“We have sold millions of the fashionable Katana handset since its debut last summer,” said Danny Bowman, vice president of Customer Equipment at Sprint. “Sprint is focused on listening to the needs of our customers so we updated the original model with more memory and improved features while also adding a step-up version that offers industry-leading music and video capabilities on our high speed network. We are confident that customers will appreciate the enhancements evident on both Katana II and Katana DLX.”

“SANYO’s legendary Katana phone set the standard for style, function and features,” said Atsushi (Andy) Kodera, senior vice president and general manager of SANYO Fisher Company’s Wireless Communications Division. “The large, bright screens of these new Katanas are ideal for easy viewing while texting, gaming or using productivity applications such as Sprint Navigation. The thin profile allows the user to easily slip the phone in a pocket or purse while the new finish and exciting new colors make a fashion statement.”

SANYO was recently ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Wireless Mobile Phones in a Tie” in the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 U.S. Wireless Mobile Phone Evaluation Study(SM) – Volume 1*. SANYO was evaluated on five key factors of customer satisfaction — physical design, operation, features, handset durability, and battery function. Sprint is SANYO’s exclusive U.S. wireless carrier partner.

Both Katana DLX by SANYO and Katana II by SANYO are available in all Sprint retail channels including www.Sprint.com and 1-800-SPRINT1. Katana II by SANYO is priced at just $49.99 with a two-year subscriber agreement and $50 mail-in rebate. Katana DLX by SANYO is priced at $129.99 with a two-year subscriber agreement and a $50 mail-in rebate. Standard Vision rates apply for music and other content downloads.