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Sprint to launch first 4G WiMAX Android smartphone in 2010?

By: , IntoMobile
Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 4:23 PM

android-robot-logoAndroid smartphones are gaining traction. T-Mobile USA will soon launch the Motorola CLIQ and is already home to two distinct Android handsets – the T-Mobile G1 and T-Mobile myTouch3G. Sprint is expected to go live with the HTC Hero next month. Verizon is expected to welcome the Motorola Sholes to its network in October. And, it looks like Sprint is looking to become the first wireless carrier to offer a 4G WiMAX Android handset. PC World speculates that Sprint is preparing to launch a 4G Android smartphone made by Samsung in 2010.

Sprint has a majority stake in Clearwire’s WiMAX business, and has been pushing to get the network up and running across the US. WiMAX can offer mobile broadband speeds several times faster than anything T-Mobile or AT&T can serve at the moment. So, it makes sense that Sprint wants to cash in on the Android movement with a WiMAX handset.

If Sprint can get this rumored 4G Android handset to market in time, they might just be able to clinch the “world’s first” title. But, Verizon Wireless is gunning to light up their national 4G LTE network in early 2010. LTE offers much faster mobile broadband speeds than WiMAX, and if Verizon launches an LTE Android handset, it could hurt Sprint.

For now, we don’t have much to go on. Just keep your eyes peeled for a 4G Android smartphone from Samsung going to Sprint in the near future.

[Via: iPhoneCentral]

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About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

  • Mattemer

    This is great news, and while as of right now, LTE is faster than WiMax, there should be a newer “version” of WiMax being ratified this year, which will be comparable to LTE Speeds.