We reported on the good news of Sprint and HTC removing Carrier IQ from the HTC EVO 3D yesterday, but what would you say if I told you HTC has confirmed that Sprint will be phasing out Carrier IQ completely. I’m guessing the first thing you’ll do is remove that silly tinfoil hat from your head, then perhaps go outside again. Kidding aside, we knew this was coming, and it’s nice to see some confirmation on the subject.

If you’ve been looking for a mid-range Android device and are on a budget, you may want to take a look at what Sprint has to offer. The LG Marquee and Samsung Transform Ultra are now being offered for free when signing up for a new two-year contract. While these devices aren’t the cream of the crop, they are more than capable of performing the necessary tasks for an average user on a budget. If the Lg Marquee sounds familiar, it’s because Boost Mobile just recently added it to their pre-paid lineup, and now it has become a “no-cost” option on Sprint.

The Samsung Galaxy Note, in all of its 5.3″ glory, had a strong presence at CES this year. The announcement of it coming stateside on AT&T had many giddy with anticipation, while others wondered who in the world would want such a large “not quite a phone, not quite a tablet.” Whether or not this device appeals to you doesn’t diminish its intrigue and it seems other US carriers are now taking interest. According to an “industry analyst” that spoke with the Examiner, the Galaxy Note will definitely be available to Sprint and Verizon subscribers, possibly under a different name:

“It will possibly be called the Galaxy Journal. But it is certainly coming to both Sprint and Verizon during the first half of the year,” said Los Angeles Industry Analyst Paul Mueller.

You may remember the “minor” security update for the HTC EVO 3D that Sprint rolled out a few days ago, but I bet you didn’t know it had a hidden surprise (don’t worry it’s a good surprise). It appears Sprint was kind enough to remove Carrier IQ from the HTC EVO 3D as slyly as they implemented it. This is great news for EVO 3D users looking to get that monkey off their back.

Whether you like it or not, phones are being pushed out at a ridiculous rate, and whatever you purchase today will most likely be outdated within the year. Such is the case with the recent announcement of Motorola’s DROID 4. It’s only been six months since the DROID 3 was released and Motorola has already moved on to the next big iteration, leaving consumers to wonder why there was even a DROID 3 to begin with? To add insult to injury, Verizon has just dropped the price of the DROID 3 to $99 in preparation for the DROID 4 landing.