As England's success on the cricket field continues, team sponsor Vodafone is ensuring that the England Team is one of the most technologically advanced sports teams around by providing all the players with the latest Vodafone live! mobile phones.


Andrew Flintoff at the Vodafone Experience Store in Manchester

The Sharp GX30, the official Team England mobile, is set to be one of the most sought after phones on the High Street due to the range of fully-integrated features including Europe's first mega-pixel camera. This new camera facility allows the user to capture digital-quality images which can be sent to another picture messaging phone or e-mailed directly to a computer.

The handset also boasts Bluetooth wireless communication, eight-megabyte memory card and MP3 music player.  The GX30 is Vodafone live! enabled allowing the players to download over 2,500 ring tones, games and screensavers as well as locate everything from restaurants to florists in any UK city. 

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff was at the Vodafone Experience Store in Manchester to launch the new Team England phone and commented: "As cricketers we are away from home for long periods so keeping in contact with all parts of my life is hugely important. Lots of the players send picture messages to friends and family and the picture quality on the new handset is amazing.  I can also listen to music through the MP3 player and keep up to date with news and information through Vodafone live!  It's a great toy!"

Maria Bellanca, Head of Group Sports Sponsorship PR, says: "As sponsors of Team England we are committed to providing the players with the latest telecommunications equipment ensuring all aspects of their business and personal lives are catered for. They are more than just professional cricketers and require a range of products and services to help them operate wherever they are playing.  The Sharp GX30 has a great variety of state-of-the art features so the players will never get bored whilst on the road this summer."

For more information please contact:

Maria Bellanca, Head of Group Sports Sponsorship PR, Vodafone Group Plc
Tel: 07919  228228
Email: maria.bellanca@vodafone.com

Helen Brawn, Group Sports Sponsorship PR Officer, Vodafone Group Plc
Tel: 07881 916330
Email: helen.brawn@vodafone.com

Richard Nowell, The GEM Group
Tel:  07884 438740
Email: rnowell@gemgroup.com

Specifications: Sharp GX30

Quad band (GSM 850(North America)/900/1800/1900)
Built-in digital camera CCD 1 Mega-pixel
Digital zoom up to 7x
Picture size: up to 858 x 1144 pixels
Bluetooth (voice only)
MP3 Player
Video record and playback function (10-20 seconds)
Main screen QVGA - 240 x 320 pixels, 260K colour system CGS LCD
External display: 64 x 96 pixels, 65K colour
Built-in torch for taking pictures in poor light
Built-in IrDA-port
Supports JAVATM technology
16-voice polyphonic ring tones
Memory card 8 Mb
Talk time: up to 210 minutes
Standby: up to 230 hours - 10 hours more than the Sharp GX20
 
About Vodafone live!
Vodafone live! has over 5 million customers in Europe.  It is the premier place for access to a world of mobile games, polyphonic ring tones, sports, news, information and a host of other services. With well in excess of 200 partners, Vodafone live! has something to offer everyone. Key services are provided by the likes of ITN News, Sky Sports, lastminute.com, Eidos and EA Sports.  Today there are well in excess of 200 games and 10,000 polyphonic ring tones available on Vodafone live!.