The avalanche of Android devices continues, as Samsung just announced its first U.S. smartphone utilizing the Google-backed operating system. The Moment smartphone looks like it will also give Android the proper hardware it requires to run well, as it will come with a nice 800-MHz processor.One of my main beefs with devices like the myTouch 3G or HTC Hero is that they both have the same processor as the year-old T-Mobile G1. While processor speed isn't everything, I've found these devices to be a bit sluggish, and it definitely detracts a little from the whole Android experience. The Moment's 800-MHz processor should mean the phone will blaze through multi-tasking with minimal lag or stuttering, and this could show the real power of Android.

The Moment will also have a 3.2-inch AMOLED touch screen, and the slide-out full QWERTY keyboard should mean it won't cannibalize sales of the touch-screen-only Hero. Other features include Wi-Fi, GPS, EV-DO 3G, a 3.2-megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and access to the Android Market. The handset will come preloaded with Sprint apps like its mobile TV service, and its NFL Mobile Live service (which is pretty cool). I'm very happy that it has a standard headphone jack, and there's access to corporate e-mail with Active Sync.

The Moment will be available November 1 for about $180 with a new two-year contract. When you combine this with the Hero, and the upcoming Palm Pixi, it looks like Sprint will have a solid smartphone portfolio for the holidays.