Free Android Devices From T-Mobile and HSPA+ Deployed To More Cities

Below is a repost from Onxo where I discussed the great news of HSPA+ now more widely available to T-Mobile's customers.  And just in time as well.

On June 19th, T-Mobile will give free phones to customers who signed up for qualified plans.  And these are not the run-of-the-mill handsets.  These T-Mobile's top Android devices that are part of the mix.  So if you're looking for a great Android device, T-Mobile has something for you.  Here is a list of what'll be part of this deal on Saturday:

• HTC - myTouch 3G Slide - keyboard is rather decent in my tests
• HTC - HD 2 - pretty nice but runs an aged Windows Mobile
• Garminfone - just released and T-Mobile is making sure this is part of the Father's Day deal.
• MOT - Cliq XT - not the best Android phone but it'll be free!
• There are other Android but since they're kind of old, I don't think it's worth mentioning.

Now, the repost about the HSPA+ network T-Mobile has implemented:

Full disclosure.  I am partial to T-Mobile USA. And Sprint PCS was my first mobile service provider back in the, well, dark ages of cellular service.  It's it's difficult for me to pit the two against each other but since I'm with T-Mobile now, I'm going to plug them a bit here.  And there's good reason.

And T-Mobile has announced its next generation 3G service, HSPA+ for 25 metropolitan areas including major cities like Los Angeles, Seattle, Houston, and Atlanta.  I've waited and waited and its finally here for my city.  By the end of June, HSPA+ service will cover 75 million users.  Devices that work includes 15 handsets and a dedicated USB modem, the webConnect Rocket.

Between now and then, T-Mobile hope to blanket over 185 million users with the service.  Furthermore, T-Mobile doesn't seem to imply it has issues its bigger rival, ATT, has.  Recently, ATT announced pretty anemic wireless plans that ration wireless Internet access.

T-Mobile, as well as Sprint, do not have any such plans.  In fact, T-Mobile is considering metered speed rather than rationed access.  Personally, with my two-year contract up and despite my love for the iPhone 4, I am not sure I'm going to migrate over to ATT just to use the latest and greatest mobile device from Apple.

More impressive is that T-Mobile seems to imply they've got plenty of bandwidth to go around.  I've advocated Apple bring the iPhone over to T-Mobile in the past and, recently, this seems more plausible.

So while Sprint has EVO, Verizon has Droid, and ATT has iPhone 4, T-Mobile has HSPA+ with devices like myTouch, Garminfone, and the upcoming Galaxy S from Samsung, T-Mobile's stars could be aligned for once:  strong lineup and the network to back it up.

More at Engadget, TmoNews,

Note:  HSPA+.  This is T-Mobile's "4G-like" 3G service with a theoretical upload of 21Mbps.  In reality, it's not even close but for the moment, users could care less as T-Mobile was a late comer to the 3G wireless services.  However, with this deployment, it has really surpassed Verizon Wireless as well as ATT and rival Sprint's WiMax, a true 4G wireless connection.

Another note:  On June 19th, T-Mobile will be offering phones to users who sign up for qualified plans.  A lot of these phones are Android-based.  This is one of the best deals I've seen.

Last note:  For more on the Father's Day deal, you can head over to T-Mobile or Tmonews has the scoop.