Today, however, Sprint has announced that it has a new handset coming for users to pick up starting on May 8. The Sprint network will get the new Samsung Nexus S 4G from Google. The smartphone will sell for $199.99 plus tax with a new contract or a renewal on an eligible current contract. The device will operate on the Sprint 4G WiMAX areas and is the fourth 4G smartphone to hit the network.

The smartphone runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread and will be among the first smartphones running Google’s latest smartphone OS to hit the network. Sprint says in many cases the smartphone will get the updates for Maps and Android as soon as they are available. Other smartphone users often have to wait for months to get updates to Android.

The phone has a 1GHz Samsung processor inside that supports 3D graphics and it has a dedicated GPU too. It uses a big 4-inch Super AMOLED screen with high contrast and bright colors. The rear camera is a 5-megapixel unit and the front camera for video calls is a VGA resolution camera. It has 3G/4G hotspot capability for up to six other devices. The smartphone has 16GB of internal storage, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a 1500 mAh battery, and NFC technology.

Sprint is hurting for customers and it has the added pressure of the looming AT&T/T-Mobile deal that will relegate it to a distant third place in the market behind AT&T and Verizon. The company is taking the fight to stop the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile to Washington, but most think the more likely goal is to force the merged carries to sell off more assets.

Sprint isn’t the only one touting a new smartphone today, however; Verizon just announced the Droid Incredible 2 from HTC. The Incredible 2 has an 8-megapixel rear camera and a 1.3-megapixel front camera. It can record 720p HD video and has Flash capability. The smartphone runs Android 2.2 and it has a 4-inch super LCD screen. The processor is a 1GHz Snapdragon and it supports hotspot function for up to five devices.

The Incredible 2 will hit on April 28 for $199.99 with a new contract.