1. Samsung Epic 4G Touch

Pros

• 1.2 GHz dual-core Exynos processor is one of the fastest on the market
• Epic 4G Touch's Super AMOLED Plus display is slightly larger than the original at 4.52-inches, but it's still gorgeous, vivid, and bright
• 8-megapixel camera takes excellent still shots, and is capable of shooting 1080p HD video
• Samsung bumped the Epic 4G Touch's battery to 1,800 mAh, and despite having a larger display than the original, it's able to make it through the day

Cons

• Despite being thin (9.6mm), the large display makes it somewhat awkward to hold in the hand
• Samsung has a poor track record with Android updates

Summary

The Samsung Galaxy S II is arguably the hottest Android phone of the year, with five million units sold in 85 short days.  After a long delay, it's finally coming to the United States in carrier-subsidized form.  Packing the same 1.2 GHz dual-core CPU and 8-megapixel camera, Sprint takes a great device and makes it even better with a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, higher capacity 1,800 mAh battery, and a reasonable $199.99 (with agreement) price tag.  It's a fantastic device that performs just as well as the international superstar, though the large display makes it awkward and hard to hold in the hand at times.  Still, it's Sprint's best, fastest, and most feature-packed Android handset yet, and is priced to sell.

2. Motorola PHOTON 4G

Pros

• Offers a dual-core 1 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, so performance is excellent
• Ships with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and the latest build of Motorola's Applications Platform
• 4.3-inch qHD PenTile display offers excellent viewing angles and is very bright
• The wireless radio in the PHOTON 4G is the best we've tested on Sprint to date

Cons

• The PenTile display is noticeably pixelated in comparison to competing high-resolution displays like Retina and Super AMOLED Plus
• It's a bit plasticky and feels cheaper than the HTC EVO 3D

Summary

Motorola knocked it out of the park with the PHOTON 4G, the manufacturer's first WiMAX smartphone.  With a 1 GHz dual-core NVIDIA Tegra 2 CPU, 4.3-inch qHD display, 8-megapixel camera with 720p HD video capabilities, and Android 2.3, it comes out of the box ready to fight for the top smartphone spot.  Battery life is decent with moderate use, and signal strength is impeccable in both 3G and 4G, making it a great Sprint phone if voice quality is priority.

3. HTC EVO 3D

Pros

• First Sprint smartphone to offer a dual-core processor (1.2 GHz)
• Ships with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) and HTC Sense 3.0, so it's up-to-date out of the box
• Offers a 4.3-inch stereoscopic qHD display, so glasses aren't required to view 3D content
• Excellent build quality, with metal around the display and a firm battery cover that doesn't wobble

Cons
    •    Despite the reasonably large 1,730 mAh battery, the EVO 3D struggles to make it through the day with anything more than moderate use
    •    EVO 3D isn't the best in the reception and call quality department

Summary

Just over a year after the introduction of the original device, the EVO line is back in the spotlight.  The HTC EVO 3D is a powerful device that packs quite the punch, with a 1.2 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 4.3-inch stereoscopic qHD display with 540 x 960 pixels, dual 5-megapixel cameras for shooting 3D pictures and video, and Android 2.3 with the latest iteration of HTC's Sense user interface, version 3.0.  Despite the awesome feature set, the battery life isn't great, and the EVO 3D doesn't perform as well as its competitors in the reception department.  Still, the combination of features and up-to-date software makes it Sprint's third best smartphone.