UpStage -- Engadget Mobile

UpStage posts

The B'Phone makes us feel glamorous

by Chris Ziegler posted Jan 5th 2008 @ 9:01PM

Okay, we'll admit, if Beyonce absolutely has to endorse a single model, this ain't a bad choice, seeing how the UpStage on which it's based is a music phone of the highest order -- particularly in the B'phone's rather flashy color combo. It's an acquired taste, but it actually looks alright. It's not for us, we're just sayin'.

Gallery: The B'Phone makes us feel glamorous

The B'Phone: Sprint, Samsung make Beyonce-themed UpStage a reality

by Chris Ziegler posted Oct 11th 2007 @ 4:52PM

Apparently not content to merely hire Beyonce to push the plain ol' UpStage, Sprint and Samsung have collaborated with the entertainment mogul to release the B'Phone, a dolled up version of the two-sided handset. Lucky buyers will be the recipients of a burgundy UpStage trimmed with gold accents -- we'll let you be the judge whether that's hotter than the all-black original -- along with exclusive Beyonce-themed content (naturally) and a rather fancy set of packaging materials. Aspiring Beyonces of tomorrow should be able to pick it up November 4 online and in Wal-Marts (yes, Wal-Marts) across the land.

Read - Phone Scoop
Read - Gearlog

Telus intros Samsung SCH-m620

by Sean Cooper posted Jul 18th 2007 @ 2:26PM

Telus has added the SCH-m620 (known as UpStage on Sprint) to its stable, and with the catch phrase "business in the front, party in the back," Telus is likening it to a mullet -- which is kinda right in some sad way. As with the UpStage before it, music will be the focus of Telus' latest, with Telus Mobile Radio -- Powered by XM -- and Telus Mobile Music as the headliners. Telus Mobile Music will let fans download tracks at CAN $1.99 a pop, plus a $0.50 "download fee" -- no wonder this tech isn't taking off -- or for CAN $20 month, the service is unlimited. Telus Mobile Radio lets you get at 22 channels of XM content streamed to you on the glorious EV-DO Rev. A network. Pricing starts at CAN $149 on a three year stint and should be hitting stores later this week.

Sprint rolls out Samsung UpStage in red

by Sean Cooper posted Jun 13th 2007 @ 11:00AM

What's better than a black Samsung UpStage? Why, the very same handset in red, of course. As rumored last week, Sprint has chosen June 18th as launch day for its freshly re-colored UpStage. While nothing new is under the hood, we know some of you out there will appreciate this new -- and perhaps prettier, depending on taste -- iteration of this two-but-really-should-be-one-useful-faced handset. Pricing is set at $99 on a two-year deal and $50 service credit.

Gallery: Sprint rolls out Samsung UpStage in red

Red UpStage on June 18?

by Chris Ziegler posted Jun 3rd 2007 @ 11:43AM

Carriers seem to have discovered that adding colors to a phone's palette is sorta like a free ticket to a few hundred thousand sales. How do you explain the Chocolate's diverse rainbow, after all? Sources report that Sprint is liking June 18 as the date to launch its fascinating UpStage dual-sided music phone from Samsung in red. Whether this'll be branded as a (PRODUCT) RED promotion, we're not sure -- but our guess is that it won't be since Motorola seems to enjoy a tight relationship with the organization. Either way, we've gotta admit that it looks pretty nice.

[Thanks, anonymous tipster]

Engadget Mobile relaunch giveaways - Sprint UpStage by Samsung

by Chris Ziegler posted May 31st 2007 @ 3:10PM

We're giving folks one more opportunity to win Sprint's double-sided wonder, the UpStage from Samsung. Music is the focus here with an entire side dedicated to a rather normal-looking (by DMP standards) music player, while the other gets a decidedly phone-centric focus. Amazingly, it all gets packed into a packaging measuring 9 millimeters thick (and change) and includes stereo Bluetooth and microSD expansion. Last chance at winning this puppy, so bring it on!

A few rules (yeah, there are always rules):

You may only enter this specific contest once. If you enter this contest more than once you'll be automatically disqualified and barred from all future giveaways. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) In other words, be careful when commenting and don't submit more than once, ok?
You may enter our other EngMob relaunch contests, but you can't win more than once; if you happen to win more than once (which is pretty unlikely, but still) we'll ask you to choose just one of your prizes.
The prize is open to US entrants only. Hey, it's a US phone, you couldn't do anything with it anyway.
Contest is open until 11:59pm EDT on Thursday, June 7th.
We'll be shipping all the phones to winners once all the relaunch giveaway contests are over. (Yeah, we know it bites to have to wait, but dems the breaks!)

Thanks and good luck to everyone! Have a look at our other contests, too, before it's too late: T-Mobile Wing, Sprint UpStage by Samsung (the first one), Nokia N75, Motorola T305, Samsung u620, (PRODUCT) RED MOTORAZR V3m for Sprint

Engadget Mobile relaunch giveaways - Sprint UpStage by Samsung

by Chris Ziegler posted May 24th 2007 @ 12:23PM

The Ocean was a great way to kick things off, but we're just getting started. How about a shiny new Sprint UpStage by Samsung? Speaking from personal experience, the UpStage shocks and delights passers-by with its dual personality, flipping effortlessly from voice to tunes and back with the press of a button. Despite the trick flip action, though, it all clocks in at just a hair over 9mm thick and offers stereo Bluetooth plus a 3.5mm headphone jack to get that tuneage from the microSD slot back into your ears. So hey, leave a comment and try your luck, why don't ya?

A few rules (yeah, there are always rules):

You may only enter this specific contest once. If you enter this contest more than once you'll be automatically disqualified and barred from all future giveaways. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.) In other words, be careful when commenting and don't submit more than once, ok?
You may enter our other EngMob relaunch contests, but you can't win more than once; if you happen to win more than once (which is pretty unlikely, but still) we'll ask you to choose just one of your prizes.
The prize is open to US entrants only. Hey, it's a US phone, you couldn't do anything with it anyway.
Contest is open until 11:59pm EDT on Thursday, May 31st.
We'll be shipping all the phones to winners once all the relaunch giveaway contests are over. (Yeah, we know it bites to have to wait, but dems the breaks!)

Thanks and good luck to everyone! Be sure to get in the running for our previous giveaways, too: Helio Ocean, T-Mobile Wing

Sprint's Samsung UpStage hands-on

by Ryan Block posted Mar 26th 2007 @ 5:37PM

We got our grubby mitts on the first of many phones here at CTIA in Orlando, today: the Samsung UpStage on Sprint (which you might otherwise know as being the F300, m620, and so on). There are very few phones on the market for $150 or less that offer EV-DO, music integration, and the style and unique, ultraslim form-factor of the UpStage. But we'll be honest, the whole thing seems like a kinda hacked take on an otherwise worthy premise -- that your phone and your music device should be the same, but separate. The "scroll-wheel" on the music side has no tactile feedback and doesn't rotate in circles, only up/down or left/right, one direction at a time -- totally different from the more natural motion on, say, an iPod, and half-baked feeling. Basically, if they were going to go tactile-free, the music side should have incorporated a larger touchscreen instead of that silly trackpad. The "business" side (the one with all the buttons) could really do with a larger screen, but hey, this thing is only $150, it can't be everything to everyone, right? Check out our many pics in the gallery.

Gallery: Sprint's Samsung UpStage hands-on

Sprint announces Samsung UpStage, 99 cent songs over the air

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 26th 2007 @ 3:02PM

As expected, Sprint has announced the SPH-m620 "UpStage" dual-faced musicphone today, giving Sprint a decided "wow" factor in its lineup -- for the moment, at least. Manufacturers seem to be turning to unusual form factors in an effort to gain some differentiation in a crowded high-end and specialty phone marketplace, and the UpStage fills the bill nicely with a full side devoted to traditional phone activities -- "calls, text messaging, and contact management" to use Sprint's verbage -- while the entirety of the flip side takes the form of a traditional MP3 player; a button press switches between sides. Naturally, the phone offers a microSD slot for up to 2GB of external storage, a 1.3 megapixel camera, and stereo Bluetooth, while an included 3.5mm jack adapter lets folks use more traditional headsets if they so choose; even cooler, incoming calls are announced via text-to-speech while you're jamming out. Also included is a Music Manager app for sideloading tunes to the phone via USB and a unique "battery wallet" boosting the phone's stamina for playing music up to a solid 16 hours or 6.3 hours of talk time (up from 2.5 hours talk time without) -- you sacrifice a bit of girth from the phone's normal, svelte 1.73 x 4.07 x 0.37 inch form, but for music junkies, the tradeoff may be worth it. Simultaneously with the phone's release in early April, Sprint will be offering 99 cent over the air (nice!) music downloads good on its entire Music Store catalog, which we reckon is just perfect for a phone of the UpStage's nature. Look for it to hit shelves for $149 on a two-year agreement with a $50 rebate available.

Gallery: Sprint's Samsung UpStage

Samsung m620 to be christened "UpStage" for Sprint

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 25th 2007 @ 12:50PM

So it won't be called the "Flipper" or the "Ultra Music" -- no, it seems Sprint wanted a name all its own for the very unique m620 musicphone from Samsung. When it launches at CTIA this week, the two-faced handset will get slapped with the name "UpStage," which in our opinion really doesn't convey the craziness of the phone's form factor appropriately -- but does give a nod to its unusually strong audio capabilities. As the Flash presentation points out, the UpStage's key features include touch-sensitive music controls, a 1.3 megapixel cam (which is shared with the phone side's face), stereo Bluetooth, built-in speakers for rockin' out the old-fashioned way, and microSD expansion. We're hoping that everyone is going to be able to waltz into their friendly local Sprint store in the next few days and pick up an UpStage of their own, but either way, expect some serious hands-on action from the floor of CTIA!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]