debuts a faster video-streaming cell phone from Samsung.
With picture quality of 15 frames per second, the phone brings Sprint's MobiTV services, introduced last November, closer to traditional TV quality of 30 frames per second. The phone will retail for $ after a rebate.
TV service, unique to Sprint in the United States, costs $ per month for a "basic cable" option that includes content from NBC News, Fox Sports, The Weather Channel, an Olympics news site and a comedy network.
Additional "premium" channels, sell for $ to $ per month. Sprint also charges a $15 monthly fee Sprint for wireless Internet access.
Once users pick a channel, they can select from a list of clips ranging from Chicago's weather to Red Sox scores. Many channels are produced exclusively for mobile phones, including larger type for the small screens.
The market for video products on wireless phones is new and it's difficult to tell how much users will be willing to pay for such services, said Linda Barrabee, a telecommunications analyst for The Yankee Group. The high frame speeds and cable-television sales model should help Sprint attract customers, she said.
