Sprint quietly launched the LG Marquee on Wednesday, a new Android smartphone that will be available in stores on October 2nd for $99.99 with a new two-year Sprint contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. The Marquee is equipped with a 1GHz processor, a 5-megapixel camera, a 2-megapixel camera for video chat and support for sharing its 3G connection with up to five other Wi-Fi enabled devices. This Sprint-branded Optimus Black is powered by Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and is the first phone to launch in the United States with LG’s 4-inch super-bright NOVA display. Sprint will sell the phone online first and pre-orders placed by Tuesday, September 20th will be in customers’ hands by September 29th — before the phone lands in retail stores. Read on for the full press release from Sprint.
LG Marquee from Sprint Celebrates the Perfect Combination of Signature Style and Cutting-Edge Technology During New York Fashion Week
As Sprint’s first device available for advance pre-sale, customers can buy LG Marquee beginning on Sept. 20 at http://www.sprint.com/marquee for $99.99
TLC’s Stacy London and up-and-coming designers team up to invite consumers to make “The Bright Choice” with a MADE Fashion Week Campaign promoting the thin, light and bright LG Marquee
NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Sprint (NYSE: S) and LG Mobile today announced the upcoming arrival of an Android device that perfectly pairs fashion with technology – LG Marquee Android™, exclusively from Sprint. The device will be launched in partnership with non-profit design collective MADE, formally known as M.A.C. & Milk, at this year’s MADE FASHION WEEK in New York City. Keeping with the smartphone’s innovative convergence of technology and fashion, LG enlisted Stacy London of TLC’s “What Not To Wear” to act as resident style mentor to five up-and-coming MADE designers as they craft chic carrying cases for LG Marquee.
LG Marquee arrives on the Sprint Network on Sunday, Oct. 2 for just $99.99 (excludes taxes) with eligible upgrade or new two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate via reward card(1) (pricing excludes taxes). It will be the first Sprint device to be sold in advance online. Pre-sale orders begin on Tuesday, Sept. 20, and end on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at http://www.sprint.com/marquee. Customers who pre-order LG Marquee will begin receiving their devices on Thursday, Sept. 29 – three days before the device goes on sale.
“These days, a wireless phone is much more than just a communication device – it also echoes one’s personal style and taste,” said David Owens, vice president – Product Development, Sprint. “Design has become a key factor in the purchase decision and the LG Marquee is sure to turn heads.”
“LG believes fashion and technology go hand-in-hand among today’s growing contingent of style-conscious and tech-savvy consumers,” said Tim O’Brien, vice president of marketing for LG Mobile. “By partnering with Sprint, MADE and Stacy London, LG effectively showcases three prominent phone features important to consumers: a sleek, thin profile, ultra light weight design and bright display.”
LG Marquee is an ideal mobile device for anyone who wants superior performance without sacrificing personal style. The sleek, ultra-thin smartphone features a 4-inch NOVA display and a virtual QWERTY keyboard. Encouraging consumers to make “the bright choice,” LG Marquee boasts a remarkably vivid and visible screen, even in direct sunlight.
LG Marquee ships with Android 2.3 and Mobile Hotspot capability supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously. It also offers a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera for maximum versatility in creating and sharing media and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera making your face-to-face video chatting experience even more memorable. Equipped with a 1GHz processor and Adobe Flash technology, LG Marquee makes downloading, posting, commenting, watching and playing faster and easier than ever.
The device features Sprint ID, allowing users to customize up to five screens on the device with a couple simple clicks. Sprint ID allows users to cut through the clutter of Android Market’s more than 250,000 apps by simply selecting from a variety of mobile ID packs featuring apps, ringers, wallpapers, widgets and more. Available Sprint ID packs include: Fashion and Beauty, E!, MTV Music, Green, and NASCAR Sprint Cup.
LG Marquee requires activation on a Sprint Everything Data plan for smartphones(2). 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 $69.99 per month plus required $10 Premium Data add-on charge. The Mobile Hotspot option is available for an additional $29.99 per month supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously(3) (pricing excludes taxes and surcharges).
Celebrating Technology and Fashion
The LG Fashion Week campaign pairs Stacy London’s impeccable style with the innovative, futuristic eye of MADE. London brings years of fashion-industry experience to her LG style mentor role and will provide each of the MADE designers with creative consulting sessions as they design fashion-forward carrying cases to showcase the clean, modern, minimalist styling of LG Marquee. Participating MADE designers include Kevork Kiledjian, Katie Gallagher, The Lake and Stars, Erickson Beamon and Christian Cota.
“Being able to give our designers yet another platform for growth and exposure is part of the DNA of MADE; and allowing our designers to interact with major brands like LG is a great learning tool for future partnerships,” said Jenne Lombardo, Co-Director of MADE.
Celebrating a partnership of Sprint and LG’s rich style heritage, the campaign highlights the increasing influence of technology on today’s design community and includes a Fashion Week panel discussion and product launch reception hosted by London at Milk Studios on Thursday, Sept. 15. The MADE panel discussion, entitled “How Fashion Communicates,” will be moderated by Simon Collins, dean of fashion at Parsons The New School for Design, and will take an in-depth look at five key areas where technology has altered fashion design. As part of the esteemed panel, London will provide industry insights to discussion categories including designer communication, the rise of the blogger, public access to real-time happenings, retail and the shift from print to digital media.
The chic and functional LG Marquee carrying cases created by the participating designers will debut on Sept. 15 during LG’s launch event at MADE FASHION WEEK. The event will feature individual designer stations that will display the inspiration behind each case. In addition, at the end of the evening, London will announce her top designer pick for the overall campaign.
