Rumors and announcements about handsets for LTE have begun in recent weeks, but Sprint may soon have the first 4G handset. It’s a smartphone called Supersonic that would run on Clearwire’s WiMAX network, which Sprint is reselling.
Sprint has not confirmed the matter other than to say at CES that it would have WiMAX handsets in 2010.
An article at Phonenews.com said HTC will build the Supersonic, which reportedly comes with a 4.3-inch capacitive touchscreen, FM radio and HTC’s Sense user interface. The OS is Android 2.1 mobile OS.
It’ll use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor that runs at 1 GHz.
Clearwire, Sprint and other WiMAX operators and resellers need attractive handsets like the Supersonic as soon as possible to stay ahead of their LTE competitors who are not expected to have handsets to sell until 2011. Their problem: It’s the giant incumbent cellcos who’ll be deploying LTE, and they can more easily upgrade their subscribers to it.
WiMAX networks today offer download speeds between 3 Mbps and 6 Mbps. However, the HSPA upgrade to 3G networks that cellcos like AT&T are deploying now can match and exceed those speeds. A faster version of WiMAX is being developed — but then, the faster LTE is already on the horizon. |
