Existing and potential Sprint (NYSE: S) customers, this one’s for you. The CDMA/WiMAX carrier has started selling two new devices – Samsung Moment and Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) SCP-3810.

The first of the two we’ve already covered before – it’s an Android-powered, full QWERTY keyboard-equipped smartphone that prides itself with a 3.2-inch HVGA AMOLED touchscreen, GPS, 3.5mm headset jack, 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera with flash, and 800MHz CPU. Sprint is asking $179.99 for the Moment, with a contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

As for the other device, Sanyo SCP-3810, it’s a low-end clamshell with specs that include 2.4-inch QVGA screen, 1.3-megapixel camera, GPS, Bluetooth, web browser. The price is $0, with a contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. The phone is available in two colors – Regal Red and Black Onyx.

[Via: Unwired View]

Sanyo’s cheap texter spotted twice before is now ready for primetime. While Sprint (NYSE: S) doesn’t necessarily have a looker on their hands, they do have something cheap for people who’s primary need is a full QWERTY keypad. Here are the main specs:

• Two color options: Deep Blue and Impulsive Pink
• Dimensions: 4.3″ x 2.4″ x 0.6″; Weight: 3.4 oz.
• Internal display: 2.2” 65K color TFT LCD (320×240)
• Standard battery: Rechargeable lithium ion (Li-ion) battery provides up to 4.8 hours continuous talk time
• 1.3 megapixel camera
• GPS, and support for Sprint Family Locator (track your kid for $2.99/month)
  

Grab your teenager one now for $29.99 on a two-year contract after rebates.

[via Sprint]

Wow, as if this thing needed to be an even bigger uggo. Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY)’s SCP-2700 has made another appearance, bearing Sprint (NYSE: S) branding and hideous lovely pink floral design, alongside the quilted blue we spotted earlier. The only thing we really know spec-wise is a 1.3 megapixel camera, but don’t expect this one to be on the high end. On the plus side, the SCP-2700 will only be costing $39.99 on contract, so it’s got that much going for it. Like any sketchy bar pick-up, I doubt this one will get any prettier once it’s in focus, but hey, you never know. Let’s open up nominations for its commercial name… Maybe a monicker in honour of the bereaved self-immolating bargain texter: “QuickTrash”.

[via Engadget Mobile]

An awfully generic looking QWERTY keyboard-packing Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) handset is on the way to Sprint (NYSE: S), bearing model number SCP-2700. A 1.3 megapixel camera and quaint quilted pattern grace the backside, but few details otherwise. A couple of other Sanyo SKUs have bubbled up, including a new Pro 900 to follow up on its ruggedized brothers. The SCP-2700 isn’t especially impressive-looking, but yet, at least it’ll probably be cheap.

[via SprintUsers]

Talks between Panasonic (NYSE: PC) and Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) initiated last month regarding an acquisition have come to a boil and a price of $9 billion ($1.47 per share) has been set. We might not see many Panasonic handsets this side of the pond, they’re big in Japan, having hit the 100 million sales mark earlier this year. Sanyo’s are a little more popular here, with a few rugged flips popping up recently, but still far from a big name in mobile. Rough economic waters are making acquisitions viable and necessary courses for many companies, including two recently gobbled up by RIM, for example. As much as Panasonic has to gain from Sanyo’s foothold in the North American mobile market, the biggest gains will be in renewable energy.

“The synergies are there in the long run,” [Kazumasa Kubota, analyst with Okasan Securities Co.] said. “The solar business is a definite positive for Panasonic, and it can also hope to gain all the patents Sanyo has in rechargeable batteries.” … “Given the rapidly changing environment, we came to the conclusion to sell our stake for the benefit of all Sanyo stake holders,” Goldman Sachs spokeswoman Hiroko Matsumoto said.

[via AP]

A few more entry level phones have been announced for the post-holiday season. This time around it’s for the Canucks in the crowd, and they’re coming from Bell.

The Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) PRO 200 and 700 are due to hit Bell on January 12th next year. Both devices feature bluetooth, speakerphone, 3G and 10- capability. If you’re looking for a basic phone that can take a bit of a beating, the Sanyo PRO 700 meets military grade specs (810F). Drop it, kick it, try and freeze it… and the device should be A-OK.

The Sanyo PRO 200 will be availble for $149.95 on a 3-year term. $199.95 for the 2-year and $349.95 to own it contract-free.

The Sanyo PRO 700 will be available for $199.95 on a 3-year term, $249.95 for the 2-year and $399.95 for the contract-free dealy-o.

[Via: MobileSyrup]

Panasonic (NYSE: PC) has apparently reached to a preliminary agreement to buy Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) Electric Co. and presidents of the two companies will hold a press conference on November 7th to announce details of the acquisition.

The world’s largest maker of consumer electronics plans to keep the Sanyo brand, most of its employees, and make the company a subsidiary by around April next year. To accomplish this task, they will buy Sanyo’s preferred shares from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., Daiwa Securities SMBC Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The deal would create a mega-corporation with revenues over ¥11.2 trillion, which is around $110 billion.

The world is in the economic crisis and smart companies with tons of cash are in the buying spree. I would expect to see more similar deals taking place in the near future. Stay tuned…

[Via: Gizmodo, Bloomberg]

Lots of new devices coming Bell’s way in time for the holiday season, most notably the BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Storm landing on November 21st. We’ve already heard about the Cleo, complete with crystal-clad Bluetooth headset, but the HTC Diamond and Touch Pro will also be coming in early November and December respectively. The LG Voyager will be shipping mid-November, with a 350-song library preloaded on the 2 GB memory card. Pretty juicy, and talk about a Motorola (NYSE: MOT)-made Android phone is equally appetizing. Guess us Canadians are just going to skip over the G1, eh?

[via BGR]

Hit the jump for the full Bell and Solo Mobile lineup…

Read the full article »

So, where will the Sanyo Katana Eclipse first launch? Nope, it’s not Sprint. Turns out, the newest clamshell from Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) will be offered first in Canada through Bell Mobility. The Sanyo Katana Eclipse has been getting some disproportionate press recently, considering its mid-range feature-set, but there’s no doubt that the affordable flip-phone will find plenty of welcoming arms as the handset makes its way around North America.

Bell is offering the Sanyo Katana Eclipse for $49.95 as long as you’re willing to sign a 3-year contract. Canadians looks for a shorter-term 2-year contract will be paying $99.95 for the clamshell, while those looking for a 1-year commitment (it’s okay, we’re afraid of the “C” word too) can expect a $224.95 price-point. Can’t bear to sign your name on the dotted line? The Sanyo Katana Eclipse will cost you $274.95 free and clear of any contract obligations.

In return for your hard-earned Loonies, Bell will trade you a Sanyo Katana Eclipse packed with a 1.3 megapixel camera, 10MB of internal storage, MP3 player, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a 2-inch internal display with a 1-inch external display. The Sanyo Katana Eclipse is definitely a middle-of-the-road handset, but this stylish flip is all about the price-tag.

Bell Sanyo Katana Eclipse

Regardless of the touchscreen revolution that’s sweeping across the globe, there is most definitely a healthy bunch of wireless users that aren’t looking for too much more than basic cellphone calling features in their stylish clamshell of candybar handset. To that end, Sprint (NYSE: S) is gearing up to offer their users the entry- to mid-range Sanyo Katana Eclipse successor to the successful Sanyo Katana lineup of flip-phones.

Last we saw, the Sanyo (OTCPK: SANYY) Katana Eclipse had passed the FCC hurdle with flying colors, and now the un-ugly handset is getting all glammed up to attract a worthy suitor – namely, Sprint. What you see here is the Sanyo Katana Eclipse looking as good as it’ll ever get (the morning after should be a doozy).

Engadget Mobile managed to get their hands on the first press-shots of this sleek clamshell for Sprint, but details on the feature set are otherwise lacking. What we do know, however, is that the Sprint Sanyo Katana Eclipse will come packing a modest spec-sheet listing a 2 megapixel camera, EVDO, GPS with Sprint Navigation, Bluetooth, microSD card slot, Sprint TV, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

[Via: EngadgetMobile]