Samsung Epic 4G Android phone hits Sprint this week

PHOENIX - The world of Google Android smartphones is quickly becoming very crowded.

Many companies are releasing a lot of Android phones on all the major cell phone networks.

Samsung is trying something new. It’s releasing a similar Android phone on each of the 4 major cell phone carriers this Summer as part of one line of phones.

Each phone is a bit different from the next but Samsung calls the entire line Galaxy S. The Sprint Galaxy S phone is the Samsung Epic 4G.

The phone looks like many of the standard touchscreen smartphones we see these days. On the front you’ll find a bright, vivid 4” Super AMOLED screen. I don’t know the technical stuff behind Super AMOLED but I can tell you that the colors on the screen really do pop.

The screen packs a 480x800 resolution. That’s what many Android phones are using these days and a bit shy of Apple’s Retina display resolution (640x960).

The Epic 4G has 4 buttons just under the screen. They are touch sensitive buttons that are back-lit. The back lighting turns off after a few seconds of not interacting. This became somewhat annoying especially in dark areas. If you can’t see the buttons it was frustrating at times to try to get the backlight to turn back on. Usually a tap on the screen will do it but it didn’t always seem to work. On top of that, the touch buttons weren’t 100% responsive. I found myself tapping the “back” button multiple times just to jump back one screen. I would prefer hardware buttons unless the touch buttons are going to work really well.

The Epic 4G, unlike the other Samsung Galaxy S phones, has a QWERTY keyboard that slides out from the side. The keyboard is well spaced although it will take some getting used to. Personally I prefer the Blackberry style fixed keyboard or even the vertical slider keyboard (Palm Pre, Blackberry Torch). None the less, it’s nice to have the option of using the touch keyboard OR a real keyboard.

The 5 megapixel camera on the back shoots great pictures and good 720p video. It won’t replace your standard still shooter but it may come close. On top of that, the Epic 4G has a tiny camera on the front of the phone for video calls. I couldn’t get it to work right in Fring and it displayed squished in QIK (even though it played back normal). I’m sure these are kinks that will be worked out once the phone officially launches on 8/31/10.  The 2 camera setup is becoming the new standard for smartphones. Expect to see video calling take off in 2011.

Inside the Epic 4G is a 1 gigahertz processor that helps the Android OS to fly. Flipping through menus and browsing the web is a breeze. The Epic 4G also supports Sprint’s 4G network. The only problem is, Sprint hasn’t installed 4G in Arizona yet. None the less, it’s future proofed when Sprint finally makes 4G available in Phoenix. The 3G network was very fast while browsing major sites like espn.com, yahoo.com and our site, abc15.com. The web browsing experience was smooth, responsive and easy.

Android is Android. Sure, Samsung added a different interface to the homescreen and a few cool widgets but it’s still Android. I actually wish manufacturers would stop trying to customize Android so much. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! I don’t mind the added interface here but I don’t think it adds much.

Overall, my only complaint about the Epic 4G are those pesky little touch buttons under the screen. They work most of the time and you can use the hardware ones on the keyboard if you have the keyboard slid open but from time to time they were annoying. Not a deal breaker by any means.

Bottom line though, the Samsung Epic 4G is easily one of the best Android phones on the market. If you’re looking for an Android phone with a hardware QWERTY keyboard, this is the one to buy (as of August 31, 2010). It’s not too big, not too small and screams with the 1 gigahertz processor inside. It has a great camera for photos and video and a front camera for video calls. Sure, the $250 price tag makes it one of the most expensive smartphones on the market but the Sprint plans are the cheapest in the business. Even with the $10 per month extra data charge (come on Sprint, really??) you’ll save enough over the course of just a few months to make up for that extra $50. The Epic 4G stands alongside the HTC EVO 4G as the 2 best phones on Sprint right now.

The Samsung Epic 4G is available on Sprint right now