Sprint hosting EVO 4G-related event next month

Sprint has been busy sending out invitations to an exclusive event next month in New York, which will put its new HTC EVO 4G front and center and will feature remarks from Sprint CEO, Dan Hesse.

It's hard for me to imagine the carrier sending out invitations specifically referencing the phone if it didn't plan to advance the conversation, especially as we get closer to the "summer" release time frame mentioned by Sprint as this year's CTIA unveiling.

As I've mentioned here before, the rumored release dates for the Evo 4G are June 6 or June 13. While pricing and availability date are at the forefront of people's minds. we should also note that Disney will be at the invite-only event, so perhaps there will be more information about partnerships as well. CNET will be attending the May 12 event, so look for our coverage should we unearth anything new.

For those unfamiliar with the device, the HTC EVO 4G is the world's first commercially available 4G handset and takes advantage of Sprint's WiMAX network. Standout features include a 4.3-inch touch screen, an 8-megapixel camera, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, and HD video recording with HDMI output. Be sure to check out our initial impression of the EVO 4G from back in March.