HTC 'Supersonic' to ring in WiMAX on Sprint, Android-style
By Chris Ziegler 
posted January 17th 2010 10:51PM
posted January 17th 2010 10:51PM
Remember that mysterious HTC A9292 with WiMAX rumored for Sprint a few days back? Well, take a seat, folks -- we think we've got the lowdown on it here from a trusted source, and it's a bit of a monster:
- Codename is "Supersonic" -- a name we've heard at least once before.
- Feels a lot like you'd expect an Android-powered HD2 to feel thanks to a 4.3-inch non-AMOLED display and a svelte shell. (For reference, the HD2 is 11mm thick, but we don't have exact dimensions here.)
- It's got a kickstand on the back. This wouldn't be a first for HTC; the Imagio on Verizon has one, for example.
- Runs Android 2.1 with HTC's Sense UI.
- Our tipster saw it in white; production devices could be available in different colors, of course, but white seems like it'd be an intriguing choice for a phone of the HD2's size and shape.
- The phone's software stack is buggy enough right now to suggest that we're not looking at a release any time soon, but we don't have details on the projected launch window.
- It's fast -- Snapdragon fast, it seems, though our tipster can't confirm the processor under the hood.
@Steve Jobs CEO
Have you ever heard of Apple, and AT&T?
That's 2.
*drools* Guess I chose the right time to switch to Sprint.
@(Unverified) If the phone was coming out for another provider, people on sprint like you would be hating it :p but thats just the internet hate machine.
@Rick Goodman
I kinda have to agree, in every T-mob post half the comments are about how bad T-mob's 3G coverage is, including the one about the 21Mbps rollout.
Sprint's 4G coverage makes T-mob's 3G look like Verizon's map, and nobody's complaining.
@jon
And before anyone trots out the 3G vs. 4G argument. In average, real world use WiMAX should not significantly outperform 7.2 HSPA, while providing a significantly smaller coverage footprint.
As T-mob rolls out HSPA+, WiMAX will loose it's speed advantage, and likely still have comparatively lousy coverage.
@jon
O RLY now? I assume you think Sprint and Clearwire will just sit on their asses as every other carrier moves but them =).
By the time T-Mo does anything with their 21mbps HSPA, Sprint will have WiMax and ClearWire will already have WiMax in most major cities, as well as continue to work on the WiMax speed.
@MegaJapan
Short of actually putting a WiMAX tower on the roof of every Walmart in the country(which I hope they do, BTW), if you honestly believe that Sprint's WiMAX coverage will match or beat T-mob's 3G coverage by EOY'10, then I really can't help you.
The time scale for that roll out is just not realistic.
As far as speed goes, it didn't get faster in '09, why assume it will in '10?
@jon
And why assume otherwise? Unlike some carriers, Sprint is more of get it done and surprise rather than promises. It's not like T-Mo is actually being the fastest at making the moves. Specially since that black project turned out to be not what most people were expecting.
@MegaJapan
"Unlike some carriers, Sprint is more of get it done and surprise rather than promises."
Try again, this is from last march.
http://newsroom.clearwire.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=214419&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1263228&highlight
"It's not like T-Mo is actually being the fastest at making the moves."
T-mob was the last carrier to roll out 3G, they are the first to offer actual, backhauled 7.2 HSPA. That, by definition makes, them fastest.
Look, I don't know why you need Sprint to be the best, and I don't care.
But wanting doesn't make it so.
@jon
lol, by fastest, I didn't mean 3G fast, I meant developing/rolling-out-their-stuff fast xD.
@jon
T-Mobile is the fastest you say?
http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2009/08/21/carrier-wars-t-mobile-results-wrap-up/
Average Download Speed
Sprint: 1361kbs
AT&T: 933kbps
T-Mobile: 786kbps
Verizon: 701kbps
Average Upload Speed
Verizon: 322kbps
Sprint: 267kbps
AT&T: 180kbps
T-Mobile: 177kbps
@COCOViper
That's a post from August 2009, before Tmobile even had 7.2Mbps making them the fastest 3G in the country where coverage is available.
If you're going to source something, at least make it relevant.
@MegaJapan
Yeah, so did I. Being the last with 3G and the first with 7.2 HSPA, means they did their roll out in the least amount of time, making them the fastest.
@(Unverified) This will finally get me off of SERO, especially since they are offering me $49.99 for 2 years.
@(Unverified)
People need to stop "down-ranking into oblivion". These are valid arguments SOME people are making, anyone see this happening should flip a bitch and vote the comment up...
Wow, first WIMAX phone actually sounds like a serious android flagship device if it launches soon.
@Nerdtalker
Hells Yea! I love my Pre, but I'm a gadget person, who just loves the newest/fastest stuff out. If a WiMax Pre doesn't come out, especially after what feels like a snub with the PrePlus on Verizon... I must get this HTC!
@Nerdtalker It's Kinda ironic that Seattle has 4G but we have no Supersonics...
@Banksta3:
Haha.
If it makes you feel any better, Hijack City probably won't be in the first wave of the WiMax rollout.
finally a upgrade worth while....
Wow, great news for Sprint, I might hav a new phone after my Palm Pre
@trevr i laughed a little
Please don't mess this up Sprint. I have been waiting for this for so long.
@ambmiami
This is Sprint we're talking about here.
@mclark2145
And that means they don't mess up. At least not recently. At least not to me. I've been totally happy with all the Sprint phones I've had up to now.
@MegaJapan its sprint's history of launching flagship phones. its not necessarily their fault but there is a history of something going wrong. take the pre for example. shortage of phones, a app store that was still in beta, a sdk that wasn't publicly released for a couple weeks, and not locking up exclusivity for a long enough time. i remember when everyone was saying they would switch to sprint for this phone and then ppl from verizon saying they would have it in six months (which they were right on). i'm not saying its all sprints fault, but its like murphy's law with sprint and flagship phone launches.
@lockridge
You are so very correct. Fate does not agree with a national security asset. (Sprint)
Glad I stuck it out with Sprint! My poor lovely Hero has begun to feel a little unheroic among all these giants.
HTC and Sprint don't f this up! If this is the first WiMax device, all eyes will definitely be on this device.. Let's hope it's not a disappointment.
@sfox8
I got the hero this year as well. So if this comes out late this year i will be eligible for an upgrade.
And with sprint and clear finishing there system in grand rapids mi with in the next few months. I will be 4g out of the box!
@sfox8
Ohh and I am glad it has sense ui.
Android without sense is just bland.
Pictures or it didn't happen.
@Edobe
Photo-shopped pictures and it probably will happen later.
NICE! Sounds like a great device... bring it on... I'm dying for sense 2.0 so that I can throw it on my nexus :)
Come on Sprint, this is what we've been waiting for... Roll out 4G and dominate!
it seems i've been waiting forever for wimax to come (to the bay area) and for sprint to bring a 3G/4G phone. 2010 should be the year, but i've become soo cynical from waiting that i'm not expecting much. If it wasn't for the super low monthly cost (2 phones with unlimited data and 700 minutes for $100) i'd have left ages ago (and no longer have to listen to my wife complain that she wants an iphone). Please sprint, don't let me down
@NGnerd
lol you almost described my situation exactly. I pay a little less and only have 500 minutes, but I've been with sprint for 10 years because they keep offering me better deals to hang around.
Shit, I'm using a Hero now, do I stay and get this or get an iPhone?!
@Fadakar stay with the hero, pretty sure ur wallet would that u in the long run
@Fadakar
Haha really?
A 3.5" screen vs. 4.3"? A Cortex CPU vs Snapdragon?
The iPhone's now 3 year old design vs. the HD2's sexy lines?
Att's craptacular 3G (well lets be honest, mostly 2G) network vs. Sprint's 4G network?
How is that even a question you're asking?
@Fadakar The hero is still a nice device. HTC is working on an update to 2.1 for it. Stick with the Hero for awhile, that will give you a chance to see what this phone has to offer as well as the next gen iphone.
@COCOViper What makes or break the phone for me is apps, which Android sorely lacks. I was pretty underwhelmed with the Hero. And lastly, the iPhone, even with a much slower CPU feels much snappier than any Android phone I've ever used, including the Nexus One.
@Fadakar
18,000 apps is lacking?
I'm with you that the iPhone is still a slick device when it comes to UI speed, but I also have faith in faster hardware (snapdragon) and HTC. If they can get Sense running on Android 1.5 and last gen hardware at a slow but usuable speed, I'm really interested in seeing what they can do building on top of 2.1 and great hardware.
That and it really doesn't matter if the phone is 5% faster than other phones on the market if it's tied to Att's network as you're going to spend all that extra time waiting anyway.
@Fadakar
Mount Everest might be the tallest, but that doesn't make the Alps small. Besides, there are many places where you could actually ski in the Alps.
@Fadakar
Just wait. I just left Sprint for the Nexus One, thank goodness I got a non contract based plan. If AT&T's 3G is anything like T-Mobile's then you'd be way better off waiting for 4G with Sprint. And even there 3G is fast when not in a 4G area. Usually with my Nexus One I see 'E' displayed on my mobile network icon.
And at the rate of build-out by Sprint and Clear of 4G WiMax you might see it cover many more areas by the end of this year.
Well my hardware renewal is in June. If Palm doesn't announce a new WebOS phone, I will probably get this. Excited to see more info.
@krische yea, if the don't release anything worthy I'm goin 4G, and leaving my palm pre
@krische yea, if the don't release anything worthy I'm goin 4G, and leaving my palm pre
@krische yea, if the don't release anything worthy I'm goin 4G, and leaving my palm pre
It will happen. Don't worry people.
what i hope is that by the time sprint releases a kickass new flagship device, i can sell my hero for enough money to cover the cost for said phone