Sprint Updates LG Line of Phones

LG and Sprint add touch-screen technology to LG phones. The LG Lotus Elite and the LG Rumor Touch are also updated to offer more feature-rich headsets.

Sprint and LG Mobile Phones announced Jan. 7 a line of LG phones updated to offer users a more advanced handset with the additions of touch-screen technology and other new features. The LG Lotus Elite and the LG Rumor Touch are designed to be "successors to the popular LG Lotus and LG Rumor," Sprint said in a news release.

"LG Lotus Elite features several enhancements, including dual 2.4-inch QVGA screens, expandable MicroSD supporting up to 32GB memory card and dedicated shortcut keys for social networking, e-mail and text," Sprint said. A version in red "will be available Jan. 10 in all Sprint retail channels ... for $99.99 with a new two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate ... LG Lotus Elite will be available in black on Feb. 14."

The Elite also features a full QWERTY key board, a 2-megapixel camera and a camcorder, and features "Sprint One Click menu, a highly customizable user interface that makes texting, Web access, e-mail and other features easier to use," Sprint said.

The LG Rumor Touch has a "3-inch WQVGA touch screen, 2-megapixel camera and camcorder, MicroSD card slot supporting up to 32GB, Google Search, and 3G data capabilities operating on Sprint's EvDO [Evolution Data Optimized] Rev. 0 network ... [It] also offers access to Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, Sprint Music and Sprint Mobile Email with personal and corporate calendar features." Sprint also said, "Pricing and availability will be announced at a later date."

"Our customers want feature-rich handsets that allow them to stay connected and remain productive throughout the day without sacrificing personal style," Ehtisham Rabbani, vice president of marketing and innovation for LG Mobile Phones, said in a statement. "With their new touch-screen technology, the stylish LG Lotus Elite and Rumor Touch deliver the best in functionality and fashion."