Sprint Adds Three New Phones to Lineup

Sprint(S) has three new cellular handsets: the HighNote, Lotus and Rant. One is made by LG (the Rant) and the other two are made by Samsung. Three different designs but with one, common thread, they all sport Sprint's brand new "One Click" interface.

Here's what you need to know about each new phone:

The High Note is a slider phone designed for people who use their cell phone as music players and also want to watch the Sprint TV service, too. The screen slides up to reveal a standard cellular keypad. It also slides down to reveal high-powered stereo speakers. Storage is handled by microSD cards (now up to 16GB in size.) The High Note sells for $99.99 with a two-year contract (after a $180 discount and a $50 mail-in rebate).

The Rant is also a slider phone design but in this case the outer screen and keypad slide to the right to reveal a wide QWERTY keyboard underneath. Think of this handset as a texting/e-mailing machine. The Samsung design also comes with a music player, Sprint TV and a microSD storage card slot. It retails for $49.95 with a two-year contract, $200 discount and that $50 mail-in rebate.

LG's Lotus is the most unusual design of the three. It is shaped like a woman's make-up compact -- basically a square, flat clamshell phone. Inside is a small screen and even smaller QWERTY keyboard. There is also a tiny screen on the outside of the case. Lotus comes in black or purple and the Sprint people want you to know that they think the Lotus could be considered a fashion icon. They're even marketing it that way. The striking design sells for $149.99 with a two-year contract and their $150 instant rebate.