In case you wonder what the fuss is all about, know that the Epic 2 comes with a sliding QWERTY keyboard and looks like the image above, that may not be so clear, but it’s all we have right now. The Epic 2 resembles the Samsung Epic 4G and features a 1.2GHz single core processor, a 4 inch qHD screen, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n and an 8 megapixel camera at the back. This looks more like a mid-end offering to me, than a high end one, also explaining the $100 price tag on contract it has attached.

Among the speculations regarding the delay of the phone we find the fact that Samsung could have rethought the handset and made it more appealing to the public, by upgrading the specs. Also, it’s possible that Sprint decided t postpone the product and focus on   more popular form factor, like the one of the Epic 4G Touch… And now I’m hoping that we won’t see yet another delay, else it would be fatal for the phone.

This will be a very affordable handset when it launches and right now it’s available on Boost Mobile, but this is the Sprint version I’m talking about. On Boost the phone goes for $229 off contract, while Sprint has yet to release details about its pricing in its portofolio. The specs include a 1GHz processor of the Qualcomm kind, plus a 3.5 inch display with 320 x 480 pixel resolution and 512 MB of RAM.

There’s also 2GB of ROM, a 3 megapixel camera at the back and a VGA cam upfront. Of course, there’s also that physical sliding keyboard included and Android 2.3 Gingerbread as the OS. Sprint ID customization is included here too and as far as price speculation goes, some say we might see this model with a $50 or less price tag on a 2 year commitment.

The info comes from the Wall Street Journal, who claims that Sprint has ordered 30 million and more next gen iPhones, in order to fight the rivals from AT&T and Verizon. This is the third place operator in the USA, one that has 52 million subscribers, most of them prepaid. However, keep in mind that if this is truly the cheaper budget iPhone we’ve been hearing about, the customers will be happy.

If that’s not the case, turning prepaid folks into contract ones will be a tough task, involving heavy subsidies and many hot offers. Let’s hope that at least the new iPhone comes with WiMAX or maybe a surprising LTE support. I guess we’ll find that out in about 8 hours.

Admiral is supposed to be a rugged portrait QWERTY handset, one that packs a 3.1 inch display and a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash. Before you get too excited, know that the video below is private, so maybe you won’t see the phone after all. The selling point here is the Sprint CDMA-based Direct Connect service, a new means of communication from one of the big four carriers in the States.

Expect a full detailing from Sprint on October 7th, when an official meeting of sorts will take place. The launch of the Direct Connect service will take place on October 2nd and increased coverage will follow throughout the next year. Compatible phones include the Motorola admiral, Kyocera DuraMax and DuraCore.

The model will be available for pre-order starting September 20 and Sprint will be the one to sell it. We have to remind you that this is a very thin phone, with a mere 9.2mm waistline, a 4 inch WVGA Nova display that’s very bright and impressive visibility in and out doors. There’s also WiFi, GPS and a 5 megapixel camera on board, with autofocus and LED flash.

The brain of the device is a 1GHz processor, but there’s no problem with lag here, so worry not. Another nifty extra feature is that the Marquee runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and not Froyo like the Asian and European Optimus Black. The handset will be launched in partnership with non-profit design collective MADE during the New York Fashion Week, so it’s going to be a trendy item.

Imagine if the new iPhone is LTE gear, meaning that unlimited data offer could take down entire networks in busy work days. Sprint is right now the States’ third largest carrier and a candidate to be among the first to sell the new iPhone. The unlimited offer they’ll have is a pretty nice selling point that will draw people away from AT&T and Verizon, that are already part of the iPhone 5 plans.

We’re not extremely surprised by this carrier’s offer, since they also have unlimited offers for handsets from Research in Motion and HTC, like the Evo model. Make no mistake, this is not quite a cheap plan, since it will set you back $99.99 a month with unlimited voice and data included. Meanwhile, AT&T has an unlimited voice service for $69.99 monthly and 200MB of traffic for $15 a month or 2GB for $25, or maybe 4GB for $45.

Verizon has special data plans for the iPhone, starting at $30 per month (2GB) and reaching $80 for 10GB, bundled with unlimited voice for $69.99. So, which one will you choose?

Just like the Galaxy S, this dual core 1.2GHz smartphone will get different names on different carriers, so Within is just one of the versions. Turns out that this Sprint unit will be released this month and the images in this article confirm the rumor. Supposedly, this smartphone runs Android 2.3.4 Gingerbread, also including Google Talk video call support in the mix.

I suggest you keep an eye on this one, as it’s a very good smartphone, with an incredible Super AMOLED Plus display, 1.2GHz CPU and great 8 megapixel camera with support for 1080p video capture. Expect more leaks of this upcoming device to pop up.

Shortly after the leak, the Samsung phone disappeared from the site, but what remained are the specs. These include a 3.5 inch HVGA capacitive touchscreeen display, a 3.2 megapixel camera and a 1.3 megapixel front camera. Android 2.3 is also on board, but without TouchWiz and as far as connectivity goes, you get tri-band CDMA (800 MHz frequencies included).

If you’re wondering about launch date, know that by July 24 you’ll be able to purchase the Samsung Conquer and the Motorola Photon.

The same inside sources are claiming that Apple wanted Sprint towers installed on its campus late last year and created job postings for an engineering team near the Sprint HQ. It’s assumed that the iPhone can even run on Sprint’s 4G network, which would be a first for a handset made by Apple and a welcome evolution.

Also, reports are saying that the Sprint iPhone will support dual band connectivity for T-Mobile, among others. A 4G iPhone sounds nice, but is Apple ready to come out with this new version separately from the fifth gen handset?

HTC EVO 3D has the appeal of a 4G smartphone, plus a great 4.3 inch high def screen that allows you to view 3D content without special glasses. This model was praised during CTIA 2011, where it was introduced back in March and it comes with a 1.2GHz Snapdragon dual core CPU, like HTC Sensation. Also on board there’s a dual camera system at the back, with 3D capture support.

You must know that this handset requires a Sprint Everything Data plan activation, starting at $69.99 a month, plus a $10 premium data charge for smartphones. As far as the EVO View 4G tablet is concerned, this is basically a HTC Flyer version, available on Sprint. The slate packs a 1.5GHz single core CPU, a 5MP camera at the back and a 1024 x 600 pixel 7 inch display. It runs Gingerbread, but it will get Honeycomb as a future update.

Also, the tablet is bundled with the HTC Scribe digital pen free of charge.