Pre-Order Epic 4G Now
The latest of Sprint’s 4G phones – the Samsung Epic 4G – has a confirmed release date of August 31st.
The price for the upcoming QWERTY / WiMAX 4G phone will have a retail price of $249.99 with a Sprint contract, an instant rebate of $150 and a mail-in rebate of $100. Pre-orders and reservations taken via the Sprint website are due to go live today.
Pre-orders for the Samsung Epic 4G are also being taken at Radio Shack.
Sprint Samsung Epic 4G Phone Giveaway
Just like with the Evo, Sprint has announced a giveaway to surround the launch of its upcoming 4G phone the Samsung Epic.
Ten first prize winners will receive a free Samsung Epic 4G while one grand prize winner will be flown to the destination of their choice for a four day getaway with $1000 spending money – maybe you’re meant to spend it on a Sprint mobile data plan :)
The contest ties in with the new Going the Distance movie which opens on August 27 so it’s likely the official launch date of the Epic 4G will be a day or two after that.
First MetroPCS 4G Phone – Samsung R900 / Craft
The Samsung Craft will be its first MetroPCS 4G phone when its upgraded mobile network is launched.
The Samsung Craft – known as the Samsung R900 elsewhere – will have a retail price of $300. Unlike Sprint and other carriers, MetroPCS is not planning to charge extras for using a 4G device on its network. The Samsung R900 / Craft will have a touchscreen display, full HTML browser and 3 megapixel camera.
Dallas / Fort Worth and Las Vegas will be the first markets to see the MetroPCS 4G phone network early next year.
Clear iSpot – 4G Router for iPod & iPad
Clear have launched an unusual router for their 4G phone network.
Called the Clear iSpot it’s a router designed to work only with Apple WiFi enabled devices – specifically the iPod and iPad. That means if you’re within the Clear 4G network coverage you can share that super speedy mobile internet connection with your Apple devices.
The Clear iSpot is now on sale for $24.95 with no contract. The only other cost is the normal Clear 4G data plan.
Best Buy Connect Offers 4G Data Plans
Phone and electronics retailer Best Buy is to start selling 4G phone services under the Best Buy Connect service.
The 4G network services will be provided by the Clearwire mobile network and will start in 2011.
Best Buy Connect current monthly mobile data plans range from $29.99 for 250MB per month without a contract through to $59.99 monthly for up to 5GB a month.
Sprint 4G Increases Coverage Area
Sprint 4G has once again extended the coverage area of its 4G phone network – this time to densely populated areas of California, Delaware, Florida and Michigan.
Sprint’s latest 4G markets are Modesto and Stockton in California, Jacksonville, Florida, Wilmington, Delaware and Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The total number of cities and markets that Sprint 4G is available is now 48, with more launches planned for later this year.
San Francisco 4G Phone Network – Emergencies Only
Yes, San Francisco is getting a 4G phone network but, no, you can’t use it. Unless you’re in the San Francisco emergency services.
Motorola and the public safety agencies in the Bay area are rolling out a LTE 4G phone network for the exclusive use of EMS and police services. The new network will allow officers and personnel to exchange data faster between mobile units and department offices and databases.
No news yet on when an accessible public 4G phone network will be available in San Francisco.
Samsung Epic 4G – The Full Specs
The full technical specs for the hotly awaited Samsung Epic 4G are finally available.
It’s an Android powered 4G smartphone running on a 1 GHZ Cortex A8 Hummingbird Processor. Among the other features are a 5 megapixel camera with Flash and HD video recording. The new phone will be available on Sprint 4G soon – most likely August 20.
Here’s the full Samsung Epic 4G list of specifications:
* Android 2.1 Operating System
* 4 inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display
* 1 GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Processor
* 4G & 3G Connectivity with WiFi
* 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash
* VGA front-facing camera
* HD (720p) video recording
* Video Chat
* Wi-Fi
* A-GPS
* 3.5mm audio jack
* Bluetooth 2.1
* MicroUSB
* Samsung Social Hub
* 32GB expandable memory
* 16GB MicroSD card included
* 1GB ROM
* 512MB RAM
