Three weeks after launching the first 4G smartphone, the fast-selling HTC EVO, Sprint Nextel has announced a follow-up, this one made by Samsung. The Epic 4G will be Samsung Mobile’s first Android offering, with a four-inch screen, slightly smaller than EVO’s 4.3 inches; a one-gigahertz Hummingbird processor; a slide-out QWERTY keyboard; front and back cameras (like the iPhone); and other features like Swype, a system that allows texting by dragging a finger across the touchscreen.
The price and availability of the Epic, a variation of Samsung’s Galaxy S, will be announced in the coming months, Sprint said Monday. The new addition will help Sprint use its WiMAX 4G network — said to be 10 times faster than 3G — to stay ahead of top carrier Verizon Wireless, which is currently testing its LTE 4G network.
But it also allows South Korea-based Samsung to boast of now offering the Android-based Galaxy on four top carriers. In addition to the Epic, Samsung will sell the Fascinate via Verizon, the Captivate via AT&T, and the Vibrant via T-Mobile.
Sprint’s Steve Elfman, president of network operations and wholesale, said the Epic “joins a portfolio of powerful devices offering an unprecedented simplicity and value to our customers as the only national carrier with a 4G network and devices and applications that can leverage the increased data speeds to provide a high-def entertainment and business experience in the palm of your hand.”
The company said the Epic will be the first and only 4G handset with access to the Samsung Media Hub, which offers movies and TV shows for purchase or rental. “With 4G from Sprint, users will be able to get turbocharged downloads of a full library of video and literary content powered by some of the biggest names in entertainment,” Sprint promised.
Another Samsung service available for…