Sprint Nextel’s Upstage goes down to $100

Sprint Nextel Corp. is upstaging with the Upstage.
Perhaps taking advantage of a lull in pricing changes by its larger rivals, Sprint Nextel this week slashed its price on the latest and greatest from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.; the Upstage music phone, a Sprint Nextel bar-style, music phone exclusive, dropped to $100 from $150 on the carrier’s Web site.
The carrier released the phone just a few weeks ago during the CTIA Wireless 2007 trade show in Orlando, Fla.
Coupled with Sprint Nextel’s decision to lower the price for downloadable music tracks from $2.50 to 99 cents, the carrier likely is looking for attention from consumers to gain traction against its rivals’ momentum.
Sprint Nextel also dropped the Samsung M610 to $130 from $150, if only to keep the Upstage from upstaging its own brethren. The carrier dropped the price on the Research In Motion Ltd. BlackBerry 8703e to $150 from $200.
Cingular and Verizon Wireless both took the week off from handset pricing changes.