HTC X7500 "Athena" has tri-band HSDPA

Is this a dream? Have we landed in some alternate reality where the world's hottest devices inexplicably rock 3G radios with compatibility on American bands? That's the only conceivable explanation we can come up with after catching wind that HTC's X7500 / Athena / T-Mobile Ameo will pack not one, not two, but three frequencies of glorious High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, aka HSDPA, aka "we must have one, now." Since all our intel thus far has suggested that the Athena would come out of the gate with 2100MHz only, we'd normally be our jaded selves and reject this new spec as hearsay, but Boy Genius himself has scored what appears to be a legit spec sheet straight from HTC that delivers the good news. Guess there's only one way we can confirm this (HTC, you have our mailing address) but we're cautiously optimistic that things are looking up for North America's mobile warriors here.

[Owen V @ Jan 26th 2007 12:44PM]

Sounds good, maybe this means it will come over for t-mobile USA once they unveil 3g

[Stu @ Jan 26th 2007 12:51PM]

There is someone actually selling what looks like a legit one on ebay here in the UK at the moment if anyone's interested

[Paul @ Jan 26th 2007 1:15PM]

Nice I hope all the new HTC device are compatible with the US carriers. If the Omni is like this im heading over to cingular and getting it.

[Kel @ Jan 26th 2007 1:27PM]

Just hope it's not a replay of the HTC MTeoR tri-band 3G goof up.

[mike @ Jan 26th 2007 1:28PM]

TMobile is going to use 1700 for 3G

[captainmicahp @ Jan 26th 2007 1:31PM]

When the HTC Meteor first came out it was also advertised as tri band hsdpa, but when the handsets were released they only had the one european band.

[aws910 @ Jan 26th 2007 1:54PM]

does anyone know when HSDPA will be available on TMobile USA? This will hopefully bring the cost of HSDPA in-line with EV-DO. Right now, Cingular charges $80/mo for HSDPA! I think they're doing it just because they're the only US carrier that has it.

[beanspants @ Jan 26th 2007 2:15PM]

t mobile is hiring UMTS program manager contractors right now as we speak. so, within this year/next year and a half or so, and they should have a number of HSPDA towers.

and cingular charges alot because cell towers are freakin' expensive. it has next to nothing to do with being the only one offering HSPDA. Sprint and Verizon offer the equivlent, and are both bigger than tmobile.

[Richard @ Jan 26th 2007 2:48PM]

So if this is a Quad banded GSM animal including 850 and the appropriate 3G bandwidth for the us (2100?) I want it now and can stop waiting for SE to get its North American S@#t together.

[Franklin @ Jan 26th 2007 4:00PM]

C'mon who really didn't think this phone had it? It' has GPS too right? If not I'm sure it'll come out that it's got it in there anyway. That's how HTC rolls now. $elective enabling.

[beanspants @ Jan 26th 2007 4:20PM]

ouch larry. i've worked in the industry for years, and only see hsDpa on extremely high level marketing docs and on gadget websites. it's really nice of you to make fun of my acronym dyslexia though.

Don't believe me? Do you see HSDPA on this doc title? Or this one? or this one?

LUCENT_302_401-384-271R03-03.pdf
UMTS-03.03 (Rel 12)
50601 DMSC Bill Nss 18 v2.pdf
ERICSSON CDR_PS (R12_1) 1_15519-FAY112040_6ENB.PDF

[brian @ Jan 26th 2007 4:46PM]

It's not HTC with the selective enabling, it's the carriers. HTC sells the carriers the parts or whatever, then the carrier screws them up... :(

[I love my treos!!! @ Jan 26th 2007 5:29PM]

I'm wishing for a CDMA version.

[larry @ Jan 26th 2007 8:28PM]

It makes you seem so foolish when you try to act like you know everything yet use the wrong terminology. HSPDA is not the proper term for High Speed Downlink Packet Access, best known as HSDPA.

[Kane Elson @ Jan 27th 2007 5:50AM]

Err well the HTC TyTn (Hermes) has quad band GSM and tri band HSDPA aswell.[and is available now, infact I have one] But the tytn is a nice size, the athena is a bit big for my needs.

[beanspants @ Jan 27th 2007 2:50PM]

you already said that. it makes you seem foolish when you repeat yourself when someone asks you a different question.

anyways, what did i say I know?
I know that tmobile is hiring umts program managers. i got the offer to apply.

i know how much cell towers cost. i've built quite a few of them.

i'm not a tech or a network engineer. i just told you that they tmobile is hiring. the job's in houston. i suggest you go up to them and tell you're qualified for the job because you know what HSDPA means. they'll be really impressed.