Sprint LG Viper 4G LTE Smartphone Hands-On (Video)

While the Galaxy Nexus will be headlining Sprint’s new LTE network lineup, the carrier did announce a second smartphone in the form of the eco-friendly LG Viper as well as a mobile hotspot. There’s not much that we can say about the device at this time as Sprint says it’s still an early production model that it’s giving press a sneak peak at.

The handset is supposed to be targeted at the mid-range user, rather than the high-end, so we can expect the Viper to be a more affordable LTE handset on the carrier’s network.

The device has an LG Nova display that measures 4-inch and has a resolution of WVGA. The Nova display is meant to be brighter than traditional screens, allowing for great outdoors viewing.

The handset also has an anodized aluminum back cover.

The handset is expected to be released in the first half of 2012. Specific pricing and availability was not announced. Sprint expects to launch 15 new LTE devices this year, and the Viper is among the first to take advantage of LTE.

In the past, Sprint has relied on WiMax technology for 4G, but switching to LTE will allow the carrier to offer faster mobile broadband speeds to consumers.