14 DAY TRIAL // Although it was scheduled for release on April 6th, the device is still dubbed as “coming soon” by both Sprint and Best Buy. However, the retailer is now taking pre-orders for Sprint's Nexus S 4G, but does not reveal any information regarding the phone's launch date.
The WiMax-enabled Sprint Nexus S 4G can be pre-ordered from Best Buy starting this week for $199.99 with a new two-year agreement. Unfortunately, the retailer does not offer an off-contract price for the smartphone yet.
Potential customers who are not constrained to choose Sprint can purchase T-Mobile's Nexus S 4G, which is already available at Best Buy for $99.99 with a new two-year contract.
Sprint is also taking Nexus S 4G pre-orders, but the device cannot be reserved online. Instead, those interested must go to the nearest Sprint Store and add their name to the 'waiting list' by purchasing a $50 Sprint Gift Card as deposit.
In terms of hardware, the Nexus S 4G is the same device as the original Nexus S, which was introduced last year, but with a WiMAX radio inside that makes it compatible with the carrier's CDMA network.
The phone is powered by a single core 1 GHz Hummingbird processor and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread, just like its predecessor.
It features a large 4-inch Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen with oleophobic surface and curved protective glass screen.
Unlike the standard version, Sprint's Nexus S 4G is expected to be delivered with NFC technology enabled, which allows the device to read information from stickers and posters embedded with NFC chips.
The smartphone sports a 5 megapixel rear-facing photo snapper and camcorder and a front-facing VGA camera. In addition, the handset features a gyroscope sensor to provide a fluid gaming experience.
Other highlights of the phone include Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity, GPS with A-GPS support, 16GB of internal storage, 512 MB RAM, as well as support for Adobe Flash Player v10.1.
