Jan 11, 2011 08:47 GMT  ·  By

Wireless carrier Sprint has just made one of its high-end devices a little more appealing than it already was, namely the Samsung Epic 4G, which is now available for purchase for only $199.99. The mobile phone was initially put on sale at the wireless carrier with a price tag of $249.99 attached to it upon the signing of a two-year contract agreement with the wireless carrier.

One of the main features of this handset would be the support it offers for the carrier's 4G network. Beside the HTC EVO 4G, this was the only Android device at Sprint to include the feature.

However, the price cut makes sense now, since the carrier has just launched a new Android-based mobile phone that includes 4G WiMAX connectivity options, the HTC EVO Shift 4G.

Not to mention that a handful of other 4G-capable smartphones were unveiled last week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, some with HSPA+ connectivity, others with LTE (Long Term Evolution) support.

Sprint is no longer having exclusivity on 4G services, and this determined the company to slash the price tag for Epic 4G to the usual $199.99 contract price that most high-end smartphones in the US market enjoy.

The Epic 4G is indeed one of the most appealing smartphones there, pairing both Android with WiMAX, and a 4.0-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display with a slide out QWERTY keyboard.

The specifications list of this device includes a 1GHz application processor, a 5-megapixel photo snapper with 720p HD video recording capabilities, a memory card slot for additional storage space, GPS Navigation, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, and support for both 3G and 4G networks.

“The Android-powered Samsung Epic 4G was engineered for a legendary entertainment experience with superior speed and display innovation. Its 3G/4G speeds allow you to stream and download videos, applications and games at blink-and-you'll-miss-it speeds,” the wireless carrier notes.

“This pocket-sized entertainment hotshot is also a mobile hotspot. Share 3G/4G speeds with up to five Wi-Fi devices. With its full, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, super responsive touchscreen, Swype text entry and 4G speeds, you can be a social networking and messaging rockstar.”

On the downside, the phone runs Android 2.1, though it should taste Froyo in the near future. The Samsung Epic 4G is available for purchase on Sprint's website here.