Sprint’s LTE network is only slated to go live in a handful of markets right now, but the country’s third largest wireless carrier is wasting no time in introducing some hew hardware to take advantage of the nascent network.

We were all thrown for a loop when a Sprint Galaxy Nexus popped up in an online ad recently, and the company has just recently confirmed that the handset is indeed the real deal.

Sprint hasn’t been overly forthcoming with detail, but their version of the new Nexus only has 16GB of internal storage (the Verizon model has 32GB), although it reportedly sports a faster processor than its Verizon cousin.

While the Galaxy Nexus will probably be enough to whet Sprint Android fans’ appetites for a while, it won’t be making its debut alone. The LG Viper 4G LTE packs a 4-inch Nova display, a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor, Android 2.3.7 Gingerbread, and an NFC chip with full support for Google Wallet.

Like another LTE device announced today, the Viper is also meant to ease your sense of eco-guilt, as its case is made partially of recycled plastic and its ships with a super-efficient AC adapter. It certainly lacks some of the wow-factor the Galaxy Nexus has, and early impressions seem mixed, but it could prove to be a solid option for those who LTE connectivity without a hefty price tag.