Sprint to Launch Samsung Epic 4G August 31

Sprint announced Thursday that it will begin selling its version of the Samsung Galaxy S smartphone — dubbed the “Epic 4G” — on August 31.

The Sprint Samsung Galaxy S Epic 4G (how’s that for a mouthful) will sell for $249 with a two-year contract and after a $100 mail-in rebate.

Sprint will begin taking reservations for the Epic 4G through its website on August 13. Reservations will guarantee customers a phone come launch day (August 31), but are not pre-orders. (It looks like Sprint has learned a lesson from its previous launch of a 4G phone, the HTC EVO 4G.) Sprint stores will open at 8 a.m. on August 31.

The Sprint Epic 4G is part of the Samsung Galaxy S series of smartphones — a series which includes four smartphones for each of the four major U.S. carriers, including Sprint, Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. The Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile Galaxy S phones are called the Fascinate, Captivate, and Vibrant, respectively.

The Epic 4G, like the rest of the Galaxy S series, runs Android 2.1, has a 5-megapixel camera, and features Super AMOLED technology in the screen. Super AMOLED is the thinnest display technology on the market, which helps to make the Samsung Galaxy S series much lighter than other smartphones currently on the market (the European Galaxy S weighs just 4.2 ounces, less than the EVO 4G, Droid X, and iPhone 3GS).

The Sprint Epic 4G is different from the other phones in the Samsung Galaxy S series in that it features a physical QWERTY keyboard and 4G technology.

The Sprint Epic 4G will be available from Sprint stores (including Sprint.com and 1-800-SPRINT1), RadioShack, Best Buy, and Walmart, on August 31.