14 DAY TRIAL // Today, wireless carrier Sprint announced officially the launch of a new Android-based handset that offers 4G connectivity on its airwaves, the HTC EVO Shift 4G, the successor of the popular HTC EVO 4G, the first WiMAX-capable smartphone at the company.
Starting with January 9th, Sprint customers around the United States would be able to chose the new smartphone from the company, at a price tag of $149.99 upon the signing of a two year contract agreement with the wireless carrier.
The new HTC EVO Shift 4G is the thirds Android-based smartphone the wireless carrier makes available for its users.
Along with it, the first quarter of the ongoing year would offer Sprint customers fond of 4G the possibility to enjoy a MiFi 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Novatel Wireless, which should land on shelves on February 27th, the wireless carrier unveiled.
“As the first national wireless carrier to launch 4G in 2008, Sprint wrapped up 2010 with a lead in 4G wireless device innovations,” the operator announced.
The new 4G-capable devices expand the list of available such products on the wireless carrier's network to 17, including three phones, a 4G netbook and notebook from Dell, various USB modem options, and some mobile hotspots and routers.
Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO, commented: “Our proven leadership as a 4G pioneer has allowed our customers to enjoy 4G from Sprint first, and these new products exemplify Sprint’s commitment to put industry-leading performance and capabilities in the hands of our customers.”
The specs list of the new HTC EVO Shift 4G includes a 3.6-inch capacitive touchscreen display with pinch-to-zoom capability, as well as a sliding QWERTY keyboard, and a 5MP camera with 720p HD video recording capabilities.
The handset also offer support for a wide range of services from Google, including YouTube, Gmail, Google Talk, Google Voice and Google Maps, as well as for social networking, with Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr integration.
The new device also comes with a microSD slot with support for up to 32GB of additional storage space, as well as with GPS Navigation, Bluetooth, Visual Voicemail, Sprint Mobile Hotspot, Wi-Fi, and support for applications available for download via the Android Market.
“Priced at the lowest cost at launch for any current 4G phone, HTC EVO Shift will be just $149.99 (excluding taxes) after a $100 mail-in rebate and activation on a new two-year service agreement (or eligible upgrade), and activation on a data plan with the required $10 Premium Data Add-On,” Sprint announced.