These are the first phones to take advantage of T-Mobile's 42Mbit/s HSPA+ upgrade deployed in 152 markets covering 170 million people across the U.S. It already covers 200 million people with its 21Mbit/s HSPA+ upgrade, which powers most existing FauxG smartphones. The carrier says the 42Mbit/s upgrade offers downloads "approaching 10Mbps with peak speeds of 27Mbps," encroaching on Verizon Wireless 's Long Term Evolution (LTE) speeds.
Both the photo-centric Amaze and Galaxy variant will be available for sale online on Oct. 10, followed by retail availability on Oct. 12.
Why this matters
T-Mobile's CMO Cole Brodman told AllThingsD that the carrier doesn't think it will get the iPhone next month when its rival Sprint Corp. (NYSE: S) is widely expected to, which makes an attractive line of Android devices all the more important. What's more, T-Mobile won't be getting LTE if AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) isn't permitted to buy it, making HSPA+ devices -- and continued speed upgrades -- equally important. (See Sprint Tiptoes Around the iPhone 5 and What Could T-Mobile Do After AT&T?)
T-Mobile is already leaning heavily on the Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) OS, with 90 percent of its smartphone sales (which make up 75 percent of its total device sales) going to Android. Going forward, the carrier plans to add more Windows Phone and BlackBerry smartphones to the mix as well.
Brodman also told Mobilize attendees Monday that phones running on its 4G network make up 15 percent of its smartphone base, but account for half of its data traffic. Of that, half is video traffic.
For more
T-Mobile has been aggressively rolling out its 42Mbit/s HSPA+ upgrades all year. Read up on its 3G evolution below.
- T-Mobile Launches HSPA+ BlackBerry Bold 9900
- 7-Eleven to Offer $30 T-Mobile HSPA+ Phone
- T-Mob USA Upgrades With NSN
- T-Mobile Expands 42Mbit/s Mobile Service
- T-Mobile Expands HSPA+ in US
- 4G World: Faster 3G in US – Charting HSPA+
- T-Mobile's HSPA+ Rivals Clearwire, US LTE Speeds
— Sarah Reedy, Senior Reporter, Light Reading Mobile
Gotta watch those headlines.