Who woke up at the crack of dawn this morning to get to their nearest Sprint store for a chance to purchase the Epic 4G? If you did, let us know. We want to hear your experiences on this launch day. Have an Epic day!

The Sprint HTC EVO 4G is hands down one of the most powerful Android phones on the market. The carrier announced today that it would become more powerful with the Android 2.2 Froyo update. Sprint also brags that it is the first carrier to bring this update to an Android phone. Some of the improvements include:

• Voice Dialing Over Bluetooth.
• Application Storage on External Memory, giving users more storage room for all their apps.
• Camera 4-way rotation allows the camera icons to rotate with the camera.
• Improved Browser Performance including a faster JavaScript engine and Flash 10x Support improving the user’s ability to view videos and available content associated with web pages.

Sprint says that the update will start hitting phones on August 3rd and will proceed throughout August. Customers who hate waiting can go into Settings and initiate the update themselves. Hit the jump for the full release

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Sprint is the first wireless carrier to bring Android 2.2 to customers using the award-winning HTC EVO™ 4G beginning Tuesday, Aug. 3

Android 2.2 offers HTC EVO 4G feature enhancements including Bluetooth® voice dialing, built-in Flash, the ability to store apps to the memory card and much, much more

The award-winning HTC EVO 4G just got that much better. We are excited to announce that beginning the week of Aug. 1; Sprint will begin rolling out the Android 2.2 upgrade to its HTC EVO 4G customers.

Sprint will be the first wireless carrier to bring the latest version of Android to its customers. The Android 2.2 software release provides a significant number of feature enhancements, including:
• Voice Dialing Over Bluetooth.
• Application Storage on External Memory, giving users more storage room for all their apps.
• Camera 4-way rotation allows the camera icons to rotate with the camera.
• Improved Browser Performance including a faster JavaScript engine and Flash 10x Support improving the user’s ability to view videos and available content associated with web pages.

“Sprint is thrilled with our customers’ response to HTC EVO 4G and the innovative and exciting experience it offers,” said Fared Adib, vice president – Product Development for Sprint. “It is exciting for us to lead the industry in bringing the Android 2.2 update to these customers and improve on the amazing experience they receive with America’s first 4G capable phone.”

Easy Downloading
Sprint will begin sending update notifications to users in waves beginning Tuesday, Aug. 3 and the upgrade should be available for all HTC EVO 4G users by the middle of August.

The notification will let the users know that the update is available and it will provide the simple two-step over-the-air download process.

1. Users will receive a notification that Android 2.2 is available for download.
2. Once the user has downloaded the update, they will be prompted to install the update. The user will be notified that their device will be disabled during the installation process. The phone will be ready to use once the process completes.

For those who just can’t wait to get Android 2.2, there will be an easy user initiated option to download the upgrade. Customers can access the software update through their HTC EVO 4G under the Settings Menu System Updates HTC Software Update. This will initiate the three-step process also.

Rave Reviews and Accolades for EVO
Check out what the top tech reviewers are saying about the device.
Walt Mossberg with the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) says:

“The HTC EVO 4G, when used on Sprint’s 4G network, offers the highest consistent downstream data speeds I have ever seen on a cellular network. It also has a number of other strong features: a front-facing camera for video chatting, and the ability to serve as a Wi-Fi hotspot (for an extra fee of $30 a month) that can simultaneously connect up to eight laptops or other devices to the Internet.”

Chris Ziegler with Engadget says:

“Let us be crystal clear: we love this phone. Nay, we adore it. …truly one of the best smartphones ever made…”

Sascha Segan with PC Magazine says:

“…if you live online, the EVO offers a big, beautiful, and powerful window to the world.”

“The EVO starts with a world-class 3G smartphone and adds 4G as a “turbo boost” option. If you’re an intensive Web user, you’ll like it even without 4G.”

Bonnie Cha with CNET says:

“Overall, the HTC Evo 4G is, hands-down, the best smartphone that Sprint has to offer and certainly ranks as one of the best Android phones on the market today.”

Jessica Mintz with the Associated Press says:

“HTC’s Evo 4G phone is fast, powerful and fun to use – as long as your heart isn’t set on tapping into the speedier new network it was designed for.”

Mark Spoonauer with Laptop Magazine says:

“Even if 4G hasn’t yet reached your neck of the woods, the Evo 4G is a killer device thanks to its zippy processor, huge display, and an interface that makes Android more intuitive and user-friendly. While the keyboard could be better and the battery life longer, the Evo 4G richly deserves our Editors’ Choice award. It’s a no-brainer for Sprint customers, and a tempting choice for those on other carriers.”

Matt Buchannan with Gizmodo says:

“It’s actually staggering how different the experience is of using a phone that has over 4 inches of display, diagonally, versus more conventional screens, which run closer to 3.5 inches. Even when you’re using the same OS at the same resolution-in this case, Android 2.1 with HTC’s Sense UI at 800×480, seen on their last few Android phones.

It’s kind of like when the jeans you’ve been wearing forever start to fit a little too snugly because you’ve been eating a little too well, and you finally cave and buy a bigger pair of jeans, there’s a mindblowing moment when you close the button for the first time of how much freedom you suddenly have to breathe. So you kind of hyperventilate.”

CNET, LAPTOP Magazine and eWeek gave HTC EVO 4G awards for Best of Show when it was announced at CTIA this spring. It was also recently cited on MobileTechReview’s Best Smartphones and Best Touch Screen Phones lists.

Customer favorites on HTC EVO 4G’s long list of features include the 4.3-inch screen, dual 8MP video camera capable of capturing HD quality and front-facing 1.3MP camera. They also appreciate the HDMI output jack making it simple to start a movie for your children in the backseat of the car with the phone and then connect to an HDTV to finish it when you arrive at home.2 Business customers highlight its super-fast 1GHz processor, simultaneous voice and data capability in 4G or Wi-Fi coverage areas enabling Web surfing and more during conversation, and built-in mobile hotspot for up to eight Wi-Fi enabled devices.3 For HTC EVO 4G images visit Sprint’s image gallery.

Amazing at 3G, Unbelievable at 4G
Sprint is the first national carrier offering the next generation of broadband technology today in 43 markets. Sprint 4G delivers download speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G from any other wireless carrier4, giving HTC EVO 4G a faster data speeds than any U.S. wireless device available today. HTC EVO 4G’s exciting features and applications are compelling and powerful in a 3G world, but they become even more amazing when experienced with 4G speeds.

Today, Sprint has officially announced that they will be carrying the BlackBerry Bold 9650 and will start selling today on their website. The 9650 will run you at $199.99 when signing a 2 year term after $100 mail-in rebate. No information on what stores have them or if they even do but expect quite a few stores to be sold out if they do.

Spint announced the availability and exclusivity of the HTC EVO at CTIA yesterday. The HTC EVO is the World’s first Android 3G/4G phone and has some really exciting specs. The phone runs Android 2.1 so it will not be behind like some other Android phones still dropping. There is no pricing yet, but Sprint says the phone should be available at this summer.

Sprint also announced that it would be expanding its 4G network in 2010 to Boston, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

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The Nexus One from Google is finally making its CDMA debut on the Sprint network. This comes one day after Google released the Nexus One that is compatible with AT&T 3G networks. There is still no launch date or pricing, but Sprint promises all the details soon. The Nexus One runs the Android operating system and is arguably the best looking Android phone on the market. Check out the full press release after the jump.

Nexus One from Google Coming to Sprint; Availability Date Announced Soon

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Mar 17, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) — Nexus One, the first wireless phone sold through Google(TM)’s web store, is planned for Sprint’s 3G Mobile Broadband Network. Sprint (NYSE:S) will announce pricing and an exact availability date soon. Nexus One will benefit from Sprint’s 3G network with twice the coverage of AT&T and 10 times the coverage of T-Mobile, both based on square miles.1

Sprint currently has America’s largest voice calling area of any carrier reaching more than 307 million people in the U.S., Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands with a Sprint phone and plan that includes roaming. PC World recently said no one has a more reliable network than Sprint in a 13 city 3G performance test.² Customers can check the quality of network coverage with street level mapping at sprint.com/coverage.

“Nexus One is a powerful device that belongs on a powerful network. This is another step in our continued partnership of innovation with Google,” said Fared Adib, Sprint vice president of product development. “Sprint customers already have the option of two amazing Android devices with Samsung Moment(TM) and HTC Hero(TM). It is a natural fit for us to add Nexus One to the list of choices available for Sprint customers who want the best value in wireless with the best in Android.”

Google’s online consumer channel was created to provide an efficient way to connect online users with selected Android phones. Nexus One will not be available in any Sprint retail channels. It will be available directly from Google at google.com/phone. The online experience of Google’s web store is designed with a focus on simplicity allowing consumers to match a phone with the service plan that best meets their needs.

“While a pricing plan has not yet been determined for Nexus One, we are confident that it will be consistent with Sprint’s commitment to deliver more value than our competitors and keep pricing simple,” Adib said. “Right now, our Sprint Everything Data 450 plan with Any Mobile, Anytime^(SM) gives customers unlimited calling with any mobile phone in America, unlimited text and unlimited Web for just $69.99 per month – the same price AT&T and Verizon charge for just unlimited talk. Our Everything Data plans include unlimited GPS Navigation at no extra charge and annual phone upgrades with Sprint Premier.”

Nexus One runs on Android 2.1, a version of the platform’s Eclair software, which offers advanced applications and features including:

• Google Maps(TM) Navigation: offering turn-by-turn driving directions with voice output.
• Email: multiple Gmail(TM) accounts; universal inbox and Exchange support.
• Phone book: aggregate contacts from multiple sources, including Facebook^(R).
• Quick Contacts: easily switch between communication and social applications.
• Android Market(TM): access to more than 30,000 applications.

Hardware features of Nexus One include:

• Display: 3.7″ AMOLED 480×800 WVGA display
• Thinness: 11.5mm; Weight: 130g
• Processor/Speed: Qualcomm Snapdragon(TM) 3G QSD8250 chipset, delivering speeds up to 1GHz
• Camera: 5 megapixel auto focus with flash and geo tagging
• Onboard memory: 512MB Flash, 512MB RAM
• Expandable memory: 4GB removable SD Card (expandable to 32GB)
• Noise Suppression: Dynamic noise suppression from Audience, Inc.
• Ports: 3.5mm stereo headphone jack with four contacts for inline voice and remote control
• Battery: Removable 1400 mAh
• Personalized laser engraving: Up to 50 characters on the back of the phone
• Trackball: Tri-color notification LED, alerts when new emails, chats, text messages arrive

In addition, Nexus One offers new functionality and software enhancements including:

• Enter text without typing.
• Use a voice-enabled keyboard for all text fields: speak a text message, instant message, tweet, Facebook update, or complete an email.
• Tell your phone what you want it to do.
• Search Google, call contacts, or get driving directions by just speaking into your phone.
• Take personalization to the next level.
• Dynamic, interactive, live wallpapers react to the touch of a finger.
• More widgets and five home screen panels allow for further device customization.
• Capture camera-quality pictures and video with your device.
• 5 megapixel camera includes LED flash, auto focus, zoom, white balance and color effects.
• View pictures and Picasa Web Albums(TM) in the new 3D Gallery.
• Record Hi-Res MPEG4 video, and then upload to YouTube(TM) with one click.
• Read your voicemail messages.
• Get transcribed voicemail with Google Voice(TM) integration, without changing your number.

For more information on Nexus One, please visit www.Google.com/phone. Follow Sprint on Twitter @sprint to keep up with news on Nexus One for Sprint’s 3G Mobile Broadband Network.

About Sprint Nextel

Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 48 million customers at the end of the fourth quarter of 2009 and the first and only 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.

Google, Nexus One, Android, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Voice, Picasa Web Albums, YouTube are trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the companies with which they are associated.

Facebook(R) is a registered trademark of Facebook Inc.

¹Coverage comparisons based on publicly available information as of 1/01/10 inclusive of Sprint roaming partners.

²PC World’s test included Sprint, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in 13 major cities in all regions of the country during December 2009 and January 2010. In all, roughly 9,000 individual tests of Sprint’s 3G service were conducted from 280 testing locations. Testing sessions were one minute in duration per location, and network performance can be highly variable from neighborhood to neighborhood. In laptop-based tests, Sprint tied with another carrier for first in 3G network reliability.

Sprint and Palm released the long awaited webOS 1.4 update. However, Verizon customers are still in the dark and have no received the update. Over the past few months, we have talked a lot about the webOS 1.4 update (here, here, and here) and we are excited about it. Sprint posted up a change list which consist of:

This update fixes:

• Time zone and network time sync bug

• BlueTooth car-kit transition to device

• Missing EV icon bug

• Random browser formatting bugs

• Incorrect digital roaming display

• Missing contacts on device swap

This update includes enhancements to:

• Phonebook transfers

• Capturing, sharing and editing videos

• Phone and calendar performance

• Email and messaging

• Adobe Flash 10

• Notifications

Check out the forum post here.

Today with what seems to be a mistake, Sprint confirmed the February 26 release of webOS 1.4 for the Palm Pre and Pixi. Quickly after being posted by an admin on the Sprint forum, the post was taken down. The update will be available via an over-the-air update at some point tomorrow. With some minor bug fixes and some major feature additions, webOS is going to have some real improvements. Check out our post from the CES Palm keynote that explains the major changes.

[Via BerryScoop]

Last month at CES, Palm announced that webOS 1.4 would be available in February. They failed to announce an exact date, but sources are saying that it is coming on the 15th. In just four days Palm customers will be able to update their webOS phones to 1.4 and get some great new features that the devices have been missing. Our favorite webOS 1.4 feature? Flash 10 plug-in support. We have been dying to get Flash on our iPhone and BlackBerry, but it doesn’t seem like it is coming all that soon. Palm has beat them to the punch by adding it into webOS 1.4. Also coming along is video recording where users will be able to capture video, edit the video, and share the video on YouTuve, Facebook, email, or MMS right from the phone. webOS will be available as a over-the-air update.

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Pixi Dust?

The Palm Pixi is the next experience from Palm, which is offered exclusively from Sprint for the time being. It is a follow up to the original Palm Pre for those who thought the Pre was just too thick and wasn’t pocketable. The Pixi isn’t a successor to the Pre though as some people might think. It’s just another option as mentioned above. The Pixi is in a candybar form factor that has a full QWERTY kerboard (which is very comfortable for its size) and a cramped screen on top of the keyboard which is also a capacitive touch display. The Pixi also runs Palm’s new webOS and doesn’t rear off from its predecessor. The “Cards” system runs multiple applications in the background at the same time, keeping you both in sync and in touch with your everyday activities.

Hardware

The Palm Pixi reminds me of the Treo Centro. They are just about the same size. Small, pocketable and useable; you can’t complain about those three right there. The Pixi feels really, really comforable in your hands. Almost as comfortable as a BlackBerry Bold or iPhone. It is perfectly designed and shows off what a small phone should look like. The keyboard is very clackity and is arranged in four rows that gave me a hard time to type on (could be because of my hands…). The keys are tiny and have a decent rise to them so that you know what you are typing on.

Palm has a form factor that uses minimal design. The front of the phone is just as you see it: flat piece of plastic, screen, and full QWERTY keyboard. On the  top of the screen it has those two main things needed in a phone now, an ambient light sensor and proximity sensor. The left side and bottom of the phone are left blank. The right side of the phone has the volume rocker and Palm’s signature ringer/vibrate switch. Also on the right side lies the microUSB charging port underneath a flap which has a magnet attached to it so it stays locked and secured. On the top, you have your most wanted 3.5 mm headset jack and power button. The power button doubles as a screen lock because the keyboard doesn’t have that shortcut like a BlackBerry.

On the back there is a 2 megapixel camera and a flash right slab in the middle. To the left and right of the camera and flash, there are two speaker grills. There is also a tiny hole where you can attach a piece of string, dog tag, or whatever so your phone will stay close to you like a female with a Louis Vuitton purse. I know what you’re thinking, is the Pixi compatible with the Touchstone charger? The answer is no, it’s not. It could be because Palm wanted to save some type of money (they are pretty much losing a lot of it right), or they felt the Pixi didn’t deserve one. Ask them, I didn’t make it.

Keyboard, Keyboard, Keyboard

I’m going to be the first one to tell you this keyboard is actually better than the Pre’s keyboard. Sounds funny, I know, but it really is. I wasn’t expecting some type of fireworks when I first laid eyes on this tiny puppy, but playing around with both handsets together you could tell the difference. The Pre’s keyboard feels more fake if you ask me. The Pixi’s, is far better in terms of comfortability. If you’ve typed on a Palm Centro, you should feel right at home, bangin emails and texts in no time. No really, you should. Palm has always had a knack for making quality keyboards and the Pixi’s size doesn’t seem to have held the company back from doing it again. Now mind you, this isn’t a BlackBerry Bold keyboard, but you have to show appreciation to those who earn it, and Palm you have mine.  To sum it all up, it’s small. Eventually as all other keyboards are, it becomes second nature to type on this phone. People like myself will though have a problem typing (HINT: huge hands).

webOS

Mobile OSX, Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone and webOS. Save the best for last right. I feel that webOS is a highly profitable OS for Palm. It is a blend of Mobile OSX and Android to me. You have that feeling of openness and reliability in your hands. Isn’t that something we long for anyway in a device? webOS is all about connecting and that’s exactly what it does, keeps you connected. webOS hasn’t changed at all for the Pixi and it probably won’t change for a long time coming. The concept of the “Cards” system is by far the best multitasking tool on a SmartPhone to date. Text messages, e-mails, and Facebook notifications all appear on the bottom of the screen without having you losing focus on what you are already doing. It just pops up and goes right back down. Palm has done a really good job on this OS concept and hopefully they finesse it even more. Another great feature of webOS is Palm’s very own backup system which is free for everyone with a Palm Pixi or Pre device, Synergy. Synergy is just like MobileMe for the iPhone or Mac OSX, and Google’s syncing feature on the Android platform (if you don’t have an Android device but you do have a Nokia (E or N Series; Mail for Exchange is required), BlackBerry or Windows Phone, Google has there own applications or instructions for setup on their website. It is available to use for free as well. Sweet isn’t it.) Sync your phone with Yahoo!, Google, Microsoft Exchange, Facebook, or back up to your Palm profile account. Or set up accounts with all four! Good stuff isn’t it. Think about  it, how many times have you lost your phone or all of your contacts while switching to another device? Sucks doesn’t it. You have to input all the numbers in one by one and it gets pretty tedious after the tenth one, trust me I’ve done that before. All in all, Synergy is a great way to have backups on everything you need to be connected on. I give Palm kudos on this one.

Call Quality

Call quality on the Pixi is quite good in my testing so far – clear and loud without much distortion at maximum volume. Overall the Pixi seems to pick up Sprint signal as well as any other Sprint phone I’ve tried used. I would say this phone is right on par with it’s older, bigger brother, the Palm Pre and as well as the Hero. All three phones have great reception even when you’re in an area where Sprint usually doesn’t pick up any signal, like your basement.

The speakerphone, on the other hand, isn’t anything to get enthused about. It’s loud enough for me and sounds like a cell phone’s speaker. It’s slightly quieter than the Pre’s speaker,less distorted sound, but gets the job done.

Battery Life

In real-world tests, the battery life on the Pixi was good, but not great. We can’t knock the phone too much, as it did seem to perform better than the Pre. My feeling is that battery life on devices like the Pixi and Pre, those always-on, always connected devices, is a nut that hasn’t been fully cracked. I was able to drain out a day’s use on the Pixi, but it was tight, and if we really went for it, a dinner time recharge was in order. I think, along with the Pre, that we’ll see some bigger after market batteries for the Pixi, but for now, you’ll want to keep your charger on hand and hope that a wall socket is nearby.

Conclusion

Do I think you should drop your Pre for the Pixi? No. Do I think this phone is placed at the right price range for a SmartPhone of this type of calliber? Yes, absolutely. Go ahead and become a part of the 100 other people who purchased this device. They love it. You should too. Its small, pocketable, reliable and fun to use. Now if you don’t want to purchase this because you are biased and love your current carrier (cough Verizon), you can wait outside to purchase one on January 25th for the Palm Pre Plus and Pixi Plus. The Pixi Plus will have Wi-Fi on it as this one doesn’t. Cool right?

Sprint prides itself on being the “first and only 4G network” in the nation. However, it is currently only in select cities. At CES, Sprint had a chance to show off the 4G data network. The company demoed it by having us play Xbox 360 over its 4G network… and it was really fast. One of the great Sprint reps was nice enough to explain and demo the 4G network for us. Check out the video after the jump.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KQBe39zRM4