HTC Launch 4G Phone But No Ice Cream Sandwich
- First 4G phone in Australia
- Uses older operating system
- Only available via Telstra
HTC has launched its 4G-enabled smartphone, the Velocity, but it will not come with the latest Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich. However, the company did say that users would be able to get the mobile O/S in the near future.
It is currently an exclusive with Telstra, which makes sense because the telco is the only one of the carriers that has the network up and running.
Using the HTC Velocity 4G in 4G coverage areas, uers can:
- Load web pages at mobile speeds up to five times faster than Australia’s fastest 3G smartphones.
- Access Facebook while quickly loading email and downloading an MP3.
- Upload content like photos and video and post status updates at mobile speeds up to three times faster than the fastest 3G mobiles.
- As gaming moves into the cloud, customers will be able to play fast-paced internet-hosted games direct from their smartphone screen, or, as networked home monitoring emerges, dial up live video feeds of their home from the palms of their hands.
- Video chat on Google Talk with fewer interruptions and stream internet video with less buffering.
It is powered by Android 2.3 operating software (upgradable to Android 4.0 in the future) and features a 4.5 inch touch screen and a 1.5 GHz dual core processor for fast multi-tasking.
The HTC Velocity also features an eight megapixel camera with auto focus, dual LED flash, and back-illuminated sensor for capturing images in low-light. The Velocity’s built-in HD Voice support enables crisper, clearer calls when chatting to other people with HD Voice compatible handsets on the Telstra Mobile Network.
Telstra became the first mobile service provider in Australia to launch 4G LTE mobile services last September and today superfast 4G coverage is available in Australia’s eight capital city CBDs (meaning within 5km from GPO)* plus more than 80 regional and metropolitan centres (meaning within 3km from regional town centre)*.
Customers using HTC Velocity in 4G coverage areas will have typical download speeds ranging from 2Mbps to 40Mbps and typical upload speeds from 1Mbps to 10Mbps. Outside of 4G coverage areas the HTC Velocity 4G switches onto Telstra’s 3G mobile network.
The unit is also Australia’s first smartphone to feature 3G dual channel HSPA+ connectivity. This means customers outside 4G coverage areas will have super fast 3G speeds. These typical download speeds range from 1.1Mbps-20Mbps and are available in all capital CBDs and much of the associated metropolitan areas and many regional and other locations.
As well as supporting faster mobile speeds, 4G provides a more responsive, lower latency internet connection meaning real-time applications like video conferencing, internet gaming and cloud-hosted streaming services work better with less buffering and fewer interruptions.
RRP
Consumer $0 upfront on the $79 Freedom® Connect Plan
Business $0 upfront on the $90 Business Mobile Advantage Member plan
