Sprint announced this morning in a press release that its first LTE device, the LG Viper 4G LTE, will officially launch April 22 for $99. If you are looking to get your hands on the first LTE device, pre-orders for the handset begin today. If you pre-order, you may receive the device two days earlier on April 20.
The Viper features a 4-inch display, Android 2.3 Gingerbread, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 5-megapixel rear-camera, and a 4GB microSD card. I have to say, this device is not all the great for being the first LTE device. However, it may be worth the wait for the Galaxy Nexus LTE, which is rumored to launch on the Now Network April 22.
However, if you do plan to purchase, make sure you know that Sprint’s LTE network is not yet deployed. Sprint plans to open its first markets by mid-year, and you can see the full list along with the press release after the break.
The first markets for Sprint’s LTE market are Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio.
Press release:
— Sprint (NYSE: S) and LG Mobile today announced Sunday, April 22, as the availability date for the highly anticipated LG Viper™ 4G LTE, one of the first smartphones to be available on the upcoming 4G LTE Network from Sprint. LG Viper will be available in Sprint sales channels, including www.sprint.com and 1-800-SPRINT1, for $99.99 with a new two-year service agreement and $50 mail-in rebate via reward card1 (excludes taxes and surcharges).
New and existing customers can pre-order LG Viper 4G LTE beginning today at www.sprint.com/viper. Customers who pre-order LG Viper will begin receiving their devices as early as Friday, April 20 – two days before the device goes on sale – while supplies last.
LG Viper offers Android 2.3, Gingerbread, a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 4G of ROM. It also includes a 4GB microSD™ card. The sleek, ultra-thin smartphone also boasts a 4-inch bright and clear touchscreen display for better viewing under direct sunlight. It features a Corning® Gorilla® Glass screen protector for extra display resistance. A 5MP rear-facing camera with flash and a VGA front-facing camera allow for a fun and easy face-to-face video chat experience.
Additional apps and features include:
- Google Play™ offers more than 450,000 useful applications, widgets and games.
- Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which allows the device to read information from everyday objects, such as stickers and posters embedded with NFC chips. Google Wallet™, another NFC component, allows the smartphone to be used like a wallet to make safe, secure purchases at NFC-enabled merchants nationwide
- Sprint ID allows users to cut through the clutter of thousands of apps by selecting from a variety of mobile ID packs. Sprint ID packs include ringers, wallpapers and widgets.
- Consumers can download Box on the LG Viper and receive 50GB of free cloud storage and sharing directly from LG, an estimated value of $240 per year, so users don’t have to stress about storing all of their favorite music, files, photos and other memories. The 50GB of free storage is exclusive to LG devices until July 22.
- “Life’s Good Fairytales” app, a customizable storyboard that allows parents and children to bond over the creation and sharing of unique fairy tales through their device.2
Additionally, LG Viper is Sprint’s first 4G LTE device to feature eco-friendly attributes, including ULE Platinum Certification, the highest level of environmental performance recognized by sustainable requirements established by UL Environment and Sprint, a casing made of 50 percent recycled plastics, and packaging that is 100 percent recyclable.
LG Viper customers can enjoy an unlimited data experience with Sprint Everything Data plans. Sprint’s Everything Data plan with Any Mobile, AnytimeSM includes unlimited Web, texting and calling to and from any mobile in America while on the Sprint Network, starting at just $79.99 per month for smartphones – a savings of $40 per month versus Verizon’s comparable plan with unlimited talk, text and 2GB Web, or $10 per month savings versus Verizon’s 450-minute plan with unlimited text and 2GB Web.
Sprint recently announced Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City and San Antonio are expected to have 4G LTE and enhanced 3G service in mid-year 2012. Sprint 4G LTE should enable faster speeds for data applications, and the enhanced 3G service could offer better signal strength, faster data speeds, expanded coverage and better in-building performance. The upcoming launch of these large metropolitan areas demonstrates the continued commitment by Sprint to invest in its network through Network Vision. Whether a Sprint customer is using a smartphone to share a video, checking the Web via a mobile hotspot, Sprint 4G LTE will make it easier. For the most up-to-date details on Sprint’s 4G LTE rollout, please visitwww.sprint.com/4GLTE.
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