T-Mobile intros first 42 Mbps smartphones and hotspot

T-Mobile announced on Monday its first two smartphones capable of fully utilizing the operator’s 42 Mbps mobile broadband network. The carrier’s version of the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Amaze 4G, both Android phones, were introduced at GigaOM’s Mobilize event in San Francisco. A new 42 Mbps MiFi, the T-Mobile Sonic 4G Mobile Hotspot was also launched.

The new devices come at a time when the no. 4 U.S. carrier has spent much of this year upgrading its mobile broadband data network. In 2010, T-Mobile boosted the network to 21 Mbps speeds and wasted little time in doubling the network speeds in 2011 with HSPA+ 42 wireless capability and additional backhaul to cell sites. That’s because the carrier is seeing data consumption double every six months.

The increased speeds are helping to quickly transition T-Mobile customers to smartphones that generate increased data revenues. In a phone conversation with Cole Brodman, T-Mobile’s Chief Marketing Office, he told me that “75 percent of the phones T-Mobile sells this year will be smartphones, and of those, 90 percent are Android.”

Without an Apple iPhone, the Android figure makes sense and the overall percent of smartphones sold is higher than the industry, which is estimated to be around 55 percent of all phones sold in the U.S. this year, according to Chetan Sharma, an independent telecom analyst.

As far as the new phones themselves, the Galaxy S II will look familiar as both Sprint and AT&T have introduced their versions. One immediate difference in T-Mobile’s Galaxy S II, aside from the 42 Mbps radio, is a larger, 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display.

The phone also has NFC capability, although Brodman told me the feature won’t be used at launch. Most other specifications are similar or the same: a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor (from Qualcomm, not Samsung), 16 GB of storage capacity with expansion up to 48 GB, an 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera and HDMI output.

The new HTC Amaze 4G with Sense 3.0 is also a powerful smartphone, using the same 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU but with a 4.3-inch qHD (960×540 resolution) Super LCD screen. However, the HTC Amaze 4G is positioned as a top-notch camera device with simple sharing on the fast HSPA+ network.

The wide aperture f/2.2 camera — good for low-light conditions — uses an 8-megapixel sensor. A few new scene modes, similar to those found on T-Mobile’s HTC Sensation 4G, are included to enhance the image-taking experience:

The phone also boasts zero-shutter lag, face detection, 1080p HD video capture and a five-image BurstMode. Images can be shared natively to Facebook, Picasa and Flickr.

Those who prefer to use laptops and tablets on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network may be interested in the Sonic 4G Mobile Hotspot. The 3.88 ounce device shares its mobile broadband connection with up to five devices over Wi-Fi and has a 32 GB microSD card slot to save and share data across the personal hotspot network. A small OLED display shows the number of connected devices, signal strength and battery life, which is estimated at 4.5 hours of continuous use.

Both new handsets will be available for online orders starting Oct. 10 with widespread retail availability two days later. T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S II, is priced at $229.99 with contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, while the HTC Amaze 4G will cost $259.99 with contract and after the same $50 mail-in rebate. T-Mobile hasn’t set a price for the Sonic 4G but expects it to be available in stores before the end of October.

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Android this week: Galaxy S II first look; Amazon tablet soon; more Hulu Plus devices

Since launching in May, Samsung’s Galaxy S II has been the company’s fastest selling smartphone, even without availability in the smartphone-crazed U.S. That situation is changing as Samsung announced a version for Sprint, AT&T and T-Mobile earlier this month. Sprint’s edition is already for sale while T-Mobile hasn’t yet announced availability and AT&T is launching the Galaxy S II on Oct. 2.

I nabbed an early review unit of AT&T’s Galaxy S II yesterday afternoon and immediately gave the handset a once over with a photo gallery. My general first impression: If you like Google Android and have or want an AT&T account, this smartphone should be at the top of your list.

The 4.3-inch display is so vibrant that I tweeted this last night: “Super AMOLED Plus gives new life to old “Cheers” episodes on Netflix.” Samsung’s dual-core processor makes this phone one of the fastest Android devices I’ve ever used. And even in my rural area where mobile broadband coverage is sketchy, I saw HSPA+ download speeds nearing 5 Mbps. I’ll have a full review forthcoming, but so far, I’m very impressed.

Also forthcoming is Amazon’s tablet entry, which will be based on Google Android. Amazon is expected to launch the device in the fourth quarter and it’s likely that next week will see the tablet introduced, due to a planned press event for an unknown product. Amazon has reportedly ordered monthly production of 800,000 such tablets; if true, the company should have plenty on hand after launch, even if the Kindle tablet proves extremely popular.

Based on an early hands-on look at a prototype, it’s pretty much a given that those familiar with Android won’t see a trace of it on Amazon’s tablet. The slate will use a heavily customized user interface that may limit what the device can, and can’t, do as compared to other tablets on the market. Surely it will support Amazon media offerings such as Kindle books, Amazon’s MP3 store, and likely Amazon’s Unbox video service. One open question I have is if Amazon’s AppStore will be supported for third-party Android software; my suspicion is yes, either at launch or through a future software update.

One app that received an update this week was Hulu Plus. The video subscription client was previously supported on just a handful of Android smartphones, but the list of compatible devices was updated this week. The HTC Flyer tablet in addition to the LG’s GX2 and Revolution, plus Motorola’s Bionic, Droid X2 and Droid 3 have all been added to the support list. The software is free but requires a monthly service fee of $7.99 to watch television programming on your Android smartphone or tablet.

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AT&T launching the Samsung Galaxy S II Oct. 2 for $199

The fastest selling Samsung smartphone, the Galaxy S II, arrives on AT&T’s network October 2 for $199 after contract. The carrier shared the release information Wednesday on its Facebook page, saying the phone will be available both on-line and in retail stores on the launch date. The high-end handset has been available in countries outside the U.S. since May and sold 5 million units in the first 85 days after launching.

Timing of the Galaxy S II on AT&T should prove interesting as the smartphone is arguably the best suited Google Android handset to compete directly against Apple’s iPhone, which is still a top seller on AT&T’s network.

The October 2 launch date for Samsung’s phone appears to be prior to an expected new iPhone. Apple is reportedly holding a press event on October 4, where it’s likely to introduce the next iPhone although the handset may not be available immediately. That would mean the Galaxy S II could enjoy several weeks of sales without competition from the newest iPhone model. Knowing that an updated Apple handset is due soon, however, consumers may hold off on the Samsung device.

To recap the functions and features of the Galaxy S II, the handset uses a fast dual-core processor and large, 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen. The thin handset also includes an 8 megapixel rear camera capable of capturing 1080p video which can be piped to a high-definition television set. A 2 megapixel front-facing camera can be used for video chat. And in terms of usability and performance, our own Darrell Etherington said this in his review: “This is the device that comes closest to creating a mobile experience as smooth as Apple’s.”

Of course, Darrell compared the Galaxy S II experience to last year’s iPhone 4. I’m curious to see consumers make the same comparison with Apple’s newest phone, which should rival the Galaxy S II in terms of hardware features. I’ve already suggested that a late U.S. launch of Samsung’s hottest phone could limit sales; we’ll find out next month.

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Samsung Stratosphere: Verizon’s next LTE phone?

Verizon subscribers may have their first handset with both LTE and a slide-out keyboard to choose from this week. The Samsung Stratosphere is reportedly about to launch on the largest carrier in the U.S., according to PocketNow, which has images of the handset. To the disappointment of many, Verizon chose not to carry the most popular Samsung phone, the Galaxy S II.

The Stratosphere’s support for LTE should appeal to those wanting a smartphone with a mobile broadband connection that averages around 12 Mbps, faster than many home broadband connections. The five-row hardware keyboard will separate Verizon customers into two camps, however. Some will want the keyboard feature while others won’t want the added bulk and weight it brings.

Few other Stratosphere specifications are known, although back in July, some details began to appear. The handset was seen running Android 2.3.4 at that time, and an Android Central tipster described the screen as “awesome” after taking a hands-on look. I’d say that means Samsung’s Super AMOLED Plus technology is on board, but we’ll have to see, since the phone looks much like last year’s Sprint Epic 4G.

If the handset has a 5 megapixel camera, as noted in July, the phone may be part of Samsung’s new Galaxy R line, introduced last month and touted as a premium category model with a combination of power, performance and productivity. I’d equate that to one step below the Galaxy S line, or between the mid- and high-end smartphone range, which could still appeal to some who had hoped for a Galaxy S II on Verizon.

When Verizon announced last month that it would forgo the Galaxy S II, I suggested it was due to the phone’s lack of support for Verizon’s new LTE network. There are few other logical reasons not to offer the phone, given that it has received stellar reviews and arguably has the highest specification combo in any single smartphone to date. A new Stratosphere may not replace a Galaxy S II, but it would show that Verizon would prefer to push handsets with LTE, even in the mid-range line.

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Will a late Samsung Galaxy S II launch limit U.S. sales?

Samsung’s hottest new smartphone, the Galaxy S II (SGS2), is finally headed to the U.S. market. The handset was introduced last night at a press event, with similar models for three of the four largest carriers in the country: AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. Verizon chose to pass on this particular device, likely because it only offers 4G service on HSPA and WiMAX networks, not LTE, which is what Verizon offers.

The SGS2 has already earned the title of Samsung’s fastest selling smartphone with 5 million sales in its first 85 days of availability in Europe and Asia. I have little doubt that it will continue to sell well in the U.S., but perhaps not as well as it might have sold if it were launched earlier: The next one to three months are going to offer many solid smartphone choices.

I took a very informal poll on Twitter after the Samsung press event last night, and while my sample size is certainly small, there’s a common theme in every single response I received: The window of opportunity for a guaranteed SGS2 sale has closed. Why? People — admittedly, high-end smartphone loving geeks, based on the makeup of my Twitter followers — feel the SGS2 launch is too close to the next iPhone and a new Nexus flagship phone that is expected to highlight the Ice Cream Sandwich (ICS) version of Android.

Here’s a sampling of the responses:

While it may appear that I’ve culled out responses that only fit my thesis, I didn’t: Not a single responder said they would be buying the SGS2. Does that mean the Galaxy S II won’t sell? Of course not: Given the solid reviews of this phone, it’s a top-notch handset and will surely appeal to many. However, if the phone were launched sooner in the U.S., perhaps to correspond with the European launch, those 5 million sales in 85 days might have easily been 8 to 10 million sales over the same time period.

There’s always a newer, shinier object around the corner when it comes to technology, so even an earlier launched GS2 would have eventually shined less at some point. The problem with a later launch is that the time to wait for the next new piece of technology is close enough that consumers are rethinking their purchase decisions. Had the SGS2 arrived three months ago, I know I would have bought it on the first day of availability. Now there’s simply too many potentially comparable, or perhaps better, choices coming soon. And hardware isn’t the only influence here: After using the iOS 5 beta for several weeks, Apple has addressed some of the reasons I moved to Android in the first place.

Sprint is the first carrier to begin offering Samsung’s new handset, which becomes available on Sept. 16; neither AT&T nor T-Mobile have shared availability, and instead have said the handset will be here in the “coming weeks.” Not long after that time period, it’s a sure bet consumers will also have a new iPhone, possibly a flagship Nexus handset and even a few new Microsoft Windows Phone 7 devices with the impressive Mango software update to choose from.

While it’s difficult to stay ahead of the fast-paced, ever-changing smartphone technology curve — now a 6-9 month cycle — Samsung should have launched the SGS2 sooner, rather than later, in the U.S.

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