The HTC Evo has competition. Samsung has introduced its first 4G handset, called the Samsung Epic, on Sprint’s network. The Epic will be the second 4G smartphone on Sprint, following the Evo 4G’s debut earlier this month.
The Epic 4G will have a 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen and a slide-out keyboard. Inside, the device packs a 1-GHz Hummingbird processor from Samsung, and two cameras: a 5-megapixel camera to shoot movies and photos, and a front-facing VGA camera (0.3 megapixels) for video chat. The phone will run Google’s Android 2.1 operating system.
Samsung’s 4G phone is up against some strong rivals. The HTC Evo 4G has become the best-selling device on Sprint’s network. Meanwhile, Apple launched its latest iPhone, the iPhone 4, last week. Though the iPhone 4 runs on AT&T’s overloaded 3G network, the device has some features such as video chat and a luminous, high-resolution display that are drawing in customers. Apple sold 1.7 million iPhone 4s in the first three days of the device’s launch.
The Epic is part of a new family of Android smartphones called Galaxy S from Samsung. The Galaxy S phones feature 4-inch screens, run Android, and integrate social networking feeds from Twitter and Facebook — plus e-mail messages, calendars and contacts — into a single screen.
Sprint did not reveal pricing or availability for the Epic 4G.
When it comes to 4G services, Sprint is ahead of other wireless service providers in the United States. Sprint’s 4G network is currently available in 36 cities. Sprint claims its 4G service can deliver up to 10 times higher speeds than existing 3G networks. Major areas such as San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., will get 4G connectivity later this year, says Sprint.
Verizon is testing its 4G ‘LTE’ network this year and expects to start rolling it out next year. AT&T is likely to start trials of its 4G service next year.
Not surprisingly, Sprint is pressing its advantage with 4G handsets.
Samsung’s Epic is largely comparable to the HTC Evo in its hardware, but it lags behind in a few areas. The Evo has an 8-megapixel camera, compared to the Epic’s 5-megapixel. The Evo can provide wireless access for up to eight devices as part of its hot-spot capability, while the Epic an support only up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices simultaneously.
But Samsung hopes to offer content that will put the Epic ahead. For instance, over the next few months, Epic users will have access to the Samsung Media Hub, a video store with movies and TV available for purchase or rental, says Samsung. A 4G network should help make downloads much faster, says the company.
The phone will also have a service called ‘AllShare’ to wirelessly exchange music, pictures and video with other devices. For business users, the phone supports push e-mail, integrated calendar and Exchange ActiveSync.
Samsung and Sprint say the Epic will be upgraded to the latest flavor of Android, Android 2.2 Froyo.
As for other cellphone service providers, Samsung isn’t neglecting them. In the next few weeks, Samsung plans to offer Fascinate, a 3G phone running Android 2.1 OS on Verizon and Vibrant, and an Android smartphone on T-Mobile’s network.
Photo: Samsung Epic 4G/Samsung
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