Sprint snags 4G Nexus S

ORLANDO, Fla.--Sprint got an early start at CTIA 2011 today when it announced that it would add the Samsung Nexus S to its lineup. Not only will it be the first CDMA Nexus device--Verizon reneged on its promise to add the HTC Nexus One to its lineup--but also it's the first Nexus handset with support for a 4G network.

From the outside, Sprint's Nexus S is largely the same as its T-Mobile counterpart. It has the same sleek profile and shiny, polished exterior, and a 4-inch "Contour" Super AMOLED display.

Inside you'll see mostly the same goodies, though the handset will feature Sprint's Google Voice integration that the carrier announced today. The Gingerbread OS is stock Android for purists, though we're hoping Sprint doesn't add anything later like Sprint ID.

The handset also offers an NFC chip, a 5-megapixel camera, a front-facing VGA shooter, a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, Bluetooth 2.1 (with A2DP), Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g/n), PC syncing, GPS, USB mass storage, 16GB of internal memory, USB tethering, and a Wi-Fi hot spot. On the downside, Sprint's Nexus S also lacks an external memory card slot and LED notifications.

The Sprint Nexus S will be available this spring for $199 with a two-year contract. You'll need to sign up for a Sprint Everything Data (starting at $69 per month) and add the $10 per-month Premium Data plan to use the carrier's 4G WiMax network. Also, the hot-spot/tethering feature is an additional $29 per month.