" class="title">Sprint Android buyer's guide for February #buyers guide #Sprint 2 days ago Box offers 50 GB of free storage for Android #cloud storage #Box video 2 days ago T-Mobile to launch 4G LTE network in 2013 #4G LTE #T-Mobile 3 days ago First quad-core phone with stock Android 4.0 is? #T-Mobile G4X #Android 4.0 Reviews Feb 25 AT 12:34 AM Taylor Wimberly 52 Comments Tweet
Welcome to a new weekly column where we break down each carrier to let you know the best devices and current promotions. We have already posted our Verizon Buyer’s Guide and T-Mobile Buyer’s Guide, and now it’s time for Sprint. Each week we will rotate between the big four US carriers, so that each buyer’s guide gets refreshed every month. Read on for Sprint’s best devices and deals.
Current Promotions and NewsSprint board rejects bid to buy MetroPCS: Details are still coming in, but it appears that Sprint was hours away from a deal to acquire MetroPCS. Apparently CEO Dan Hesse signed off on the deal, but then Sprint’s executive board rejected it. Either Hesse is on the way out or Sprint is going to make some major changes in the coming months. Head over to The Verge for more details.
New 4G LTE Markets: This month Sprint announced that 4G LTE was coming to Baltimore and Kansas City by mid-2012.
More deals and offers: Sprint doesn’t have many current promotions, but follow them on Facebook and Twitter for future deals.
Samsung Epic 4G TouchBest Android Phone: Galaxy S II Epic 4G TouchI said it back in October when I first reviewed the phone and the same thing still holds true; The Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch is easily the best Android phone on Sprint. For the third carrier in a row, Samsung takes home the top pick. See a pattern here?
Sprint still sells the Epic 4G Touch for $199 with 2-year contract, but Amazon has it on sale for only $49 for new customers
There is a reason Samsung has already sold 20 million of their Galaxy S II series. The Super AMOLED Plus display is unmatched among Android phones and the dual-core 1.2 GHz Exynos processor is still one of the fastest around.
Samsung has already said the Galaxy S II will receive Android 4.0 in the coming months, so this device will continue to improve with new software updates.
I’ve already recommended this device to several close friends and they have all been very pleased with their purchase. If you want to know more about the device, just check out our full review.
Best Android Phone with Keyboard: NoneSprint currently lists nine Android phones on their website with physical keyboards, but I can’t in good faith recommend any of them. Their only high-end phone with a keyboard is the Samsung Epic 4G, which came out almost two years ago. That device will never seen another Android update and you want to avoid it.
We only like to suggest smartphones with the latest versions of Android, or those that we believe will be updated soon. I’d suggest giving the Epic 4G Touch a try to see if you like it or just wait till Sprint announces their new spring lineup.
Best Android Tablet: ZTE OptikLet me repeat what I said in our previous buyer’s guide. Because of the current data plans, I’m not a huge fan of carrier branded Android tablets. However, if you need an Android tablet with wireless connectivity, then the ZTE Optik should be your pick.
Sprint currently sells the Optik for $99 with 2-year agreement, so you won’t break the bank on this purchase. A monthly data plan is required, but Sprint has some affordable options. Sprint offers four plans designed specifically for tablets, starting at $19.99 for 1GB of data, $34.99 for 3GB of data, $49.99 for 6GB of data, and $79.99 for 12GB of data.
Highlights of the ZTE Optik include 3G data connection, Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS, 7-inch touchscreen display with WXGA 1280×800 resolution, dual-core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon S3 processor, dual cameras, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB storage, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.1, expandable memory slot, and 4000 mAh Lithium-ion battery.
We don’t know if this device will receive Android 4.0 yet, but it was just released in February. Hopefully Sprint supports it with at least one major software upgrade.
Best Android Phone on a Budget: HTC EVO Design 4GWhen I was reviewing the list of Sprint’s budget devices, one clear winner emerged and it was the HTC EVO Design 4G. The reason we are recommending this device is simple; HTC has said it will receive Android 4.0 sometime in early 2012.
The EVO Design 4G is also affordable as Sprint sells it for $99 with 2-year contract. Once again Amazon has cheaper prices selling it for only $0.01 to new customers or add a line
Highlights of the EVO Design 4G include a 4-inch qHD display, 1.2 GHz single-core processor, 5 megapixel camera on the back, 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera (capable of HD video chat with Qik) and support for GSM global roaming.
Check out Nick’s hands-on with the EVO Design 4G for more details.
What’s Coming NextIf you don’t mind waiting a couple months, I would suggest holding out for Sprint’s first LTE phone, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. This was our top pick on Verizon and it will instantly become the top pick on Sprint when it becomes available.
The Galaxy Nexus has already officially been announced for Sprint and a registration page is up, but we still don’t have a release date yet.
Sprint will launch their LTE network in the first half of 2012, so we should get a release date for this phone in the coming months. Dallas, Atlanta, Houston and San Antonio are expected to be among the first markets to benefit from Sprint’s 4G LTE and improved 3G coverage.
The LG Viper 4G LTE was also announced as coming soon, but we see no reason to suggest this device when compared to the Galaxy Nexus.
FeedbackWe have long wanted to maintain buyer’s guides for every carrier, but it’s just something we have failed to produce. As one of the most influential sources of Android information on the web, we realize that our opinions are valuable and the average consumer just wants to know what phone they should buy without having to do all the research.
Our hardcore audience lives and breaths Android, so most of them already know what device they want to buy next. However, I realize that for most of the public, reading our blog is like trying to read Swahili or some other foreign language. The purpose of these guides is to try and help the average consumer.
Having said all that, consider this first guide as a rough draft that will continually be updated and improved over time. We would love to hear your feedback on what other sections or information should be added to the next version. Our lead developer Clark has some amazing site features that are coming down the pipe (like the new profiles), and we are committed to this community.
I ask for your help by sharing this guide with your friends on Sprint and leaving suggestions in the comments below.
Taylor is the founder of Android and Me. He resides in Dallas and carries the Verizon Galaxy Nexus as his daily device. Ask him a question on Twitter or Google+ and he is likely to respond. Tagged#best android phones#buyers guide#HTC EVO Design 4G#popular#samsung galaxy s ii epic 4g touch#Sprint#ZTE Optik .nrelate .nr_sponsored{ left:0px !important; }.nrelate .nr_sponsored{ left:0px !important; } 52 Comments Join the discussion!Sort by DateRating 
revsGuest 19 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0wow as this thread confirms SPRINT BLOWS in every way possible
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100Taylor Wimberly 19 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +4Hey they are still the only major carrier to have truly unlimited data plans. And they have the Galaxy Nexus on the way!
Reply revsGuest 19 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +7i live in nyc and theyre “unlimited ” data is useless my gfs beautiful evo 3d i got her for her b day sees an average of 250kbps-1mbps …..seriously
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59thel0nerang3r 16 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -10@Revs: The English language, are you fluent in it’s usage? If your writing is any indication of your intelligence, please do not reproduce.
Reply RichardGivesAndroidFansABadNameGuest 4 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +3Says the person who doesn’t know how to use a semicolon.
slurms mckenzieGuest 17 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +11Truly unlimited at joke speeds. Has anyone seen those numbers there pathetic
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92alxrock 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0How well do you think the GNex will hold up against HTC’s One X?
I would think HTC might bring a variation of the One X around June/July (seeing as how the EVO4G and EVO3D came out around that time for the past couple years)
Reply JeremyGuest 19 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0I got a Epic 4G and ICS is running great on it. I recently bought an Epic Touch battery which gives me 1800mah(300mah over stock). I can easily make it through the day without charging. I really have no desire to upgrade right now.
http://epiccm.blogspot.com/
ReplyI also owned an epic 4g, paid the $10 fee, and promptly waited 1 year before I got WiMAX in my area. Good luck to those buying an lte phone because they may have to wait a year or more before they can actually enjoy lte.
ReplyLucky that I am in one of the first markets for thirty LTE.
Replythier LTE. I should check my words before I post. Lol.
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14mattcoz 19 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -5I chose the EVO 3D over the Epic Blah Blah Whateb
Reply 14mattcoz 19 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -2whatever and don’t regret it one bit. The extra resolution is really nice and the size fits much better in my hand.
Reply revsGuest 19 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -3i would have done the same thing
my gf has it and its truly amazing
plus i stream 3d movies n pics to my 3d tv
I have had no issues with Sprint. Unlimited data, good customer service, pretty good 4g speeds (10-12mbps) down and (1.2-1.9know)up consistently, and Nexus devices. Thanks for all the info for all the networks Taylor.
Reply snowbdr89Guest 18 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +2Good customer service? You must migraines
ReplyI have been with sprint for a while and have never had any problems…
Reply bubbaGuest 5 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0not get
V
Good customer service? You must migraines
61WlfHart 6 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0Not bad speeds, what area you getting those in?
ReplyDallas area
Reply 59Vance 18 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0Yikes I thought tmo had it bad… But you never know, the top Android carrier can change quarter to quarter, if not month to month.
Reply ZeinzuGuest 18 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -4Are you a moron? The OG Epic 4g is still receiving updates. Check your facts before writing up some public news thread cause there’s already more pdf’s in the system for a 2.3.6 update, which isn’t very far behind the curve fyi. Not to mention it has official cm7 (2.3.7) support and will soon be on the official cm9 (4.0.3) support list since our cm9 build is already fully functional. The Epic 4g is easily the best hardware keyboarded phone on “any” carrier to this day. Yea it’s not dual core, yea it’s starting to become outdated, but it’s a damn good quality phone that “still” out performs most other devices on the market given it’s good quality hardware and ongoing official and non-official software support. Not to mention it ranges from free to $49.99. You can’t beat that.
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44Bpear96 16 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -5Your cool, calling a successful blog writer a moron. I don’t think the 2.3.6 update should be considered a upcoming update, considering it was probably developed 3 months ago and just now being approved by sprint.
Reply@zeinzu yes it’s supported by CM. but it wasn’t supported till recently. I flashed rom after rom for over a 1.5 years and always had the LOS and random restart bugs in my epic until I used the stable CM7 build. It wasnt until verizon got their rebadged Epic that the development on it started again. Yes, the epic hardware was top of the line (except for the gps locking troubles) when it came out and is still very good up til now. But if history repeats itself, sprint will release an LTE phone with only a handful of markets having LTE service and a vague promise that 4g is coming to your area soon. Sure I have no doubt that they will eventually expand LTE to all their clientele but their plans go all the way to the end of 2013. If they released a phone that can use both LTE and WiMAX then I’d have stuck around (they will have a hotspot with this capability). But, from everything I’ve read, their version of GN is ONLY LTE.
ReplyHit post to early.. My biggest complaint is that sprint will continue to release WiMAX phones that will be dead when they switch to LTE. If they release LTE/WiMAX capable phones then they’d be doing their customers a great service.
Reply squiddy20Guest 55 mins ago Thumb upThumb down 0The only Wimax capable phones that they’ll be selling are those that are already out (Evo 3D, E4GT, Evo Shift, etc.) They’ve pretty much stated that much in several press releases. Besides, what would you have them do, halt all production of their current phones for several more months until LTE can get shoved, post production, into the phones? Yeah, that’s totally feasible…
Reply slurms mckenzieGuest 17 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -1The first guy is right sprint is a joke. They have crappy phones.people need to stop praising this joke network
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88Richard Yarrell 17 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -12I must say the down fall is rather shocking to me. Man no Evo 4g and nobody talking to much about my former Evo 3D. What change since 2010.
Reply squiddy20Guest 11 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +6Hmmmm, I wonder why? Maybe it’s because the Evo 4G is well over 1.5 years old and the Evo 3D hasn’t been selling well since it’s so fugly. Price point alone should tell you that much. Evo 3D that came out 7 or 8 months ago is now priced the same as the Evo 4G, Epic 4G, and quite a few mid-range phones. Open your squinty little eyes, dumbass.
Reply squiddy20Guest 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +5I also think it’s incredibly hilarious that you think the Evo 4G is still a contender or at least still relevant right now. You’re talking about a phone that was released just a few months shy of 2 years ago, yet you harped on me about my “useless 2+ year old” Samsung Moment when it wasn’t even 1.5 years old. Not to mention the fact that the Evo 4G is a single core device, whereas the high-end phones released recently are dual core, with quad core in 6 or so months. That’s like comparing a Ferrari (phones of today) to a Honda Civic (Evo 4G) in terms of horsepower. Utterly stupid. Keep up with the times Dick.
Reply 5jcunwired 7 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -6SGSII, iPhone, Evo 4G – in order of most phones sold last quarter. Rooted with new ROM and kernel my 4G is still quite relevant.
Who’s the dumbass now?
Reply RichardGivesAndroidFansABadNameGuest 4 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +4I would have to say that you are. You missed the point by light-years. Of course rooting and custom ROMs are going to run better than stock. As Richard says “Rooting is for 2plus year old devices”.
In the future, if you’re going to try and be witty and flame people, try to understand what is actually going on. You don’t want to look like a bigger dumbfuck than Richard, do you?
squiddy20Guest 3 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1Where did I say anything about “most phones sold”? You missed the point of what I was saying. Most of the high-end phones already out or coming out in the next few months are dual core. There will be at least a few quad-core phones being shown at MWC meaning releases about 6 months or so after that. *Stock* single core phones CANNOT compete against dual-core, let alone quad-core, phones. Sure, you can root your single core phone, max out the processor and do all sorts of optimizations to make it leaner, faster, and more efficient, I know because I’m right there with you. But the fact of the matter is, it still won’t be able to keep up with a dual core phone in the same way that a single core processor on a laptop/desktop will never be able to keep with a dual or quad core processor of the same clock speed. Just the way of technology.
30Orion78 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +5Downfall? You sir are an idiot. When have you ever made sense in your life? I’m glad you left Sprint. The trash has been cleaned.
Reply SteamGuest 4 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +5Sprint kicked him off of their network because he embarrassed the hell out of them. Probably how war veterans feel when someone shows up to a neighborhood watch meeting with fatigues, camouflage facepaint, and a helmet.
Reply Paul AtreidesGuest 13 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +2Bring on the Galaxy Nexus! Fingers crossed for an announcement in March for an early April release date at the latest. I’ll use 3G and wifi until my city gets the LTE treatment.
Reply 30Orion78 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0Sprint needs to release it in March or April. Any later than that then its too late. I want the GS3 anyway.
Reply GekkoGuest 12 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1why waste money on an antiquated Wimax phone? yes Wimax still works but it is yesterday’s technology. it is obsolete before you take it out of the box. Sprint is offering us NOTHING to upgrade to. Sprint is offering NOTHING for new customers. Sprint should release the LTE G-Nex. otherwise it is STUPID for anyone to buy a Sprint Android phone today. it’s like buying a VCR and you know DVDs are already out. DUMB DUMB DUMB.
Hesse release the G-Nex already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply GekkoGuest 12 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -1p.s. the display resolution on the SG2 is awful and acceptable. not enough pixels for the display size. compare the same icon or web page to an EVO 3D or even the OG EVO. and the G-Nex blows it away. come on Hesse – bring on the G-Nex!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply 5jcunwired 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0I like Sprint, I really do. But they’re becoming the “iPhone Now” network, ignoring Android customers as they wade through that $15.5B iphone inventory. They haven’t released a performance phone since last summer and I don’t expect them to change this in the near future. Their LTE network rollout is now in jeopardy, there is little incentive to release the Galaxy Nexus or any other LTE phone.
I have to agree with data speed comments as well. It’s extremely difficult to take advantage of unlimited data when it only trickles. The few chances I’ve had to enjoy Wimax have been extremely frustrating – move your phone even a few inches and you lose coverage. Not fun.
Sprint plans and customer service are still great. I once had high hopes that they would be a good carrier for Android lovers, now I’m feeling a bit left out as I view headlines and see all these great devices going to other carriers. It doesn’t help that they are gradually removing many incentives that once made their plans attractive.
I have a family plan now, but am seriously considering removing my line and moving to Verizon. I just don’t feel the love anymore, I have little hope for a rosy future with Sprints current woes.
Reply 30Orion78 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0Umm Sprint is releasing 12-15 LTE devices this year. Unless all those devices are iphones, you have nothing to worry about.
Reply jcunwiredGuest 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down -1Umm, got any more fairytales? There has been one LTE device mentioned as destined for Sprint, nothing more.
You may be able to get away with lies to your Facebook friends, here most are more well informed.
Reply 30Orion78 5 hours ago Thumb upThumb down +1Lies? LOL Ummmm This is not me. This is what Sprint stated. Looks like you’re the one thats been misinformed. So before you jump to conclusions about “fairytales” and Facebook, try not to bore us with your emo propaganda. Thanks.
Reply squiddy20Guest 3 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0“Approximately 15 4G LTE devices are currently on track to be launched in 2012 including handsets, tablets and data cards”.
Source: http://newsroom.sprint.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=2158
5th para down, first sentence. How’s that for “fairytales and lies”?
BWGuest 10 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0I went to Verizon and then back to Sprint, regretting the change. Higher prices and worse customer service at Verizon is why I went back to Sprint. Was expecting a huge performance increase when I went to Verizon, but what I got wasn’t that dramatic and wasn’t worth dealing with the other negatives.
Reply snowbdr89Guest 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0You must be blinded by something, you say performance wasnt much different? Lets see i get up to 40 mbps down and around 12 mbps up not to mention better coverage oh and when i call verizons customer service i get betty from kansas not some guy names peggy from india!!
Reply squiddy20Guest 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0Just because *you* get “40 mbps down and around 12 mbps up” in *your* area doesn’t mean it’s the same all over the US. Ever think of that?
Reply CantelumberGuest 9 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0I feel your pain jcunwired, the nearest wi max covered area for my town is 100 miles west of me. The few days I was working there I experienced the same battery eating 4g woes you had mentioned. After I purchased my og evo, i clearly recall a sprint representative explaining that my extra $ 10 bucks a month was to cover the extra data use associated with the 4g network. Hmmm.
ReplyHere’s my Sprint buyer’s guide. Grab the Epic 4g Touch or the Galaxy Nexus when it is released. It’s not with saving $100 or so on a several thousand dollar commitment to get an inferior phone… My two cents anyway. I went with Sprint out of protest, but part of me deeply wishes I would have went with Verizon… The mobile network coverage leaves a lot to be desired…
ReplyWorth saving* Sigh, swype.
Reply GekkoGuest 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0Sprint coverage is great. the problem is i have no no G-Nex or G-Note yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Reply 92alxrock 8 hours ago Thumb upThumb down 0For the price, and the fact that my whole family is on Sprint, I’ll be sticking with em. I haven’t had any major issues, and their coverage is good for when I travel for work.
I’m still waiting on the GNex to make its way to Sprint for my next upgrade, but I really wonder how it will stand up against the other phones that may make their way to the “Now network” this summer.
Also, I wonder how bad the GNex will be lagging behind on updates. Sprint’s Nexus S4G still hasn’t been upgraded to ICS.
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