ESPN and SANYO have announced plans for SANYO to produce the first wireless handset in the Mobile ESPN portfolio and today unveiled the much-anticipated SANYO MVP, a multimedia phone with unparalleled styling and functionality built exclusively for ESPN. Targeted to avid sports fans, the SANYO MVP is designed to work on a high-speed “EVDO” (Evolution Data Optimized) wireless network, enabling it to deliver the world of ESPN at ultra-fast speeds. It features a unique industrial design, with a jet-black housing and bold accent elements in ESPN’s signature red. Initial limited online availability of Mobile ESPN and the SANYO MVP is scheduled in time for the holidays with a nationwide retail launch in February 2006.
The SANYO MVP will give Mobile ESPN users one-touch, real-time access to personalized sports content, including the ESPN BottomLine scores and headlines service; Gamecast – a live, graphical representation of games; player and team statistics; ESPN video clips and game highlights; ESPN commentary and analysis; sports alerts and fantasy updates. Among its myriad features, the multimedia SANYO MVP will also offer a high-resolution color display; external color picture caller ID; built-in 1.3 megapixel digital camera with flash; video recording capabilities; MP3 music player; 16MB miniSD memory card and voice recorder.
“Mobile ESPN has been built to deliver the best wireless sports content to our fans, and we are extremely proud to go to market with the SANYO MVP as our launch phone,” said Manish Jha, senior vice president and general manager of Mobile ESPN. “The content, the performance and the aesthetic of the SANYO MVP represent the best in wireless technology and will help effectively translate ESPN’s leadership in sports to the wireless medium.”
The SANYO MVP is designed to operate on a new CDMA wireless network technology referred to as “EVDO”, which provides Broadband-like download speeds. This enables extremely fast access to ESPN’s sports content, as well as fast Internet browsing, email access and downloads.
Utilizing a 2.1-inch, 260K-color QVGA LCD, the main display of SANYO MVP is larger, has a richer color palette and delivers three times as much resolution as a conventional cell phone display — making it ideal for viewing detailed box scores, stats, images and video. It also has a 1.1-inch, 260K-color external LCD for quickly referencing key information and for Picture Caller ID.
“The rich feature set of the SANYO MVP is especially well-suited for delivering the Mobile ESPN experience,” said Andy Kodera, senior vice president and general manager of SANYO Fisher Company’s Wireless Communications Division. “Its EVDO capability, high-quality LCD displays and stereo headset make it perfect for watching sports content, while its advanced digital imaging and memory card features make it perfect for capturing the many wonderful moments that surround any live sporting event. We are very happy that ESPN selected SANYO to team on developing this inaugural device.”
The imaging and audio-capture capabilities of the SANYO MVP include a built-in 1.3 Megapixel camera with a flash, digital zoom and macro switch for up-close pictures. It is PictBridge-enabled, allowing a user to connect directly to a PictBridge-compatible photo printer and make 4″ x 6″ prints without ever using a PC. The MVP can also shoot QCIF-resolution digital video, supporting clips up to 30-seconds long for wireless sharing or clips up to two hours long for storing on the miniSD memory card, depending on the card size used.
The SANYO MVP also has a built-in MP3/AAC/AAC+ music player and a digital voice recorder with hours of playback and record time available (depending on the memory card size used).
The SANYO MVP comes with a 16MB miniSD memory card and a miniSD-to-SD adapter included. MiniSD cards up to 1GB are available optionally. The miniSD card not only provides an extremely convenient way to save and transfer pictures, videos, music and voice recordings, it also enables the phone to be used as a mass storage device, much like a “pen drive”, when used together with the included USB cable.
Other key features of the SANYO MVP include a high-quality speakerphone, voice-activated dialing, a WAP 2.0 Web browser, Java (J2ME) functionality, a personal information manager, and a host of additional tools and available downloads.
About ESPN Mobile
ESPN Mobile is the division of ESPN Inc. devoted to extending the ESPN brand and content over the wireless medium. It includes two distinct business units:
Mobile ESPN – The first national wireless phone service provider targeted to sports fans, Mobile ESPN will offer unparalleled sports programming and entertainment from ESPN on unique ESPN-branded mobile handsets.
ESPN Mobile Publishing – Access to ESPN content from ESPN Mobile Publishing is available through licensing agreements with every major domestic wireless carrier, as well as internationally in Japan and Mexico. ESPNsoccernet.com and ESPN Deportes also provide licensed content, including ESPN Soccer GameCast and an ESPN Deportes photo gallery.
About SANYO
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: SANYY) is a $24 billion manufacturer and distributor of consumer and commercial electronics, including multimedia and telecommunication products. Based in Chatsworth, California, SANYO Fisher Company (a division of SANYO North America Corporation, a subsidiary of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.) markets PCS phones, audio systems, portable and mobile electronics, televisions, DVD players/recorders, dictation devices, digital cameras, digital media cameras, home appliances, LCD projectors, security video equipment and air conditioning systems.