Sprint announces Muziq from LG

Shoring up its music-friendly line alongside the UpStage from Samsung, Sprint has announced its "Muziq," the Fusic's spiritual successor from LG. While it'll face some serious musicphone competition from across the CDMA / GSM divide later this week, the Muziq holds its own with some interesting features including an integrated FM transmitter that can send tuneage to any FM radio within ten feet. It also offers up stereo Bluetooth, a microSD slot supporting up to 4GB of expansion (a 64MB card is included in box), 1.3 megapixel camera, and sideloading of DRM-free music via USB. Look for it to hit on July 15 for $99 on contract.

[fred @ Jun 26th 2007 11:27AM]

I'm sorry. This is not iPhone. How can be news if it is not iPhone? Where is iPhone? Me like iPhone. iPhone? Hello?

[Constable Odo @ Jun 26th 2007 1:35PM]

Homer Simpson says, "Me must have iPhone, iPhone, yum, slurp, drool." and dreams of iPhone covered in ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate bits. He pictures the ultimate ice cream sandwich.

[tim @ Jun 26th 2007 11:32AM]

Black! The white Fusic is neat, but Sprint = black in my world. Big mistake on the announcement timing, duh (see above comment)

[Preston @ Jun 26th 2007 11:40AM]

iPhone killer, lol!!! =)

[Mrmean @ Jun 26th 2007 11:44AM]

LOL @ this heap! nice screen!

[hartmania @ Jun 26th 2007 11:52AM]

God forbid a cellphone article without at least one mention of the iPhone, no matter how absurd.

[Mile @ Jun 26th 2007 12:23PM]

WHAT TIME ON JULY 15TH???

[Dave95 @ Jun 26th 2007 11:54PM]

5:00 PM

[anonymous @ Jun 26th 2007 12:40PM]

$99 and no contract and I'd be on-board....

[Jamar @ Jun 26th 2007 1:06PM]

This "korean desperate junk" is... oh hell, you're right, in a way. They offload their "desperate junk" on the US and keep the good stuff for themselves (5MP cameraphone, anyone? LG's got one selling for like $400 where I live now, and I'm quite ready to toss my Toshiba 904T for it).

Same with Sony Ericsson, really- they keep the good stuff for themselves and bastardize them for the States (to prove my point- look at the SO505iS that Japan got compared to the S700i that the States got).

[JunkNugget @ Jun 26th 2007 1:36PM]

wow, iPhone this and iPhone that . . . So does that mean any phone coming out now is junk because it is not a $600 not so 3G waste of money handset? This phone is for people who would rather have a 3G handset with an FM Transmitter, which is a lot smaller and about 1/6th the price.

I just laugh, people who are "iPhone this and iPhone that" are just sheeple who have to follow the hype! I'm going to laugh when the iPhone launches with poor reception, bad internal batteries, terrible touch screen and loads of other problems from other handsets made by new handset manufacturers.

So drop your $600 for a none-3G handset and then cry when a new P.O.S. iPhone launches 3 months later.

Fall for the hype, it's pathetic really. But that's just my opinion really.

[cisco Kid @ Jun 27th 2007 10:53AM]

Notice how these are the same people that are totally PO'd that people are being critical of the iPhone, yet they show up here to be critical of this phone?

[peshue @ Jun 26th 2007 1:59PM]

Maybe, just maybe a phone like this is more targeted at people that want to use their phone, as a phone! What a concept.

[2she @ Jun 26th 2007 1:59PM]

The FM transmitter is a nice feature which more manufacturers should include in their handsets. Other than that, nothing special IMO.

[Bill @ Jun 26th 2007 2:08PM]

The killer app for that FM transmitter (and one I hope is possible) would be the ability to pump Sprint's Pandora service to a car radio. IF that's the case - I will be buying this phone in short order...

[Rob @ Jun 26th 2007 2:12PM]

why cant sprint get something cool like the iphone and some more blackberrys

[AKBlade13 @ Jun 26th 2007 2:17PM]

I think someone called this name at Engadget Mobile. Whoever you are, I give you props for calling that.

Anyway, that looks awesome, now all I need is for the Shine to come out on Sprint and I'm a happy man.

Between the UpStage, this and the Shine, it will all come down to price for me in the end.

AKBlade13

[rp @ Jun 26th 2007 5:24PM]

Isn't there some sort of conflict of interest here? There's already an electronic music artist called mu-ziq (with the actual mu symbol that I don't know how to recreate on this wintel). Isn't that some sort of infringement? You couldn't call your phone the P Diddy right?

[Silas Larsen @ Jun 26th 2007 5:47PM]

Just ANOTHER phone. The korean companies have some good engineering talent but they rarely go the extra mile. There is something to be said to commiting to a product and refining it. Apple will with the iPhone, and this is where its success will lie.

There will be iPhone copies, but no competition for a year. Like the iPhone or hate it, it does raise the standard. And how long has it been since US consumers got the initial launch of a state of the art device.

[swede @ Jun 26th 2007 10:13PM]

I'm sorry, but that phone is not much of a beauty, is it?

I like the specs and the price. And I guess all phones can't be designed by Jony Ive. But still, that round menu button thing is so unappelingly designed and also positioned way too close to the screen (the one with the ugly interface).

[mark.l.hollen @ Jun 28th 2007 9:53AM]

I'm sorry at $600 dollars what do you get with the iphone that you don't get with this. Certainly not $500 dollars worth of accessories. And no FM transmitter. I want an iPhone because duh it's called an iPhone (retarded laugh). Some people do not have the ability to think. Follow the hype lemings, go, follow the hype ::shakes head at stupidity::

[MES @ Sep 4th 2007 10:50PM]

I bought this phone today after my Fusic went swimming with me.
The music playing ability is like night and day. While the Muziq is sporting a sleek lightweight design, it completely BLOWS while trying to do the one thing you bought the phone for, PLAYING MUSIC.

1.The file system is a load of crap that deals with ID3 tags and sorts the songs for you (unlike the fusic that lets you manage the artist and album folders), so when you're cycling through your 2GB of songs to look for somehting by Prince you have to scroll! ALL! THE! WAY! THROUGH! ALL! YOUR! SONGS! (unlike the fusic where you can select your "prince" folder)

2.The fusic had a nifty app called Media Player, along side the Music(sprint music store) app. Media Player includes access to the FM transmitter, and equalizer, and swift changing and browsing through your library.
The Muziq on the other hand does not have the Media Player, and you are left to launch the Music app. this means that you launch the slow Java based program, a couple screens pop up, and 10 seconds later your finally looking at an ugly interface that shows your songs. On the Fusic- your songs come up INSTANTLY with the push of no more that 3 buttons.

3. ONE FINAL PROBLEM with the MUZIQ. When you browse your songs with a song already playing, the song will stop and pause whenever a new screen or view of your library is pulled up. Very annoying.

I"M KEEPING MY FUSIC, Half broken it still works better.
DO NOT BUY THIS PHONE