( CNN ) -- Android smartphones can do a lot , but unless you 're already an Android power user or enjoy configuring a sophisticated device , getting set up on your first Android phone is probably a bit of an ordeal . Speaking from experience , it 's definitely not as simple or straightforward as getting started with your first iPhone . Sprint aims to ease the setup process with Sprint ID , a service launched this month for the carrier 's new mid-range Android phones . In a nutshell , Sprint is providing preconfigured packages of apps , wallpaper , icons , ringtones and premium content ( through partnerships with major media brands ) . Sprint ID packs are free to download and install , but users are charged for premium content and features delivered through those packs . Users can customize their own phones further , and you can load up to to five Sprint ID packs on a device . This may sound limiting to experienced smartphone users , but it 's probably a good enough starting point for most beginning Android users , especially if you just got your first-ever phone that goes beyond what a basic feature phone or messaging phone can do . As a Sprint news release notes : `` According to the Pew Research Center , more than one third of US adults own smartphones , but three out of four of those owners do n't use many of the smartphone 's features . It 's not because they do n't want apps that are cool or make their lives easier ; it 's because finding the right content is simply too confusing , time consuming or even intimidating . '' Phonescoop is reporting that Sprint is also rolling out the Sprint ID service for higher-end Android devices -- specifically the Samsung Epic 4G and the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy tablet . It probably would have to come up with far more sophisticated packages to make this service compelling to users of those devices . We 'll see what emerges on this front . The Sprint ID concept is intriguing . Basically , it 's selling `` skins '' for Android devices . In this case , the purpose is to ease the less-experienced user 's setup process and overall experience . But skins for Android devices can serve many purposes for all kinds of users . And the more the device can do , the greater the opportunities for creating compelling skins that integrate a wide range of content and functions . Sprint views Sprint ID not just as a service for the packs it decides to offer , but a platform through which others can create and offer their own custom Android skins . These could be sold or given away either to the general public or a select group of users , such as fans of a particular band or team , or employees of a large company . The October 12 episode of `` The Cell Phone Junkie Unlocked '' podcast included an interview at CTIA with a Sprint representative who explained that the Sprint ID platform basically allows developers to create custom collections of applications , widgets and other tools to serve specific user groups . For instance , many large companies already provide smartphones for their employees . The IT or telecom department of a large company like FedEx or Merrill Lynch might use Sprint ID to deploy an Android skin for its employees that would include access to in-house proprietary tools or information . Employees could activate the job-related skin during the workday , then switch to a personal skin ( or no skin ) when off-duty . This week 's Sprint Developer Conference included several sessions that focus on Sprint ID , so expect to see the list of available public and proprietary Sprint ID packs expanding significantly in coming months . Sprint has n't yet specified how it will choose those it will allow to create Sprint ID packs . I doubt this carrier 's platform would be wide open to any developer for any purpose , like the Android App Market . Also , Sprint ID packs are , of course , available only to Sprint customers , but Android devices are now available on every carrier . Maybe alternative Android skin platforms might arise , and they might be open , rather than tied to specific wireless carriers . Android Central speculated that this strategy may `` spell doom '' for phone manufacturers ' custom Android user interfaces like HTC Sense or Samsung Touchwiz . What if you could get an Android skin for the city where you live , or for particular news venues , or organizations that you support ? Why not an Android skin for Denver residents , or Texas Republicans , or stock traders , or people who track bills in Congress , or the BBC , or the Natural Resources Defense Council , or Presbyterians ? Right now , there are smartphone apps to serve these communities -- but apps are n't everything . A custom skin could allow you to integrate mobile web bookmarks , widgets , messaging services , ticker-style updates and more in one experience that you could turn on and off at will on your phone . It 'll be interesting to see how this concept develops and spreads .
Sprint attempts to facilitate the setup process with Sprint ID . com providing preconfigured packs of videos , wallpaper , music , ringtones , etc . Packs are free to download and install , but users are charged for premium content .