Posts Tagged ‘Epic 4G’
Sprint brings New York’s first 4G network to life
Holding true to , Sprint lit up New York’s first 4G cellular network today, in addition to other cities like Hartford, New Haven, and Trenton.
The news brings the total number of cities with Sprint’s 4G network, which uses WiMax technology, to 61. The company also lit up 4G in New Brunswick and Tampa today. Sprint says it’s still on track to bring 4G to other major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Miami, Denver and Washington DC by the end of the year.
Sprint’s 4G operation merged with the wireless ISP Clearwire’s in 2008, which means that both companies lay claim to the 4G network currently being rolled out. Time Warner, one of Clearwire’s investors, is also offering 4G internet services using the network.
Now New York-based users of Sprint’s Evo 4G and Epic 4G Android smartphones will finally be able to take advantage of their device’s next-generation wireless speeds. One recommendation to Sprint users: Keep 4G off until you actually need the extra speed, since the technology is a severe drain on battery life.
Sprint has had a major head start on deploying its 4G network, but its competitors aren’t just sitting on their hands. Verizon plans to have its LTE-based 4G service live in 2011 — whereas AT&T is taking a longer approach by pushing its 3.5G HSPA+ service (which is faster than 3G, but slower than 4G) in 2011 and deploying 4G in 2012. T-Mobile has been rolling out its HSPA+ service throughout the year, and is currently billing it as 4G.
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Verizon’s Galaxy S Android phone, the Samsung Fascinate, lands September 8
Verizon customers eagerly awaiting the carrier’s Galaxy S entry, the Samsung Fascinate, can finally start ordering the Android device online starting tomorrow for $199 with a two-year contract (after a $100 rebate). It will hit retail stores starting September 9.
With the Fascinate’s release, is finally available across all major U.S. carriers. AT&T has the Samsung Captivate, and T-Mobile has the Vibrant. On August 31,(the only 4G-equipped Galaxy S device) landed on Sprint.
All of the phones share the same basic specifications — including a 1 gigahertz Hummingbird Samsung processor, 4″ Super AMOLED screen, 5 megapixel camera, and Android 2.1 with Samsung’s TouchWiz skin — but each has its own hardware and software customizations for its specific carrier. Sprint’s Epic 4G, for example, features a slide-out physical keyboard and a front-facing camera for video conferencing.
At a few months ago, I spent some time testing out the Fascinate. Upon picking up the phone I quickly realized that Samsung wasn’t kidding about the quality of its Super AMOLED screen. It’s brighter and sharper than traditional OLED displays, like those on the Nexus One and Evo 4G, and it’s also built to perform better in sunlight. The 4-inch display noticeably dwarfed my iPhone 4. Performance-wise, the Fascinate was the most responsive Android phone I’ve used so far. Touchscreen interaction like swiping and pinching was fast and smooth, applications loaded quickly, and there was none of the sluggishness I’ve seen when testing the Evo 4G.
Samsung recently announced that it has over 45 days. It’s uncertain how well the Fascinate will sell on Verizon, since it’s already well-stocked with powerful Android devices like the Droid X, Droid 2, and Droid Incredible. But while it may be a tough sell for Samsung, the release of the Fascinate is good news for Google since it means there’s yet another high-end Android device on the market.
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Sprint loses exec who oversaw Evo 4G, Epic 4G Android phones
The man who spearheaded Sprint’s Android phones with the popular HTC Evo 4G, and , is leaving the company. Senior VP Kevin Packingham is moving on to run another company near Sprint’s Kansas City headquarters, a spokesperson .
The rep wouldn’t reveal where Packingham is headed. Sprint network operations president Steve Elfman and product development vice president Fared Adib will take over the reins in his absence.
Packingham’s departure could pose a problem for Sprint, because it desperately needs someone with similar vision to keep pushing its Android presence forward. When Sprint — with its enormous 4.3-inch screen, 1-gigahertz processor, and forward-facing video conferencing camera — it managed to build up a healthy amount of excitement among techies and general consumers alike. Sprint believed , and despite , it’s that the carrier has had trouble keeping it in stock.
With the Epic 4G, he managed to differentiate the device from Samsung’s other Galaxy S Android phones on competing carriers by including a slide-out keyboard, and support for Sprint’s 4G network.
Last month, Sprint’s head of prepaid business, Dan Schulman, also announced that . Sprint says the exits aren’t an issue — but in Packingham’s case, it needs to find someone who can help drive its Android strategy as well as he did.
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Samsung’s Galaxy S Android phone for Sprint, the Epic 4G, lands August 31 for $250
Samsung’s plan to invade U.S. cellphone carriers with its continues with the release of the Epic 4G on Sprint. The carrier announced today that the phone will launch on Aug. 31 for $249.99 (after $150 instant and $100 mail-in rebates). It will begin taking reservations this Friday.
All of the Galaxy S phones share the same basic specifications — including a 1 gigahertz Hummingbird Samsung processor, a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen, 5 megapixel camera, and Android 2.1 with Samsung’s TouchWiz skin — but each have their own hardware and software customizations for their specific carrier. In the Epic 4G’s case, it’s the only one with a slide-out physical keyboard, as well as a front-facing camera for video conferencing.
Befitting its name, it’s also the only Galaxy S device with support for 4G. Now Sprint users will have another Android phone to consider, in addition to the HTC Evo 4G, if they want a 4G device. To help avoid confusion, Sprint has put together a video comparing the two phones (see below).
In my testing of the “Fascinate” Galaxy S device, the Super AMOLED screen certainly lives up to Samsung’s hype. It was incredibly bright, and the company says it will perform better in sunlight than other OLED displays. It was also one of the fastest Android phones I’ve used — touchscreen interaction like swiping and pinching was fast and smooth, applications loaded quickly, and there was none of the sluggishness I’ve seen when testing the Evo 4G.
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