T-Mobile's Next HSPA+ Phone To Add Video Chat

By Joseph Palenchar -- TWICE, 10/18/2010

BELLEVUE, WASH. — T-Mobile plans later this year to make available its second Android smartphone capable of making HSPA+ highspeed cellular-data connections.

The next-generation MyTouch, which will run the latest Android 2.2 OS, will also be the carrier’s first phone with video chat capability, which can be delivered via Wi-Fi and the carrier’s HSPA and HSPA+ networks. The phone will be available in time for the holidays exclusively through T-Mobile in white, black, plum or red. Pricing wasn’t announced.

The HTC-made MyTouch will join the carrier’s HTC-made G2, an Android 2.2 phone that became the carrier’s first HSPA+ phone on Oct. 6 at $199 after $50 mail-in rebate.

T-Mobile also offers two other HSPA+ products, both of which are laptop sticks.

For the video chat capability, the new phone features front-facing video camera and QIK video chat client, which enables live video chatting with other MyTouch phones, with other QIK-equipped phones such as a 4G model from Sprint, and with PCs loaded with QIK software.

The MyTouch’s r e a r - f a c i n g 5-megapixel HD camcorder captures 720p video and uses DLNA-certified Wi-Fi to stream the content to a compatible HDTV or other DLNA device. Other features include 3.8-inch WVGA touchscreen display with virtual keyboard and Swype text input, 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, preinstalled 8GB MicroSD memory card and an integrated media player.

The new phone also includes three exclusive MyTouch features, including a Genius Button that lets customers call, text, email or access the internet via a simple voice command.

For its part, the G2 phone features touchscreen, hinged QWERTY keyboard and an 800MHz processor.

Both phones support Adobe Flash.

All of the HSPA+ products deliver what the company called 4G speeds in more than 65 major metropolitan areas, with 100 major metropolitan areas with a population of 200 million people expected to offer HSPA+ service by year’s end.

HSPA+ technology delivers theoretical peak data speeds up to 21Mbps, compared with 7.2Mbps on the carrier’s 7.2Mbps HSPA network.