Bellevue, Wash. – The first
smartphone specifically designed for T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network will be the
G2 with
Google.
Previously,
T-Mobile said its first HSPA+ phone would be available in the summer to deliver
4G speeds but didn’t identify the model.
The G2 will
be the successor to the HTC-made T-Mobile G1, a 3G slider/touchscreen phone
as the first Android-powered
phone in the U.S, T-Mobile said. The G2 “will break new ground as the first
smartphone specifically designed for our advanced HSPA+ network,” the company
added. A spokesperson declined to reveal further details.
HSPA+ service
is available in nearly 50 major metropolitan areas across the country, covering
more than 85 million people. The carrier, however, plans to double the
geographic footprint of its HSPA+ network by year’s end to 100 major metro
areas with a population of 185 million.
HSPA+
technology delivers theoretical peak data speeds up to 21Mbps, compared with
7.2Mbps on the carrier’s 7.2Mbps HSPA network, which reaches more than 206 million
people. The company noted, however, that 16 of its HSPA-equipped phones,
including Samsung’s Android-based Galaxy-class Vibrant, get a speed boost when
used in the HSPA+ markets, though not to full HSPA+ speeds. The carrier also
offers two HSPA+ USB modems.
Current 3G
phones have the potential to double their peak theoretical speeds to 14.4Mbps,
depending on their processing power, the
.
