NEW YORK – Sprint will expand its LTE smartphone portfolio and launch a series of Android phones, while T-Mobile will launch a mix of Android and Windows Phone 8 smartphones.
Here’s what they and Verizon have announced:
Sprint: The carrier will expand its portfolio of 4G LTE devices in the coming weeks with the launch of five more devices, including two from Samsung and two from LG.
The introductions will bring to 13 the number of LTE devices intended for Sprint’s network.
The newest devices are the Samsung Galaxy Note II smartphone/tablet hybrid, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 tablet, LG’s Mach Android smartphone, and LG’s Optimus G smartphone. The fifth addition will be the Sprint Plug-in-Connect Tri-Mode USB. Pricing and exact availability dates haven’t been announced.
The Sprint Plug-in-Connect Tri-Mode USB will be the carrier’s first USB modem to combine Sprint 3G, 4G WiMax, and 4G LTE technology. The only other tri-mode data device on Sprint’s network is the Tri-Fi mobile hot spot from Sierra Wireless.
LG Mach is positioned as an inexpensive 4G LTE smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard. Features include Android 4.0, 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 4-inch WVGA touchscreen, 0.48-inch thickness and mobile hot spot capability.
T-Mobile: The carrier will offer one of Nokia’s first Windows Phone 8 smartphones on an exclusive basis, join AT&T in offering the HTC’s Windows Phone 8X, and join Sprint in offering Samsung’s Galaxy Note II smartphone/tablet hybrid, which will be T-Mobile’s first smartphone shipping with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
The Galaxy Note II, with 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED touchscreen, will sport the largest screen in T-Mobile’s smartphone portfolio, and it will be TMobile’s first device with quad-core processor.
The device features 4G HSPA+42 technology, Samsung’s 1.6GHz quad-core Exynos processor, and T-Mobile Wi-Fi calling to place voice calls over Wi-Fi when cellular signal is low or lost.
On an exclusive basis, T-Mobile will offer Nokia’s Lumia 810 Windows Phone 8 smartphone, which will be available on T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+42 network. It’s similar to the Nokia 820 offered by AT&T.
HTC’s Windows Phone 8X will also run on TMobile’s 4G HSPA+42 network.
Sometime during the fall, T-Mobile will offer LG’s Optimus L9, a 4G Android 4.0 phone that’s only 0.36-inches thick and features premium metal trim, LG said. The 4G HSPA+21 phone also features dual-core 1GHz processor, 4.5-inch qHD Corning Gorilla Glass 2 display, Wi-Fi calling and mobile hot spot capability. The phone will be T-Mobile’s highest end device from LG and LG’s first Android 4.0 phone for the carrier, a spokesperson said.
Other features include LG QuickMemo, which lets people use their finger to write, draw, or jot a memo directly on a captured screen for sharing.
Verizon: HTC’s Windows Phone 8X will be available this year.
