Sprint Best Smartphone: Samsung Epic 4G

During the last 2–3 months, the four major United States Carriers released several cell phones and smartphones, some of which created a positive buzz and became top-selling. Positive-buzz smartphones from AT&T include BlackBerry Torch 9800, Samsung Captivate, and –of course– Apple iPhone 4. From Verizon Wireless came Motorola Droid 2, and Motorola Droid X, while T-Mobile released Samsung Vibrant, and Samsung Gravity 3 SGH-T479. On the other hand, Sprint released the HTC Evo 4G, the first WiMAX phone in the U.S. which has a terrific platform for streaming media and web browsing with Sprint's 4G network. Sprint will release the Samsung Epic 4G Android smartphone on August 31, 2010.

Most of the above-mentioned smartphones are currently having “Rising Searches” and may even have “Breakout” on Google Insight for Search. Rising searches highlight searches that have experienced significant growth in a given time period, with respect to the preceding time period. Breakout means that the search term has experienced a change in growth greater than 5000%. Refer to the figures below for a 90-days Google search comparison between the Samsung Epic 4G and the Apple iPhone 4. The first figure as of 08/20/2010 while the second as of 09/04/2010.

4G technology refers to the fourth generation of cellular wireless technology. The use of G, standing for generation, in wireless technology covers the major advances of the past 20–30 years. The analog 1G technology, that started as early as 1981, involved the first widely available cell phones. 2G technology, which began in 1992, switched to a digital format and introduced text messaging. 3G technology, which is available since 2002, improved the efficiency of how data is transmitted supporting multi-media with speeds of at least 200 kilobit per second, making it possible to carry enhanced information services such as websites in their original format.

The two systems of 4G technologies are WiMAX and Long Term Evolution (LTE). The WiMAX is backed by Clearwire, a firm whose majority owner is Sprint/Nextel that began testing services in Baltimore in 2008. Sprint intended to have 80 cities covered by the end of 2010. The LTE is backed mainly by Verizon Wireless which is expected to be launched in 2010 followed by AT&T in 2011. On the other hand, T-Mobile has no plans to build the next-generation network today.

Most 3G subscribers today can expect download speeds up to 1 megabit per second. 4G networks might deliver as fast as 6–7 megabits per second initially. Eventually, a 4G networks hope to be about 10 times faster than 3G. With such a drastically increasing data transfer speeds, you can watch a smooth high-definition video stream on services like Hulu, and even video chat. As 4G technology expands, car navigation systems that are currently offline will also be updated in real time with traffic information, changes in new roads, or streets becoming one-way.

Unlike previous generations, 4G technology will be widely used for internet access on computers at home and work. Customers in areas which have strong 4G coverage will be able to use it for a home / work broadband connection which does not require any cabling. It can also be used to access the internet on the move without having to be in a wireless hotspot such as those offered by some coffee shops, airports and libraries. If you are traveling in a foreign country, it is more likely that your 4G smartphone will work in other parts of the world as the vast majority will be built using the LTE technology.

You can use the Sprint Coverage Tool at http://coverage.sprintpcs.com/ and click on “Data Coverage – 3G, 4G and more”, and click on the tab “Sprint Devices with 4G”, then enter your location, and click “map it”. For example, I selected Dallas and zoomed out of the generated map to get the one shown to the right that covers most of Texas. The blue traces show cities or metropolitan areas with 4G coverage, while the orange traces are for areas with 3G coverage.

Sprint’s 4G service is currently available in the following cities and metropolitan areas (source: http://www.youmobile.org/blogs/entry/HTC-EVO-4G-Official-List-of-Sprint-4G-Coverage-Cities):

• Atlanta and Milledgeville; Georgia.
• Honolulu and Maui; Hawaii.
• Boise; Idaho.
• Chicago; Illinois.
• Kansas City, Kansas/Missouri.
• Baltimore; Maryland.
• Charlotte, Greensborough, and Raleigh; North Carolina.
• Las Vegas; Nevada.
• Portland and Salem; Oregon.
• Philadelphia, Lancaster, Harrisburg, Reading, and York; Pennsylvania.
• Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Killeen, Lubbock, Midland, Odessa, San Antonio, Temple, Waco, and Wichita Falls; Texas.
• Bellingham, Kitsap, Seattle, Snohomish, and Tacoma; Washington.

Cities and metropolitan areas scheduled to receive Sprint's 4G network by the end of 2010:

• Cincinnati and Cleveland; Ohio.
• Los Angeles and San Francisco; California.
• Miami; Florida.
• Pittsburgh; Pennsylvania.
• Salt Lake City; Utah.
• St. Louis; Missouri.
• New York; New York.
• Boston; Massachusetts.
• Washington, District of Columbia.

Few weeks after launching the HTC Evo 4G, Sprint on June 27 introduced the Samsung Epic 4G smartphone, which features a 4–inch Super AMOLED touchscreen (the thinnest display technology on the market ), a slide-out QWETRY keyboard, and a 5-megapixel camera. The touchscreen display supports a series of advanced touchscreen gestures, including multi-touch pinch, long tap and zoom, and vertical and horizontal swiping. It is designed for a wide range of users, including business people who need push e-mail, Exchange ActiveSync for corporate e-mail and integrated calendar services. Samsung Epic will initially run Google's Android 2.1 operating system, with an upgrade to Android 2.2 coming in the near future. Sprint is expected to allow unlimited access to its fast WiMAX 4G networks at a low cost as it tries to lure customers and catch up to market leaders Verizon and AT&T. Samsung Epic is equipped with 1-GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird application processor, and works with both 4G WiMAX networks as well as 3G CDMA networks. The Epic is Samsung’s first 4G Android device. It falls into Samsung’s Galaxy S phone series. However, it is different from the other phones in the Galaxy S series in that it features a physical full slide-out QWERTY keyboard and 4G technology. The Samsung Epic 4G is part of the company plan to boost its standing in the smartphone market by utilizing bigger screen, faster processor, updated software, better camera, addition of second camera, 5 row keyboard, and content quality for a premium user experience offering a fully integrated multimedia, messaging and social networking experience. Samsung is already the second biggest maker of all types of cell phones.

Processor

Samsung 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird Application Processor supports amazing 3-D graphics, faster upload and download times and the full richness of HD-like multimedia content.

Display

4–inch, 800x480 resolution, super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen display. It allows for an HD-quality viewing experience, plus pinch-to-zoom, offering the best representation of color on a mobile phone that matches the original content more than 100 times the contrast quality of other leading displays. It also features wider viewing angles, and faster response time, which reduces “ghosting” images, wide viewing angles to prevent blurring or distortion, and a thinner design to offer more accurate and responsiveness to touch. In addition, it has a six-axis motion sensing uses an accelerometer and geo-magnetic sensor to fine-tune its ability to interpret simple movements and provide an optimal gaming experience. When the phone tilts up and down or left and right, the game can immediately respond in the same direction. A demo of Asphalt 5, a popular racing game, is preloaded exclusively on Samsung Epic 4G allowing users to take full advantage of these advanced gaming capabilities.

Swype Keyboard

If you don't want to use the excellent physical keyboard, the Epic comes with six possible virtual keyboards. There's the Swype text-entry method, which lets you drag your finger across the screen without lifting it, as well as Samsung's and Google's portrait and landscape mode keyboards.

Dual Cameras

5-megapixel camera/camcorder with autofocus, Power LED flash and 3x digital zoom for HD video (720p) recording for capture and playback on an HD television, and front-facing VGA camera for video chat and more.

Mobile Hotspot

It is capable of supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 3G or 4G experience.

Google Android Software

With Android’s open-software platform, customers can access the Android Market for more than 65,000 useful applications, widgets and games available for download to customize the experience. In addition, businesses can benefit from several productivity-enhancing applications available in Android Market, including bar code scanning, signature capture, document viewing, and the ability to stream and upload video for customer approval and archival purposes. Samsung will ship the Epic running Android version 2.1 and its TouchWiz interface. However, Sprint did confirm that the Epic will get an Android 2.2 Froyo upgrade. With the Android 2.2 upgrade, customers can expect improved EAS support, improved browser performance, including Adobe Flash 10x support, voice dialing over Bluetooth and application storage on external memory.

Battery

Standard removable 1500 mAh Lithium (Li-on) removable battery. If you are intending to be a heavy user of Sprint 4G networks that delivers high data speeds, it would drain the battery life. I would recommend buying a spare battery and/or chargers.

Samsung Media Hub

The Epic 4G will soon come with one important exclusive application, the Samsung Media Hub (expected in September 2010), a full library of video content from major-studio movies and TV shows for rent or purchase. Rent prices are expected to be around $2.99 a day, while purchase prices may be near $12.99. With Sprint 4G networks; the Samsung Epic will have a major hand up over other Samsung’s Galaxy S phone series including AT&T Captivate, T-Mobile Vibrant, and Verizon Fascinate where these carriers operate 3G networks.

Samsung Social Hub

Samsung Social Hub integrates all of the user's social networking services, messages, personal and business email, calendars and contacts.

Samsung AllShare Service

Samsung's exclusive AllShare service to wirelessly share stored music, pictures and HD video to other DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) Certified™ home electronics, including HDTVs, monitors, digital cameras, printers and more. Through AllShare, users will be able to capture moments with the Epic camera/camcorder and wirelessly show them to friends or family on their DLNA-certified HDTV, or download music from a PC to Samsung Epic 4G and take it on the road.

Tremendous 4G Tool for Business

Samsung Epic 4G is designed to deliver one of the best multimedia experiences for business users in several vertical industries, such as healthcare, education, public safety, construction and professional services, through superior speed and display innovation. It offers support for push email and integrated calendar services, including Exchange ActiveSync, Google™ and Yahoo!®, as well as full support for Google Mobile Services.

Other Goodies

• Instantly download eBooks from Skiff, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
• Qik® video application for video chat service and live video sharing.
• Digital compass, proximity sensor, light sensor, and GPS Navigation.
• Sprint NASCAR and NFL applications, Sprint Navigation, and Sprint TV.
• Bluetooth 2.1.
• Built-in Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n.
• 1 GB ROM and 512MB RAM.
• Expandable memory: 16 GB microSD™ card included; supports up to 32 GB.
• Dimensions of 4.9 x 2.54 x 0.56 inches and 5.46 ounces.

Sprint announced on August 12 that it will begin selling its Samsung Epic 4G on August 31 for $249.99, with a new line or eligible upgrade, two-year service agreement, after a $150 instant rebate and $100 mail-in rebate (taxes excluded). In order to provide the best experience, Samsung Epic 4G will use Sprint’s industry-leading Everything Data Plan or Business Advantage Messaging and Data Plan, which includes unlimited data, texting and phone calling. Everything data plans start at $69.99 per month. Customers will have to pay an extra $10 a month to take advantage of the richer data experience of 4D technology. Even at $80 a month, the unlimited data, text and phone calls run less than most of Sprint’s competitors for comparable usage. Additionally, an optional pricing add-on will turn Samsung Epic 4G into a mobile hotspot connecting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices, such as laptops, gaming devices and digital cameras, simultaneously at 4G speeds where available, and at 3G speeds anywhere on the Sprint 3G network for just $29.99 per month (excludes surcharges and taxes). With the Sprint Free Guarantee, customers can take advantage of Samsung Epic 4G for 30 days. If not completely satisfied, customers may return the device within 30 days to get reimbursed for the device purchase and activation fee, get both the early termination and restocking fees waived, and receive a full refund for the monthly service plan charges.

The Samsung Epic 4G and its accessories are currently available in Sprint stores (including Sprint.com and 1-800-SPRINT1), RadioShack, Best Buy, Wal-Mart, as well as Amazon online store.