T-Mobile intros 4G HTC, Samsung and Huawei devices for sped-up network

Verizon, looking T-Mobile's way, likes to say that all 4G isn't created equal. And in so many words, T-Mobile is now saying the same.

Yesterday it introduced three new 4G products - the HTC Amaze 4G and Samsung Galaxy S II smartphones and Sonic 4G Mobile HotSpot - that as the first devices to take advantage of its new HSPA+ 42 technology will run faster than anything currently on its network.

In May T-Mobile announced it was upgrading from HSPA+ 21 Mbps to HSPA+ 42 Mbps - effectively doubling the speed of the network - in 55 markets, including Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago and Miami. But having launched its HSPA+ 21 technology as "America's Largest 4G Network," and not wanting to by any means alienate current "4G" customers, T-Mobile - in a deliciously cake-and-eat-it-too move - makes no language distinction between the technologies, celebrating it all as speedy 4G.

The updated cities can expect download speeds approaching 8 Mbps, with peak speeds around 20 Mbps; introducing its original HSPA+ network in November, T-Mobile bragged of 5 Mbps downloads and nearly 12 Mbps peak speeds.

In another fun have-it-both-ways move, the T-Mobile statement described U.S. Marketing Chief Cole Brodman as "outlining the company's ongoing efforts to fuel consumer adoption of mobile data through increased speeds of America's Largest 4G network."

"We've seen first hand," said Brodman. "Customers with 4G devices on our network consume roughly three times as much data compared to those with 3G devices."

Encouraging consumers to blow through data would seem to fly in the face of earlier T-Mobile statements lamenting the current "spectrum crisis" and supporting an acquisition by AT&T (CP: T-Mobile chimes in on the acquisition debate).

Regardless, the new 4G smartphones will arrive Oct. 10. The HTC Amaze 4G runs Android 2.3.4 and features a Snapdragon S3 processor with 1.5GHz dual-core CPUs, a 4.3-inch qHD super LCD multi-touch display and what T-Mobile's calling the industry's most advanced camera experience. The 8-megapixel shooter comes with a sensor for strong low-light performance and perks such as SmartShot, which takes five quick pictures at once to make sure the right moment is captured.

With a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, it'll run $260.

The Samsung II S, featuring the "Gingerbread" incarnation of Android (2.3.5) includes the same Snapdragon processer, has NFC built in, a 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus touch screen - the largest of any T-Mobile phone - and is DLNA compatible, so it can share content with a number of devices. With a contract and after rebate, it'll be priced at $230.

The Huawei-made Sonic 4G HotSpot - no pricing or arrival date have been announced - weigh 3.9 ounces and can connect up to five WiFi-enabled devices, including iPads, gaming consoles, laptops and eReaders, to T-Mobile's HSPA+ 42 4G network. It features an SD card slot that supports up to 32GB of memory and an OLED display showing details such as the number of unread text messages, battery level and signal strength.

What not to expect on the T-Mobile network anytime soon? An iPhone 5. Brodman - while introducing the new faster-4G devices - told attendees at the GigaOm Mobilize conference that Apple hadn't yet offered one to T-Mobile.

"We are waiting for that phone call," he remarked.

Credit: By Michelle Maisto