Samsung Galaxy Tab Available for Preorder by Sprint Premier Customers

For the next three days, Sprint will be taking preorders for their version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The seven inch tablet is expected to be a major iPad competitor, and has been announced for T-Mobile and Verizon, too. The Galaxy Tab features a seven inch capacitive touchscreen, dual cameras, and Android 2.2. The tablet also has support from Google and features the Android Market and Google apps, something that some other tablets have failed to get. The tablet has already been reviewed by a few sites, such as Engadget, with one of the major complains being that some of the apps don't scale properly for the different screen size of the Galaxy Tab. Pricing is $400 with a new two year contract, and the smallest data plan is $29 a month for 2 GB of data. Oh, and for all you 4G fans out there, this is a 3G only device, so sadly no Wimax.

Blackberry Curve 3G Announced for Sprint

The Blackberry Curve 3G, yet another update to the popular Curve series, has been announced for Sprint. The phone will be coming on September 26 through Sprint's telesales and online sales, and then in brick and mortar stores on October 10. The phone will cost $49 after a $100 mail-in rebate and a new two-year contract. The Curve 3G is very similar to the Curve 8530, with the main differences being a slightly updated housing and double the RAM inside. A 2 GB microSD card will be included with the Curve 3G. The phone will be coming in Graphite Gray and Royal Purple, with a new textured battery cover on both. The main reason for the release of the new phone is that it will be compatible with Blackbery OS 6, when it comes out for phones other than the Blackberry Torch. The phone is a bigger upgrade for GSM users, however, because the Curve 8520 did not include 3G like the Sprint and Verizon versions. An Everything Data or Simply Everything plan is required to use the phone.
-Sprint Blog

Sprint Expands 4G Coverage Once Again

Sprint launched coverage in three more markets for September. Boston, Massachusetts, Daytona Beach, Florida, and Providence, Rhode Island are all cities that are now covered in WiMax. This means you can use your new Samsung Epic to access 4G speeds in even more places around the country. Hopefully Sprint will launch 4G in New York City within a few weeks, otherwise the Verizon Wireless LTE network might beat them to the punch.

Sprint Passes On Nexus One After All

Following in Verizon's lead, Sprint recently announced that they weren't going to be carrying the Nexus One phone. Similar to Verizon's reason, they are saying that another Android phone will be available for customers who want one. For Verizon, this means the Droid Incredible that is now available, and for Sprint it is the coming Evo 4G, and maybe even the rumored Hero 2. Although some people will be sad for the phone to be canceled by another carrier, the Evo 4G is looking to be such a good phone that you might just forget all about that Nexus One. (Huffington Post)

How T-Mobile Could Save Sprint

It is no doubt that Sprint is trying to make a comeback from their heavy customer losses and customer service issues the company has had in the past. And now that they have become the first U.S. carrier to offer a 4G phone, and the first with a 4G network, it is clear that they are going to try to use WiMax to win back customers and to increase their revenue. But recently, the other carriers, both in the United States and around the globe, have been choosing the competing 4G technology- LTE- over WiMax. What does this mean? Well, if wiMax doesn't have as many subscribers or carriers using it, it means that most phone manufacturers will produce more phones for LTE networks, much like we have already seen with the GSM/CDMA conflict in 3G already. It also means that LTE equipment would be more readily available than WiMax gear, making everything from phones to the tower equipment cheaper than WiMax. So, you ask, what does T-Mobile have to do with this? Well, the company is currently focusing on ramping up it's 3G network before making the jump to 4G, and hasn't selected a technology that they would use for their next network. Their parent company has already picked LTE, but there have been reports lately that T-Mobile is in talks with Sprint/Clear about using their WiMax network for their customers 4G gear. If this is true, and a deal comes around that T-Mobile jumps on the Clear WiMax network (or just plain chooses WiMax over LTE), this could change the game in 4G and for Sprint. Getting another carrier in the United States market to use WiMax would mean more manufacturers would want to make a WiMax phone instead of or in addition to a LTE phone, and mean that another company would be in the mix to help contribute money to network expansion, if they join forces with Sprint and Clear. Many people already consider WiMax to be an outdated technology, or one that will disappear in the next few years, which might be true if T-Mobile decides to go with LTE instead. This could mean that manufacturers wouldn't bother making a WiMax version of phones, or would just make phones for LTE networks. This could lead to many customers migrating away from Sprint and Clear, just to get better and newer phones on other networks. An increase in the pricing of 4G might also become a reality, as Sprint and Clear pay more for their network equipment than LTE carriers, and as customers migrate away to other carriers to get better phones or cheaper prices.

There is nothing decided yet in the 4G wars, and everything is just heating up in the 4G market. Sprint and Clear have established the lead for now, but if other networks can offer 4G with cheaper plans and better devices, then Sprint will be in one big pinch if they don't have a network to back up the pricing and phones.

Sprint Expands Buyback Program to Non-Sprint Phones, Too

Looking to switch to Sprint, but wondering what you are going to do with your old phone? It looks like anyone that has an old phone, even from other carriers, can now get credit for them when they give them to Sprint. Up to three phones can be returned to Sprint for a credit, and any phones after that won't be credited. If your family has been with another carrier before now, each person buying a new Sprint phone could give three phones for a credit, which adds up to a nice fat credit, depending on the phones. You can use the credit to pay for your bill or new phone, too. Previously, Sprint only accepted Sprint branded phones for a credit, but now they will take any phone and give you credit back for them. A great way to get customers, especially those that don't want to deal with services like eBay and Craigslist. (Sprint)

Sprint Most Reliable 3G Network (In a Tie)

PC World has conducted another test of the Big Four national carriers, and Sprint is the most reliable again (in a tie with AT&T that is). They got perfect reliability in three of the cities that PC World tested in, and they only dropped below 80% in a few cities. In addition to being the most reliable in some of the cities, they also have 4G up and running in some of those cities, which is a bonus if you live in a Sprint 4G city. Although they didn't have the highest speeds out of all the carriers, they have improved their reliability from last year (about 90%) four percent (to about 94%). Overall, all the carriers saw improvements in their networks. Sprint increased their speed in some cities, but were starting to drop in speed in a few that they haven't upgraded their 3G network in. AT&T got the best 3G speeds in almost every city that PC World tested, increasing by more than 100% in some cities. But if you are looking for coverage and reliability in your network, look to Sprint, which has already started on their 4G network and have almost twice the 3G footprint of AT&T and more than eight times more than T-Mobile. (PC World)

New Smartphone Low Prices

Starting this week, multiple smartphones from Sprint have dropped in price. Here are a few of the dropped phones:

Palm Pixi: $49 (was $99)
HTC Hero: $149 (was $179)
Samsung Moment: $99 (was $179)
Blackberry Tour: $99 (was $149)

Maybe the most notable of these smartphones is the Palm Pixi, which is only a couple of months old. If this is anything like the Pre, the price has dropped so soon because of weak sales. The launch of the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus on Verizon might have a hand in that, though. The Moment is now a great deal if you are looking for an Android phone, especially with the full keyboard and Android 2.1 coming soon. If you are in the market for any new Sprint smartphone, though, now would be the time to buy for low prices. But if you are looking to get the latest and greatest, these price drops might just mean we are going to be getting some new smartphones soon, such as the Bold. (Sprint)