Sprint announced yesterday during its developers conference keynote, where we were in attendance, that Sprint ID will make its way to the Samsung Epic 4G and the Galaxy Tab. Originally, it seemed that Sprint ID was only destined for low to mid-range Android handsets like the Sanyo Zio and LG Optimus S. Perhaps users who are new to Android would benefit from these widget and application packs, but apparently even those who opt for more advanced or high-end devices could benefit from it as well (along with the carrier).
The service and packs are going to be a huge deal for Sprint, who added 644,000 new users to its fold over the summer – over half of whom picked up an Android handset. Pushing data is going to be huge.
“The Sprint network is built for data,” said Hesse during yesterday’s keynote. “We’re first in 4G because we didn’t have to wait for the LTE standard to be finalized. We also had a great deal of spectrum in the 1.2GHz swath that was perfect for WiMAX.”
Combining its focus on data with Sprint ID, the carrier’s CEO says, “We don’t make the content, we just make it better. We make it pop.”
As the third largest carrier continues to expand its WiMax network and pushes offerings like Sprint ID and high-end Android handsets, the continued growth in subscribers the carrier has been seeing can easily be maintained. Coupled with its Simply Everything plans, I find myself rooting for Sprint – a carrier that has been an underdog in the industry the past few years.
While the ID packs have received its share of criticism, both for the ads it will be serving up and the fact that it could be considered just more bloatware, I’ve found that there are instances when your average user likes these sorts of app packs. There’s no word on whether current Epic 4G users will see them, but future devices and the Galaxy Tab should come with the service ready to go.