Today, Sprint unveiled the Rumor by LG, an affordable music and messaging phone designed for teens. The phone, which comes in two color combinations--black/blue and white/silver--opens laterally to reveal a full QWERTY keypad. Users can access messaging programs by pressing a soft key, and the phone automatically populates the messaging menu when you open the slider. Teens will also have easy access to Facebook and other social networking sites through Sprint's Social Zone service.

 

Rumor has a built-in music player, and comes with a 4GB microSD Card. As a Sprint PCS Vision phone, it also includes Web browsing and e-mail. Other features include Bluetooth, Sprint Navigation, Picture Mail, and a 1.3-megapixel camera/camcorder.

 

The phone will be available for $79 with a two-year contract and $50 rebate. At launch, customers will be able to pre-register for the phone at www.sprint.com/rumor.