Cricket intros the Samsung Vitality, the first Android to offer Muve Music

If executed properly, Muve Music could be a pretty nifty idea. But up until now, the all-you-can download music service from Cricket Wireless has been offered on the Samsung Suede featurephone... and that's it. Fortunately, the Samsung Vitality will come to the rescue as the prepaid carrier's first smartphone to provide the beats. We've seen this device before as the Admire, which runs on Android 2.3, has a 3.5-inch HVGA (480 x 320) display and is powered by an 800MHz CPU. The phone also includes a 3.2 megapixel cam, 1,600mAh battery and a 4GB microSD card. It may not sound all that tempting, but the price could turn a few heads: the Vitality will be available for $200 -- that's sans contract, folks -- and requires a $65 plan which will hook you up with unlimited data, voice and music. Sounds like this Muve Music feature has sprung back to life. Follow the break for the full press release.

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Cricket's Muve Music Service now Available on Android™ Platform

Muve Music, Among the Fastest Growing Music Services in the U.S., adds the Samsung Vitality™

San Diego and Dallas – September 7, 2011 – Cricket Communications, Inc., a leading provider of innovative and value-driven wireless services and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leap Wireless International, Inc. (NASDAQ: LEAP) and Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung Mobile), the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States1 today announced that Cricket's fast-growing new music service, Muve Music, is now available for the first time on an Android device, the Samsung Vitality™. With the launch of the Vitality, Muve Music is now enabled on two Samsung devices, a smartphone and a feature phone. A broader portfolio of Muve Music enabled handsets are due to launch later this year.

"We are excited to bring Muve Music to Android on the Samsung Vitality," said Jeff Toig, general manager of Muve Music for Cricket. "Muve Music is among the fastest growing music services in the U.S. and we believe Muve Music on Android will help further accelerate our growth and help Cricket appeal to music lovers everywhere."

"We are excited to introduce the Samsung Vitality as the first Samsung device on Cricket's network that operates on Android 2.3," said Dale Sohn, President of Samsung Mobile. "The Vitality pairs a brilliant design with a fun and intuitive experience, making it a perfect choice for any smartphone user."

Optimized for a superior music experience, the Samsung Vitality is Cricket's first Muve Music enabled Android smartphone. Operating on the Android 2.3 Gingerbread platform powered by a 800MHz processor, the fast and affordable Samsung Vitality is easy to use and features Muve Music as well as the Android Market, Gmail, Google Maps and Google Talk. The Samsung Vitality comes preloaded with a special Muve Music 4GB SanDisk flash memory card, which holds up to 3,000 songs and has 1GB set aside for other multimedia content such as photos and video. An 8GB Muve Music memory card is available for purchase and holds up to 6,000 songs from the Muve Music service.

Other key features include:

Real web browsing at 3G speeds
3.5" HVGA Touchscreen display
3.2MP camera/camcorder
Stereo Bluetooth wireless technology
Access to more than 250,000 apps through the Android Market™
Social networking capabilities
Email applications for both consumer and business email
Voice search

Customers who choose a Muve Music Android will pay $65 per month for their wireless rate plan. The Unlimited Muve Android rate plan includes: full-song downloads, ringtones, ringback tones, nationwide calling, nationwide text, picture and video messaging, email and data back-up.
The Samsung Vitality has an M.S.R.P of [$219.99], but is available now for [$199.99] with a [$20] instant rebate.

Muve Music is the first unlimited music service to be included as part of a wireless rate plan. In just a few months since launch, the service now has more than 200,000 customers. 50 percent of Muve Music's customers are new to Cricket, which further demonstrates the broad marketplace appeal of the product. By applying its philosophy of unlimited services and value innovation, Cricket and Muve Music have given their customers a new music experience that ranks high in customer satisfaction.

How to Get Muve Music

Muve Music is available at Cricket company-owned stores and at www.mycricket.com , as well as through select partner retail outlets. The Cricket Muve Music wireless unlimited plan is $65 per month on the Samsung Vitality and $55 per month on the Samsung Suede. The Samsung Vitality has an M.S.R.P of [$219.99], but is available now with a [$20] instant rebate. The Samsung Suede has an M.S.R.P. of [$149.00,] but prices may vary by market and by promotional programs. Additional accessories are available for purchase including premium headphones, an audio jack and Bluetooth adapter to connect to home and car stereos, either wired or wirelessly.