The Epic 4G was left out when CyanogenMod 7 was pushing out stable releases for devices but is now supported with CM9 Alpha 0. CyanogenMod 9 is the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich ROM developed by the most popular ROM developer for Android there is. This ROM also allows those using the Samsung Epic 4G to have a system that doesn’t have to deal with TouchWiz at all.

What doesn’t work on the Samsung Epic 4G CM9 Build:

• 4G wimax toggle missing from curtain (Waiting for upstream changes), use 4G toggle widget for now.
• Camera crashes when you change picture size.
• Video recording sometimes shows artifacts.
• Manual dialing causes Contacts to get stuck. Force kill it once and it seems to work after.
• Scrolling is broken in CWM v.5.5.0.4, so if you have too many folders/files you wont see which file is selected past the bottom of the screen. Until this is fixed, you might find it easier to create a folder named /sdcard/000FLASH and put stuff you want to flash in there.

If you don’t mind what isn’t working being on the build then head on over to CyanogenMod and download the current stable ROM for the Epic 4G. None of the broken pieces above really effect normal phone functionality so go ahead and give it a shot. As always let us know if you install it and what you think about it.

According to the screenshot below we were all excited about the Epic 4G coming with Gingerbread although Sprint has confirmed that this was a typo and that the device will not have Gingerbread out of the box.

Samsung Epic 4G Shipping with Gingerbread?

Sprint has however stated that the device will get an Android 2.3 Gingerbread update in the future that time is not now. Too bad we can’t hold them to the screenshot.

The Samsung Epic 4G will be receiving the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update by the end of this month. Samsung has been slow at updating its devices over the last few years since pushing Froyo updates to their US Galaxy S devices. Finally they are getting the Gingerbread updates to the Epic 4G after much anticipation.

We can’t say that the update will come smooth as the Epic 4G had a hiccup when being updates to 2.2 Froyo with Sprint having delay after delay. When they finally did puch the update they pulled back fast and now its time to try again with Gingerbread.

From what we’ve heard the update will come some time between July 24th and August 1st. Good luck this time all of you Epic 4G users.

Please keep in mind that this is not our list (we will come out with one shortly).  This list is according to PC Worlds Top Picks for 2011 at this point.  These choices are based on user reviews throughout their website.  We agree with some of the choices but not most.

Top 10 Android Phones according to PCWorld:

1. HTC ThunderBolt - The well-appointed ThunderBolt is the phone to buy if you want to see what 4G can do.
2. T-Mobile G2x (with Google) - The T-Mobile G2X is a no-frills powerhouse that excels at gaming, multitasking and video.
3. Motorola Atrix 4G (AT&T) - This dual-core phone is fast and boasts solid data speeds, but the Atrix-powered laptop accessory is a good idea poorly executed.
4. Samsung Charge - The LTE speeds dazzle, the AMOLED display shines, and you get a free mobile hotspot at least for a little while. What’s not to like? Well, the battery life disappoints, but that may not be enough to spoil the fun.
5. Samsung Epic 4G - The standout of the Galaxy S phones, the Epic 4G offers some enticing features like a physical keyboard, front-facing camera and 4G network support.
6. T-Mobile myTouch 4G - The powerful myTouch 4G delivers when it comes to multimedia and performance, but make sure you live in an HSPA+-supported area before purchasing it.
7. HTC EVO 4G - The speedy HTC EVO 4G packs in some powerful specs and a variety of multimedia features into a stylish, minimalist design, but not everybody will get to enjoy one of its best features–4G connectivity.
8. Motorola Droid X - Motorola Droid X shines at multimedia playback, network performance, and features; but the interface can occasionally be sluggish.
9. Samsung Galaxy S 4G - The Samsung Galaxy S 4G is a solid, powerful phone, but it doesn’t have the specs to compete with the next generation of smartphones.
10. HTC Incredible 2 - The HTC Droid Incredible 2 is an excellent upgrade from the original Incredible in terms of display, design, and camera, but it lacks 4G support.

Keep checking in for our complete list of the top android phones of the first half of 2011.  We will break it down by carrier to make sure each of you can see the top phones for your carrier.

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