Starting Monday, customers will have a new choice to make when they purchase UpStage by Samsung as Sprint and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) debut a vibrant red color option. UpStage by Samsung is the first dual-sided wireless phone in the U.S. designed to optimize music capabilities with the look of an MP3 player on one side and a phone on the other.

Operating on the Sprint Mobile Broadband network, UpStage by Samsung provides easy access to Sprint’s exclusive multimedia content, including Sprint Music Store. Sprint Music Store provides customers with quick over-the-air music downloads of full-length songs for just 99 cents.

UpStage by Samsung is the first Sprint phone to offer the following features:

• Sprint Music Manager, powered by Smith Micro, gives users the power to quickly and simply transfer, or "sideload," unprotected songs from a PC to the handset via a USB cable. Provided on an enclosed CD-ROM, Music Manager also allows songs to be managed on the PC through an intuitive interface.
• Advanced Stereo Bluetooth 2.0 with Bluetooth caller ID enables the user to identify callers with a spoken voice while they listen to music.
• UpStage by Samsung gives users the power to multitask with the ability to play music in background mode while also using the phone for text messaging, playing games or surfing the Internet.

"Samsung is excited to give our loyal customers a new look to this revolutionary union of voice, form and music," said Peter Skarzynski, senior vice president of Strategy at Samsung Telecommunications America. "The red UpStage offers a bright display of color on the outside combined with high-profile music access, messaging and multitasking capabilities on the inside."

Additional features available on UpStage by Samsung include a 1.3MP camera and camcorder, MicroSD card slot that can support up to 2GB of external memory, an easy-to-access keyguard switch to prevent accidental dialing, and Wireless Backup to quickly restore contact information if your phone is lost or stolen.

An extended battery wallet is included with the phone to increase talk time up to approximately 6.3 hours or 16 hours of music listening. Dual battery gauges show remaining battery life in the extended battery wallet and the internal battery. The phone also comes packaged with a 64MB MicroSD memory card, USB cable, 3.5mm adapter with microphone for standard music headphones and accessories, the Sprint Music Manager application on CD-ROM and a Quick Tips guide.

UpStage by Samsung measures 4.07” x 1.73” x 0.37” and weighs just 2.57 ounces. UpStage by Samsung is currently priced at $99 with a two-year service agreement and $50 service credit. The red color option joins black in Sprint retail stores, www.sprint.com and 1-800-SPRINT1 on June 18.

via engadgetmobile