By All of those ready to explode due to lack of information regarding the Samsung Epic 4G’s release date can settle down now: August 31st will be the day that you can finally grab your QWERTY-laden Galaxy S phone up. For $249.99 on a two year contract (after $150 instant rebate and a $100 mail-in rebate) this phone is a bit more pricey than we’re used to, but you have to consider the package you’re getting: a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 4G, that nice Samsung Hummingbird processor (ripe for gaming), a front-facing camera, and a gorgeous 4-inch Super AMOLED display.
Although widespread reservations don’t officially begin until tomorrow at Sprint’s Epic 4G landing site, some eager beavers have uncovered a link for premium Sprint customers to reserve their device right now. Give that bad boy a try if you’re just teeming with excitement and can’t wait. Now we just have to get our Verizon faithful a date (or any news period) on the Samsung Fascinate. Press details straight ahead.
Sprint expands device leadership with the launch of Samsung Epic 4G, Debuting on Aug. 31; Sprint’s Galaxy S Smartphone Boasts Blazing 4G Speeds, QWERTY Keyboard and Brilliant Super AMOLED Touchscreen
New reservation system begins Aug. 13 for Samsung Epic 4G at www.sprint.com/epic4g
OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Aug 12, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) —The wait is almost over! Sprint (NYSE:S) today announced pricing and availability for America’s first 4G-capable phone with a full QWERTY keyboard and brilliant Super AMOLED touchscreen, Samsung Epic(TM) 4G, bringing customers an all-in-one device for staying connected, getting work done and enjoying the latest in entertainment while on-the-go. Samsung Epic 4G is the only 4G Galaxy S(TM) smartphone and the only one to offer a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard.
Samsung Epic 4G will be available beginning Tuesday, Aug. 31, in all Sprint retail channels, including Sprint.com, Telesales (1-800-SPRINT1) and national retail partners, RadioShack, Best Buy and Walmart, with Sprint Stores opening at 8 a.m. local time. It will cost $249.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade, two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate (taxes excluded).
For the first time ever, Sprint is offering customers a unique opportunity to reserve Samsung Epic 4G for purchase. Customers can reserve their smartphone for purchase at www.sprint.com/epic4g beginning Friday, Aug. 13., while supplies last. Customers who reserve Samsung Epic 4G will be able to complete their purchase beginning Tuesday, Aug. 31, and must complete their purchase no later than 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday, Sept. 1. Through the reservation process, customers will be able to reserve their devices online, pick them up in a Sprint Store, and receive the full retail experience, including Sprint’s Ready Now service.
“With its beautiful display and slide-out keyboard, Samsung Epic 4G is a powerful tool for our customers, and it extends Sprint’s 4G leadership with a second strong smartphone option,” said Sprint CEO Dan Hesse. “As we continue to lead the 4G revolution, we are proud to offer our customers two 4G smartphones, the Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot and several 4G USB modems to access the fast speeds on our 4G network in more than 48 cities today. 4G enhances entertainment, gaming and business applications.”
Powered by the Android(TM) 2.1 operating system, Samsung Epic 4G is part of a new breed of Samsung smartphones offering the best in screen, speed and content quality for a premium user experience, and offers a fully integrated multimedia, messaging and social networking experience. It features an exceptionally thin smartphone design with a slide-out, full QWERTY keyboard and 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display supporting a series of advanced touchscreen gestures, including multi-touch pinch, long tap and zoom and vertical and horizontal swiping.
Samsung Epic 4G is the only 4G smartphone to offer three fast and easy ways to enter text onto the device – a slide-out full QWERTY keyboard, virtual keyboard and Swype technology, which allows users to input text faster and more intuitively with one continuous finger motion across the virtual keyboard.
Additional industry-leading features:
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
Dual camera: 5 MP camera/camcorder with autofocus, power LED flash and 4x digital zoom for photos and HD video1 (720p) video recording, as well as a front-facing VGA camera for video chat and more
Visual Voicemail
Mobile Hotspot capability supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 3G or 4G experience
Android Market for access to more than 65,000 useful applications, widgets and games available for download to customize the experience
Wi-Fi(R) b/g/n
1500 mAh removable battery
A Movie Theater in Your HandWhen Samsung Media Hub launches on Samsung Epic 4G, it will be the first and only 4G handset to feature a video store with movies and TV shows available for purchase or rental and video content set up for an HD-like entertainment experience on a handset screen. With 4G from Sprint, users will be able to get turbo-charged downloads of a full library of video and literary content powered by some of the biggest names in entertainment.
Samsung Epic 4G will also share user-generated video content with other devices thanks to Samsung’s exclusive AllShare service. AllShare wirelessly shares stored music, pictures and HD video to other DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) certified(TM) home electronics, including HDTVs, monitors, digital cameras, printers and more. Through AllShare, users will be able to capture moments with the phone’s camera and 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.
Ideal for Gaming
Samsung Epic 4G’s brilliant Super AMOLED touchscreen display offers the best representation of color on a mobile phone that matches original content more than 100 times the contrast quality of other leading displays. It also features 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 to the dynamic screen, Samsung Epic 4G’s 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.
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(TM) and Yahoo!(R), as well as full support for Google Mobile Services.
With Android’s open-software platform, businesses can benefit from several productivity-enhancing applications available in Android Market(TM), including bar code scanning, signature capture, document viewing and the ability to stream and upload video for customer approval and archival purposes.
Android 2.2
Sprint plans to upgrade Samsung Epic 4G to Android 2.2 in the coming months. With the Android 2.2 upgrade, customers can expect improved EAS support, improved browser performance, including Flash 10x support, voice dialing over Bluetooth(R) and application storage on external memory.
Worry-Free Pricing
In order to provide the best experience, Samsung Epic 4G will use Sprint’s industry-leading Everything Data or Business Advantage Messaging and Data plans, which include unlimited Web, texting and calling on the Nationwide Sprint Network to every mobile in America with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM. Everything Data plans start at $69.99 per month. A $10 per month required Premium Data add-on will allow customers to take advantage of a richer data experience than ever before.
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.2
Blazing trails with Sprint 4G
Samsung Epic 4G joins a powerful list of 4G-capable devices from the only national wireless provider to offer 4G service today. Sprint 4G offers a faster wireless experience than any other U.S. national wireless carrier, and Sprint is the only national carrier offering wireless 4G service today in 48 markets. Sprint 4G delivers download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G3,giving Samsung Epic 4G the fastest data speeds of any U.S. wireless device available today.
As the first national wireless carrier to test, launch and market 4G technology, Sprint made history by launching 4G in Baltimore in September 2008. Sprint currently offers 4G service in these markets: California – Merced, Modesto, Stockton and Visalia; Delaware – Wilmington; Florida – Jacksonville; Georgia – Atlanta and Milledgeville; Hawaii – Honolulu and Maui; Idaho – Boise; Illinois – Chicago; Maryland – Baltimore; Michigan – Grand Rapids; Missouri – Kansas City and St. Louis; New York – Rochester and Syracuse; Nevada – Las Vegas; North Carolina – Charlotte, Greensboro (along with High Point and Winston-Salem), Raleigh (along with Cary, Chapel Hill and Durham); Oregon – Eugene, Portland and Salem; Pennsylvania – Harrisburg, Lancaster, Philadelphia, Reading and York; Texas – Abilene, Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, San Antonio, Waco and Wichita Falls; Utah – Salt Lake City; Virginia – Richmond; Washington – Bellingham, Seattle, Tri-Cities and Yakima. For more information, visit www.sprint.com/4G.
In 2010, Sprint expects to launch 4G service in multiple markets, including Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 48.1 million customers at the end of the second quarter of 2010 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, Common Cents Mobile and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. With its customer-focused strategy, you can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
1 HD video recording – Capture photos and videos for playback on your HD television.
2 Refund excludes usage not associated with the monthly service plan, premium content, third-party billing, international charges and associated taxes and Sprint surcharges.
3 “Up to 10x faster” based on download speed comparison of 3G’s 600 kbps vs. 4G’s 6 Mbps. Industry published 3G avg. speeds (600 kbps-1.7 Mbps); 4G avg. speeds (3-6 Mbps). Actual speeds may vary. Sprint 4G currently available in more than 45 markets and counting, and on select devices. See www.sprint.com/4G for details. Not all services are available on 4G and coverage may default to 3G/separate network where 4G is unavailable.
Ah, it feels so good for Sprint to finally be riding the tech curve instead of running after it weeping…
‘this phone is a bit more pricier than we’re used to’
should read either
‘this phone is a bit more pricey than we’re used to’ or
‘this phone is a bit pricier than we’re used to’
Whoops, Thanks Khalid!
Thanks i’ll keep my EVO. A keyboard and fancy screen are the only things that intice me over my current phone… plus i’m not eligable for an upgrade and i’m sure when I am… something much nicer will be out.
I wonder if it has the GPS issues associated with Galaxy S series in the USA? It has made me VERY reluctant to consider this phone. Any in depth multiple day testing done on it yet?
I thought maybe the holdup was because they were going to release it with 2.2 out of the gate since its all the way till the end of August but of course it will be ‘coming in a couple months’
Pass!
hey is anybody selling a key board for my evo? i got $50.00 here! not…
sprint keep the dolphins and give me the the epic for 199.00 will you?
Why is this phone more expensive than the Captivate and the Vibrant? Sprint, we’re already paying an extra $10 a month!!! Damn you!!
Epicly OVERPRICED!!! I mean how many of the people that are buying this can even use the 4G?
Gonna echo the other thoughts:
The timeliness of this phone has been horrendous. If Sprint is seeking to eek out all the sales they can from the EVO, then they should make them available to purchase (in stock). I have been waiting for this phone since June and while other carriers have their Galaxy S’s out and available, we’re still waiting. And while we’re waiting and other carriers are putting out FroYo 2.2 phones, this one will be behind the times for another couple months.
The psychology of this experience has me on the edge of anger, not the gleeful anticipation they might have hoped for with their dolphin video and sign up here for email updates (I got 1 at 12:34am). Plus all the posts online with the wrong release dates, Sprint has got to manage it better.
And back to a recurring gripe, they are going to charge me an extra $240 over the course of my term for extra data on top of my unlimited data plan? Oh, and while your using that unlimited data tethered to your laptop, we’ll charge you another $720.
I am seriously questioning my intentions to buy an Epic 4G for my wife and myself, when they are going to cost me some $3525 for the $129 data plan + taxes and then add on two of the $240s and one of the $720s and we have a grand total of $4725. Is that not insane?
So the phone is priced at $249.99 after mail-in-rebate, does this mean you pay $350 when you go pick it up?
Reserve one now! https://sprint.timetrade.com/tc/ReservePhone.do?method=load
Price off contract, according to the fine print on that site: $499.99
Guessing the GPS will be defective like it is on Every other Galaxy S phone.
This is interesting. I’m a Sprint customer now. If I go to Sprint’s Epic site now with a browser that I’ve used to login to my account, the website says that the Epic will be available on Aug. 20. If I delete all Sprint cookies then refresh the page, it says the Epic will be available Aug. 31.
Give it a try, if you’re a Sprint customer: http://now.sprint.com/epic4g/?ECID=MA:EM:20100805:SAM:EPI:epicimage
SK- In case you didn’t notice it has a full slide out keyboard a camera flash and a front facing camera. Those are just a few things it has the others you mentioned don’t..
Luizterr- Yes that is what you will pay unless Besy Buy and Radioshack do their normal things and give a instant rebate like they have in the past.
I am very excited to have the final release date for the Epic 4G and I am happy to say that I already pre-ordered my Epic on Sprints website just after midnight last night….Thanks to a post on the Engadget website, I have a link to the pre-order page that I used to place my order for pickup on August 31st….The form is very simple…You select your nearest store that you would like to pick it up at, you give your name, phone number, tell them if you are an existing Sprint customer or not and thats about it!!!…No money down is required and you are guaranteed an Epic 4G on launch day at your local Sprint store….I am still hoping to pick mine up at my local Best Buy on launch day instead since I have gift cards and I won’t have to worry about rebates since Best Buy offers instant rebates and the phone will be $249.99 plus activation out the door….If you do not pick up your Epic 4G reservation from Sprint by 6pm August 2nd the reservation will be cancelled but no charges will occur…Here is the link guys so enjoy!!!!…..
https://sprint.timetrade.com/tc/ReservePhone.do?method=load&postalCode
they should knock off another $100 for forcing that keyboard on us. that’s a deal breaker for me. guess i’ll be waiting to see what sprints 3rd 4G android is.
Bad price point in a very competitive marketplace and there is nothing really overly-compelling this device over other offerings.
My question is….Do purchasers of the Epic 4G have to pay the $10 Sprint tax (4G fee) on top of their unlimited plan? If not, I’m giving Sprint a big earful especially since I don’t have 4G available in my area for my Evo and the reps have told me my area doesn’t appear to be slated for upgrade this year despite the fact that I live in a large metropolitan city.
This thing really loses its Epic-ness shipping w/ 2.1. Sprint really should have just held off until it could ship w/ 2.2.
And for those of you buying it, if they’re selling it for $500 off contract, that’s definitely the way to go.
@Schmelding – Who pays for tethering these days!? O_o :)
@Schmelding, thanks for the math, and yeah, the total cost of ownership is pretty insane.
@Karl, who pays for tethering? i’ve got the sprint overdrive hotspot. my monthly costs would drop if i cancelled that and had just tethering. but who pays? my employer!
anyone know how long it took, for bestbuy to show the evo after its release date came out. if i can get it at bestbuy without rebate that would be awsome.
Ok if someone can answer this me I would really b thankful. I’m gonna b upgrading my phone next week so I have 2 know besides paying for the phone will I have 2 pay the first month bill or will it remain the same and i wont have to pay it till the bill is due like ot normally is
sprint premier customer can order theirs today. I got an email this morning.
apollo305, if you are currently on Sprint, I am pretty sure you’ll just need to pay for the phone, I’ve never had to pay for anything else at the time.
I think $250 is a little disappointing. Through no fault of Samsungs, I think $199 has become the expected price for good smartphones (superphones?). Especially with the EVO being $199, this feels like a keyboard is going to cost me $50 (I know about the SuperAMOLED screen too). But, I have to imagine this is the lowest they could go, I’m sure Samsung knows releasing 3 phones at $199 and one at $249 might raise eyebrows, so I assume they wouldn’t have done it unless it was their lowest option.
Back in my flip phone days, the Samsung phones I were the best ones I had. My “just in case my phone breaks backup” is still my 5 year old Samsung Blade (RAZR ripoff). I got the Evo, but I definitely would have considered this if my contract hadn’t ended right when the EVO came out.
So, sprint is releasing it later than expected, and charging 25% more than expected.
First the negatives:
1) Timing: it’s here way later than the iphone4, HTC Evo, Droid 2 and Blackberry Torch, all respective flagship phones for said companies. All the other carriers already have their versions of the Galaxy S (captivate, vibrant, etc)
2) Price: It’s more expensive than all of the competition at $250, INCLUDING the other Galaxy S phones such as the Captivate and Vibrant (can be had under for $200 from dealers, or under $100 on amazon.com)
So, what does waiting almost 2 months and spending an extra $50 to $150 dollars buy you?
Advantages to other phones currently available cheaper:
1) SuperAMOLED screen (minus iphone4 retina)
2) Hummingbird processor and the graphics chipset
3) QWERTY keyboard (minus the Driod 2)
4) WiMAX if available (minus the Evo)
5) Front facing camera (minus the Evo)
6) Better 720p video (minus the iphone4)
Advantages to other US Galaxy S derivatives
1) QWERTY keyboard
2) WiMAX if available
3) Front faving camera/LED flash
So I ask myself, should I continue to wait until the end of the month, or has sprint potentially lost a LOT of potential buyers with such a late date and pricey tag?
Hmmmm…. am not sure this or the Evo… especially at $50 more now. Will have to play with it and compare to the Evo more before I jump in.
@iGalaxEvo Nice summary.
I don’t think Sprint will be really hurt by waiting longer than others to ship their Galaxy S derivative. According to Wired, there are over 200,000 Android phones every day. That number is just climbing, so there are plenty of people who want an Android phone.
For a lot of people, a physical keyboard is really important. Personally, although I’ve been using a physical keyboard on my Palm Pre for the last year, I would rather the Epic just had the virtual keyboard to make the phone even slimmer.
Part of my job is to write mobile applications, but my company only writes iOS and Android apps, no love for the Pre. Consequently, although I really like Palm’s webOS (I think it’s still the best mobile UI available), I’m going to replace my Pre with the Epic.
Epic Vs. Evo
Best processor: Epic with it’s 45nm Humminbird, more efficient, faster, better video card for games
Best Screen: Toss up, 4′ AMOLED is efficient and amazing colors, EVO is 4.3″, personal preference
Best Camera: Epic by a good ammount, especially on video
It’s obvious the epic has a QWERTY keyboard on the EVO, some people don’t care. IMO if you’re into gaming on your phone or make use of the camera features a lot the Epic is worth the $50 on the Evo, if you just browse the web all day, that 4.3′ screen and 50$ in your pocket may win out. Sprint has thrown me off the epic bandwagon with that price, Droid 2 here I come!
Wow! 6Mbps that is fast. up to 10x faster than the 7Mbps on get on T-mobile 3G.
@Justin, the $50.00 more sucks i know that, but going to Verizon is going to cost you a lot more than $50.00 in the long run and i mean a lot more, so why not just get the evo is the best phone there is right now anyway.
I am anxiously waiting for a long time to this? Wow! Sprint would have sold lot more Epic with right price and Froyo. Specially when Captivate can be found for 49.99 and I just left AT&T, Top of that Epic only has 1gB built in unlike others with 8 and 16 gB. FFC and LED does make it better but again…well I am not sure. Keyboard I could live without. I will buy it as I am commited and just using someones used flip phone until Epic. May be just wait and it will get better price as others within few months.
The Epic4G FULL site is up now. Yay, http://www.sprint.com/epic4g
Hey guys, i saw there was going to be an international version? Im totally interested in this from a European perspective even if we dont quite have 4G yet lol
contract is not up till the end of the year so been looking at the qwerty alternatives so far i.e. either this one or the htc vision?
David,
It says August 20th for me too. That is, indeed, VERY interesting. They must have decided the 20th, and then changed it for some reason. Any guesses as to why?
@ Justin,
So because of a $50 difference in the phones, you will sign up with Verizon and pay $30-$40 more a month for a comparable plan that you would have on Sprint?… That’s between $720 and $960 more in a 2 year period!
I really struggle to see your sense in that…
I’ve been a Sprint”PCS” customer since 1999. Not leavin’. Pricing has and will be better than most. I will say this. I want better coverage at my house. It’s always been poor, I dont want to pay $99 for a box and $10 for coverage. Especially if I dont have broadband. I like my satellite svc. Besides that, I was able to use my LG Lotus in areas that other phones did not work.
So. Epic or Evo. Toss up. Just have to wait for the full specs to come out on the Epic and test it in person to tell. That way I could compare. Especially since the Evo’s are still out of stock everywhere in Southern California (Beach Cities).
Side bar…Both phones do look exciting and brilliantly fun!
just pre ordered my Epic 4G at RadioShack, comes with a $50 dollar gift certificate that can be used toward the purchase on the 31st. In addition, no mail in rebates to deal with. This works out to be about the same as any new phone you get on a released date $199.99….Woohoo!
…..I mean a $50 dollar gift card