Nicole Lee is a senior associate editor for CNET, covering cell phones, Bluetooth headsets, and all things mobile. She's also a fan of comic books, video games, and of course, shiny gadgets.
Sprint was the first carrier in the country to venture forth into the uncertain waters of 4G with the HTC Evo 4G. Unlike the other carriers, it decided to opt for WiMax as its 4G technology, which gave it a significant head start in the speed race, as Verizon and AT&T scrambled to get their LTE networks up and running. Now that Verizon has its LTE network going full force and AT&T has finally rolled out its initial LTE market, Sprint may have bet its dollars on the wrong horse. Yet, Sprint has said it's open to an LTE transition in the future. In the meantime, Sprint's 4G phones do exhibit quite a speed boost, as long as you're fortunate enough to be in the right area. Here's a roundup of Sprint's 4G phones that we've reviewed recently.
The HTC Evo Shift 4G is one of a few 4G handsets to have a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, and it's also one of the more affordable 4G phones. It has the Evo's eye-catching style, and though it lacks a few higher-end features like a front-facing camera and an HDMI port, it's still a decent 4G phone for the price. Staying in the HTC family, the HTC Evo 3D pioneered the 3D phone category with its 3D display and stereoscopic dual camera lens so that you can shoot your own 3D movies, too. Its zippy performance and long battery life make it one of the stars of Sprint's 4G stable.
Moving on to Motorola, the Photon 4G is one of a few standout phones the manufacturer has provided Sprint. It has a dual-core processor, a 4.3-inch qHD display, a dual-mode CDMA/GSM chipset, and Webtop capabilities that turn your phone into a portable PC when plugged into an appropriate Webtop dock.
Samsung is definitely a hit maker for Sprint, with Google-certified phones like the Nexus S 4G and the showstopping Epic 4G Touch. The Nexus S 4G is similar to the Nexus S except it's equipped with Sprint's 4G WiMax network. It ships with plain Android 2.3 Gingerbread, which is great for Android purists. The Epic 4G Touch is Sprint's version of the Samsung Galaxy S II, and if you're into stunning displays, you'll love its Super AMOLED Plus screen. The Epic 4G Touch also boasts a 1.2GHz dual-core processor. If you want a budget handset, Samsung also offers the Conquer 4G. It doesn't have the high-resolution display of its siblings, but it does ship with Android 2.3 and has plenty of higher-end features.
