Sprint says Epic 4G has top launch but secretive

Sprint today said that its launch of the Samsung Epic 4G was "one of the best" first-day releases in its history. The carrier wouldn't provide figures but hinted it was prepared for the possibility of sellouts. The record came in spite of a higher $250 contract price.

The company has often been reluctant to provide data, but it's likely the device's results won't compare to the HTC Evo 4G that has been hailed as Sprint's turnaround device. Reports from various users still suggest no shortages of the Epic 4G, which is still available online; the Evo 4G sold out almost instantly and was only briefly available online this week before being pulled once again.

Sprint's launches have usually paled in comparison to AT&T's iPhone 4 launch and even those for the Verizon Droid line, but the Epic 4G is likely to be important to the provider even as a supplement to catch customers when the Evo 4G has sold out. It and the wider Galaxy S lineup are poised to help Android minimize the impact of Apple; even before the Epic 4G, Samsung had sold one million Galaxy S phones in the US in just over six weeks.

The position of phones like the Epic 4G may not change until next year, when talk exists of a possible Sprint iPhone in January.

By Electronista Staff