It’s no secret that Sprint is struggling as a network, with many users reporting poor 3G speeds and a weak 4G network. On top of that, they are now making the switch from WiMax to LTE, a move that will either make or break the carrier. Sprint was once a premiere Android carrier, with the EVO 4G, the best phone of its time. Since then there hasn’t been an exclusive handset on the carrier that has gained such success, and Sprint’s proven to be more of a last resort than a carrier people truly want to be on.

Some may recall my article about how the EVO 4G LTE is a disappointment, where I stated that the EVO doesn’t have what it takes to bring a dying carrier back into the game. Despite having all the high-end features of many phones coming to the market, it had nothing to truly differentiate it. We now have information of the first LTE phone that will be hitting the Now Network, and it won’t be the EVO.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus originally launched in markets outside the US, later hitting Verizon in mid-December (after more than enough delays). It proved to be a hit for the carrier, bringing the Nexus experience to Big Red for the first time. Not too long after Sprint announced they would be launching it alongside its new LTE network, a move that was very unexpected. Just today we heard that the handset will finally be shipping April 22nd. The LTE network isn’t live yet, but I’ve heard a few grumblings of a couple markets already being live.

Sprint needed this device at it’s launch. At this point, anyone who has been dying to get the handset has already gotten it. And with no official LTE at launch, the Verizon version is already better.  I had one for a few months, and it has been the most impressive Android handset to date. But is it enough to bring Sprint back? Not when it’s been available on Verizon since last year.

LTE is all the rage these days, proving to be the fatest and most reliable form of 4G. Sprint and Clearwire’s WiMax network is shutting down in 2015, and that proves that LTE has won the race. But Sprint is already behind. Verizon has had its network running for over a year now, and AT&T has since late last year. Sure, T-Mobile might not have even announced its full LTE plans, but it has a blazing 42Mbps HSPA+ network to hold out for now. Trust me, it’s better than the WiMax Sprint offers.

So could the Galaxy Nexus really make a difference? Doubtful, at best. Sprint needs a handset that no other carrier will offer, containing the best specs, a sexy body, and a camera only the gods would use. As it turns out, a phones camera can make or break the sale for many people.

Is anyone planning on pre-ordering the Galaxy Nexus? Is it even worth grabbing at this point?