Sprint keeps shuffling along and is still the nation’s third largest cell phone carrier, however, now they are planning a hard charging move with their Android phones and their 4G WiMax network. Sprint hopes this move will assist the company in getting closer to the lead that AT&T and Verizon has over it, as well as keeping ahead of the threat from T-Mobile, which has recently been making strides towards Sprint’s third place position.
Reports say that in 2011 Sprint will have over 20 devices that will be able to use their 4G WiMax network. That amount includes devices like smart phones, tablet computers, and mobile hotspot gadgets such as Overdrive and Sprint’s mobile laptop cards.
Also, Sprint reported that about 70 percent of their new smart phones will use the Android operating system. That really isn’t unexpected, as Sprint was the second carrier in the U.S. to offer an Android based phone and the Android platform is the one that supported the first 4G phone, which was the EVO.
Putting all their efforts into the 4G WiMax network and the Android operating system is logical for Sprint to do. However, all of the other mobile phone carriers are putting out next generation phones of their own, so only time will tell if Sprint’s gable will do them any good.
Sprint is betting on the experience that customers will have using the 4G WiMax network will cause manufacturers of both the handsets and the gear to be more comfortable making them with improved styles and costing less. One example is the LG Revolution from Verizon’s LTE network. The phone is somewhat larger than others of its kind because the LTE modules it uses are only available in large sizes.
When it comes to the Android operating system, the hot phones like the Motorola Atrix and the LG Optimus 2X are going to other carriers. Besides having a good Android based lineup, AT&T and Verizon also have the benefit of selling the iPhone to their users, and something no one else has.
However, time will tell if Sprint does well or not, and it is still early in the year.
Sprint has come a very long way since the Sanyo 5500 and I hope that they continue to push WiMax devices.