Sprint Announces Samsung Epic 4G for the End of August

Sprint just made the announcement that we've all been expecting for, Samsung Epic 4G will start shipping on August 31st. The official statement puts to rest all rumors about the phone's release date and pricing.

Samsung Epic 4G will be the first 4G-capable phone in America with a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard and Super AMOLED touchscreen.

"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."

Sprint's Samsung Epic 4G is powered by the Android 2.1 operating system, but the carrier plans to upgrade it to Android 2.2 in the coming months.

The device features sleek smartphone design with a slide-out, full QWERTY keyboard and 4-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display, that supports multi-touch pinch, long tap and zoom, as well as vertical and horizontal swiping.

Other highlights of the smartphone include: Samsung 1GHz Cortex A8 Hummingbird CPU, 5-megapixel camera with autofocus, power LED flash and 4x digital zoom, as well as 720p video recording, Mobile Hotspot capability supporting up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices to share the 3G or 4G experience, Wi-Fi(R) b/g/n, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, microSD card slot, Swype text-input, DLNA, and 1500 mAh removable battery.

Samsung Epic 4G will reach the shelves beginning Tuesday, Aug. 31st, in all Sprint retail channels.

The smartphone will cost $249.99 with a new line or eligible upgrade, two-year service agreement, after a $100 mail-in rebate (taxes excluded). Pre-orders can be made starting this Friday.