is approved, our open sale process will ensure these A and B spectrum licenses are quickly and fairly made available for the benefit of other carriers and their customers."

Stephens Inc., a nationally recognized, independent financial services firm based in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been engaged to manage the offering process.  Interested parties may contact Stephens Inc. at [email protected] or 501-377-8134.  Stephens Inc. will later release information about efforts to reach out to potential bidders, including minority-owned and female-owned businesses, to participate in the process.  All sales will be subject to applicable regulatory approvals.

HTC One X Available Exclusively From AT&T; Beginning May 6

An all-around workhorse with unique customer benefits, the HTC One X is the flagship of HTC's One line of smartphones. Combined with the nation's largest 4G network, with 4G LTE backed by AT&T's HSPA+ network, the One X becomes the complete package for Android users.

AT&T customers have access to the nation's largest 4G network, covering nearly 250 million people. As 4G LTE expands, AT&T customers are able to enjoy a widespread, ultra-fast and consistent 4G experience on their compatible device as they move in and out of LTE areas. AT&T has two 4G networks that work together for customers, LTE and HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. With other carriers, when you travel outside of their LTE coverage area, you're on a much slower 3G network.

Sound at its Finest

HTC One X is the first device from AT&T with HTC's authentic sound experience featuring Beats by Dr. Dre Audio integration, offering rich, full sounds with professional-grade sound engineering to play the music how the artist intended. Beats Audio provides a distortion-free sound at higher volume and rich bass at all levels whether you are watching movies, playing games or streaming music. HTC One X is custom tuned for the best audio performance when used with Beats by Dr. Dre accessories,** including the Beatbox (AT&T exclusive), Wireless HD Stereo Bluetooth Headphones, Beats™ Solo™ HD Headphones, and UR Beats™ In-ear Headphones.

With built-in software on the HTC One X, customers can connect it to a computer and HTC's Sync Manager software automatically installs to your computer and once connected, makes it easy to move music and playlists to your phone from your music library.

Entertainment Everywhere

Consumers' ability to incorporate their smartphones into every aspect of their lives continues with the HTC One X. Watching TV shows or movies will be even more enjoyable on its 4.7-inch 720p HD screen with sharp images that appear detailed and visible from every angle – even angled up to 80 degrees. HTC Watch gives you access to thousands of Hollywood blockbusters and offers companion content to find out more about the film. You can begin watching the movie moments after it starts downloading and wirelessly share the content on any HD TV using HTC's wireless HDMI Media Link HD adapter.**

The laminated cover glass and touch layer significantly reduce light reflection for superior sharpness and clarity, and is protected with Corning® Gorilla® Glass. HTC One X is made with a beautifully crafted polycarbonate unibody design that showcases its clean lines and seamless construction.

Superior Camera

For many consumers, their smartphone doubles as their camera. HTC One X's 8MP HD camera features ImageSense and rivals traditional digital cameras with improvements to every part of the camera including the lens, sensor and software, while integrating HTC's new ImageChip to make quality picture taking a breeze.

Fumbling with the menu and settings on your smartphone is frustrating when the perfect shot is right in front of you. Within seconds, you can launch the camera from the lock screen and the camera quickly autofocuses and zeros in on your subject. Zero shutter lag also lets you take continuous shots simply by holding the shutter button. HTC One X takes beautiful photos under low-light, no-light, and back-light conditions. The Video Pic feature allows the capture of still pictures while recording video in HD as well as the ability to capture a still image from previously recorded video.

The HTC One X's next-generation 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon™ S4 dual-core processor allows customers to run heavy duty tasks such as creating and editing homemade videos smoothly without any lag, while the 1,800 mAh embedded battery, and software enhancements that improve battery performance by 50-100 percent over previous HTC phones, offers hours of uninterrupted entertainment time.

HTC Sense 4

HTC One X will be one of the first devices in the U.S. with the simple and intuitive HTC Sense 4 user experience. It helps make the Beats Audio experience possible while listening to any audio component and features camera enhancements including a quick launch feature for the camera on the HTC One X – dramatically cutting down the time needed to move from the lock screen to snapping a picture.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
**Accessories sold separately.

Sprint and LG Launch Third Device in 2012 with Eco-Friendly Features, LG Optimus Elite

Thinking of doing something easy and fun for the environment for Earth Day? Now is the perfect time to switch to a mobile phone with eco-friendly features, as Sprint (NYSE: S) and its data-centric, no-contract brand, Virgin Mobile USA, join LG Mobile in announcing the upcoming availability of LG Optimus Elite™ on the Sprint 3G Network.

LG Optimus Elite will be available in Titan Silver and White on Earth Day – Sunday, April 22 – exclusively through www.sprint.com and 1-800-SPRINT1 for just $29.99 with a new two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate via reward card (excludes taxes and surcharges). The device will become available in additional channels, including Sprint retail, on May 18. Timing and pricing for the device on Virgin Mobile USA will be announced shortly.

LG Optimus Elite marks the third device launched from Sprint and LG this year that boasts eco-friendly attributes and the coveted UL Environment Platinum Certification – the highest level of environmental performance recognized by sustainable requirements established by UL Environment and Sprint. Sprint and LG launched their first device with eco-friendly features together in 2010 with LG Remarq™ and continued the legacy earlier this year with both LG Rumor Reflex™ and LG Viper™ 4G LTE.

“As a leader in environmental responsibility and sustainability, Sprint continues to expand its portfolio of eco-friendly devices and services by providing consumers with strong device choices,” said David Owens, vice president-Product Development, Sprint. “LG Optimus Elite is a dynamic and affordable green option for customers who want to go green without sacrificing the latest features. We are thrilled to make this available as we celebrate Earth Day and think about what each of us can do to support sustainability.”

Stylish and Feature Rich with Eco-friendly Attributes

As the successor to the popular LG Optimus S, this affordable and highly customizable full-featured smartphone keeps customers organized with Android 2.3, Gingerbread, and other key features, including a 3.5-inch capacitive touch-screen, 800 MHz processor, 5 MP rear-facing camera and camcorder with flash, virtual QWERTY keyboard and mobile hotspot capability supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices.

LG Optimus Elite also is enabled with Near Field Communication (NFC), allowing users to access true value features such as Google Wallet, an app that allows payment using a mobile device at participating retailers like Bloomingdales, Toys “R” Us, CVS, Gap, Macy’s and more. This is the first device in the Virgin Mobile USA line-up to support NFC and Google Wallet.

Also, consumers can download Box on LG Optimus Elite and receive 50GB of free cloud storage and sharing directly from LG, an estimated value of $240 per year, so users don’t have to stress about storing all of their favorite music, files, photos and other memories. The 50GB of free storage is exclusive to LG devices until July 22.

“With the introduction of LG Optimus Elite, we felt it was critical to continue our eco-friendly-focused partnership with Sprint, and by extension, Virgin Mobile USA,” said Tim O’Brien, vice president of marketing for LG Mobile. “It was important to both us and our consumers that we offer a competitively priced, fully featured smartphone that takes advantage of the latest advancements in green mobile technology. Earth Day presents the perfect opportunity for us to introduce LG Optimus Elite with eco-friendly features to the marketplace and to raise awareness about the importance of being environmentally responsible.”

Not only is LG Optimus Elite a stylish, feature-rich smartphone, it also boasts the following eco-friendly attributes:

• The device is ULE Platinum Certified, the highest level of environmental performance recognized by sustainable requirements established by UL Environment and Sprint.
• It is protected by a casing made of 50 percent recycled plastics.
• It is RoHS compliant, meaning it is free from many potentially hazardous materials, such as PVC, phthalates, halogens and mercury.
• The phone also includes a charger that exceeds the EC Code of Conduct on energy efficiency when it comes to no-load consumption. Unlike other chargers, LG Optimus Elite’s charger only consumes 0.03 watts of power when plugged into a wall socket without being connected to the phone.

In addition, the Sprint version comes in fully recyclable packaging that is printed with soy inks, contains up to 87 percent post-consumer paper and was engineered with a glueless construction. The Virgin Mobile USA version comes in fully recyclable packaging that uses soy inks, and contains up to 30 percent post-consumer paper. Up to 70 percent of the thermoform plastic contains a combination of post-industrial or post-consumer waste.

Sprint offers eco-friendly cases to protect LG Optimus Elite and other devices such as LG Viper 4G LTE and LG Rumor Reflex from inevitable nicks and scratches. ECOClear protective covers, designed specifically for Sprint devices with eco-friendly features, are made out of wood pulp and provide added protection from damage, thereby potentially extending the life of Sprint devices. They are available for the LG Optimus Elite for a special price on Sprint.com of only $15.99 (plus tax) in clear or for $17.59 (plus tax) in translucent green.

Ranked No. 3 in Newsweek’s 2011 list of greenest companies, Sprint is committed to being a corporate leader in sustainability. Sprint leads the industry through its commitment to an absolute reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions, commitment to renewable energy, and its aggressive cell-phone recycling efforts. These efforts are bolstered by a strong environmental management system, strong policies and practices for managing our use of natural resources, environmentally responsible building practices, and an employee-engagement program, to name just a few.

Sprint Continues 4G LTE Momentum with Launch of Galaxy Nexus by Samsung

Sprint, the only national wireless carrier offering truly unlimited data for all phones while on the Sprint network, continues its 4G LTE launch momentum with the launch of Galaxy Nexus by Samsung, its first Android™ 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, smartphone with 4G LTE capability. It boasts a Pure Google experience, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED™ contour display and dual cameras enabling video chat.

Galaxy Nexus will be available in Sprint Stores, Sprint Business Sales, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and Web Sales (www.sprint.com) beginning on Sunday, April 22, for $199.99 (excluding taxes) with a new line of service or eligible upgrade and two-year service agreement. Pre-order begins today at www.sprint.com/nexus. Customers who pre-order Galaxy Nexus will begin receiving their devices as early as Friday, April 20 – two days before the device goes on sale – while supplies last.

Galaxy Nexus on Sprint also features Google Wallet™, turning the smartphone into a wallet using Near Field Communication (NFC) to make safe purchases at more than 100,000 participating retailers. As an extra bonus, Sprint customers who activate a Google Wallet account within a week of activation of their Galaxy Nexus will receive a $10 instant credit on their Google Wallet account and an additional $40 credit within three weeks.

“Galaxy Nexus is a beautifully designed smartphone that combines the Pure Google experience with the speed of Sprint’s upcoming 4G LTE network,” said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “It represents the cutting-edge features and applications that customers expect and pairs perfectly with Sprint’s unlimited data plans to let our customers enjoy their wireless experience without worrying about overage charges or throttling.”

Manufactured by Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), a leading global mobile phone provider and the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States, Galaxy Nexus pairs the beauty of Samsung hardware with a Pure Google experience. It is built on Android, 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich, which brings an entirely new look and feel to Android. Simple layouts with subtle animations and delightful flourishes make everything feel alive. The home screen, web browser, email and everything in between have been rethought and redesigned to make Android simple, beautiful and beyond smart.

Galaxy Nexus has a full-featured 5-megapixel camera with automatic focus and 1080p video capture, top-notch, low-light performance and zero shutter lag. Open it right from the lock screen and fire off a photo instantly. Snapping several photos is quicker than the blink of an eye, and single-motion panoramic mode lets the user take beautiful panorama pictures with Galaxy Nexus.

Additional key features include:

• Face Unlock: Galaxy Nexus introduces a new, fun way to unlock the phone – with a smile. State-of-the-art facial recognition technology lets the user switch on their phone and look at it to get past the lock screen – no passwords to remember, nothing to type or swipe.
• Android Beam™: Share contacts, web pages, YouTube videos, directions and apps – just by touching two NFC-enabled Android phones back to back – tap to beam what’s on the phone to a friend.
• Google+™ Hangouts: Video chat with a group of up to 10 friends using the 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, all on the go.
• A 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a brilliant 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED contour display with 1280x720 resolution.
• Google Play™: With more than 500,000 apps, millions of songs and books and thousands of movies, Google Play has something for everyone.
• Google Wallet: Turn the smartphone into a wallet using NFC to make safe, secure purchases at more than 100,000 participating retailers.
• Google Voice™ makes people’s lives easier by providing one phone number to use for the rest of their life. Easily manage up to six devices with one Sprint phone number, use intelligent call routing and advanced call controls like call screening, blocking and recording, and online management of SMS, voicemail and call logs at www.google.com/voice.

Galaxy Nexus customers can enjoy an unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^SM includes unlimited web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones – a savings of $40 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB web, or $10 per month savings versus Verizon’s 450-minute plan with unlimited text and 2GB web.

Sprint recently announced Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio are expected to have 4G LTE and enhanced 3G service in mid-year 2012. The anticipated launch of these large metropolitan areas demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. Sprint customers in these areas will soon enjoy ultra-fast data speeds and improved 3G voice quality. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE rollout, please visit www.sprint.com/4GLTE.