The “iPhone 5″ may or may not exist following Apple’s event on Tuesday, but if it does, it could end up being the biggest smack to the face that T-Mobile USA has ever had the pleasure of receiving from a smartphone vendor. Over the weekend, a Cincinnati Bell customer supposedly discovered a pair of placeholder entries for upcoming Apple smartphones. One listing mentioned the oft-rumored iPhone 4S and the second listed a $639.99 iPhone 5 with an 8-megapixel camera, a 4-inch display and “4G Data Speeds.” The listing certainly raises eyebrows, but sites reporting the snafu missed a potential tearjerker that could rival Titanic. Read on for more.

Last week, T-Mobile USA chief marketing officer Cole Brodman issued a public plea that likely told us two things: 1) T-Mobile will not be carrying an iPhone when the new models launch this month and 2) T-Mobile really, really wishes that wasn’t the case. Following Brodman’s comments, some speculated that the main reason T-Mobile wouldn’t get the next-generation iPhone was Apple’s refusal to make a second iPhone model with AWS or cover the cost associated with bringing a penta-band GSM phone to market.

Presuming for a moment that Cincinnati Bell’s iPhone 5 listing is accurate — which is anything but certain — we’re looking at an iPhone 5 that supports, among other things, AWS “4G” connectivity. The same AWS used by T-Mobile here in the U.S. Ouch. AWS compatibility in an iPhone would allow a handful of carriers to offer the device on their 3G/4G networks, but as much as we love Cincy Bell, Cricket, Canada’s WIND Mobile and Chilean carrier VTR Banda Ancha, we’re not sure why Apple would bother with AWS without plans to launch a T-Mobile iPhone.

Apple will unveil one or more next-generation iPhone models at a press conference on Tuesday.

Thanks, Will

This isn’t based on anything more than a loose tip and some speculation on my part, but it would make sense, especially in the eyes of Apple and its quest to ship fewer SKUs. It has been widely rumored that the next iPhone will support CDMA and GSM frequencies, thus eliminating the need for Apple to ship different models to CDMA and GSM carriers. We exclusively reported that Apple is testing an iPhone for T-Mobile USA, but what if this was taken one step further? What if the iPhone 5 not only supported both CDMA and GSM networks, but also supported all five 3G bands in use today? This would open up T-Mobile USA’s 33 million subscribers to Apple’s iconic handset, while also some smaller carriers like WIND in Canada and others. Additionally, if AT&T’s T-Mobile USA acquisition is approved, great — T-Mobile USA’s “4G” network would be immediately available to help lighten the load on AT&T’s current network. If the merger isn’t approved, then Apple has immediate access to another large carrier with its iPhone 5 instead of having to work on another model separately. One phone to rule them all, right?

HTC has just officially taken the wraps off the Sensation 4G moments ago, the company’s latest Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) smartphone. The Sensation 4G has all of the trimmings of a high-end device, including a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.2GHz, a 4.3-inch “super” LCD display with a 960 x 540 resolution, an 8-megapixel camera with auto-focus and 1080p HD video recording, a forward-facing camera for video chats, 768MB of RAM, 4GB of internal storage, and an 8GB microSD card. It also packs some of HTC’s latest software developments, including a new version of HTC Sense with an active lock screen that allows you to launch your favorite applications while the phone is locked, and HTC Watch for streaming movies almost instantly.  As its name implies, it supports HSPA+ in the 1700MHz AWS frequency band, and wouldn’t you guess it? It’s hitting T-Mobile in the United States this summer. Hit the jump for the full release.

HTC unveils multimedia superphone, the HTC Sensation™ 4G

HTC brings one of its most advanced smartphones ever to the United States exclusively to T-Mobile customers

BELLEVUE, Wash. – April 12, 2011 – HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile innovation and design, today introduced the HTC Sensation 4G, a smartphone that shines a spotlight on entertainment with HTC’s new HTC Watch™ video service. Crafted with premium design elements, the HTC Sensation 4G features the company’s latest customer-focused HTC Sense™ experience that puts people at the center by making their smartphones work in a more simple and natural way. The HTC Sensation 4G will be available in the US exclusively at T-Mobile USA beginning this summer.

“Consumers have quickly transformed smartphones into consumer lifestyle hubs that are pocket-sized entertainment centers that enable people to take their favorite multimedia content with them wherever they go. The new HTC Watch service makes it fun and easy for people to access premium movies and TV shows while on the go,” said Peter Chou, CEO of HTC Corporation. “The HTC Sensation 4G combines this great multimedia experience within the latest HTC Sense experience in a premium device that delivers a powerful and unprecedented smartphone to our customers.”

“The HTC Sensation 4G delivers the ultimate in speed and entertainment on America’s Largest 4G network,” said Andrew Sherrard, senior vice president of marketing for T-Mobile USA. “With a lightning-fast dual core processor and 4G speeds, customers will feel the difference when accessing rich media and content on the HTC Sensation 4G’s beautiful qHD display. We look forward to adding the HTC Sensation 4G to our industry-leading lineup of 4G smartphones.”

Premium Design and Materials

Tapping into HTC’s trademark design language, the HTC Sensation’s premium look and feel is enhanced by its rounded edges, aluminum unibody construction and the touch screen surface is protected by a contoured screen that feels more natural as a finger is glided across it. The 4.3-inch qHD display delivers high-resolution widescreen viewing and gives the HTC Sensation slender proportions that feel natural in a person’s hand. At the heart of the HTC Sensation beats a powerful, 1.2-gigahertz dual-core Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processor, which enables gorgeous graphics and all-around fast performance.

HTC Sense

Complementing the HTC Sensation’s premium design is the latest HTC Sense experience that boasts a host of new features and enhancements, helping people to have more fun and get more done. For instance, HTC Sense introduces a customizable active lockscreen experience that transforms the lockscreen into a real-time window to the most important information and content, such as social updates, photos, weather or stock updates that are viewed by simply turning on the display. In addition, the new active lockscreen becomes a customizable gateway that lets people quickly jump to the most used features, like making a phone call, sending an email, taking a picture or anything else with the same quick gesture usually used to unlock the phone. For instance, the camera can be launched right from the lock screen with a single motion, saving precious seconds when you’re trying to capture the action. Sharper graphics, vibrant animations and new widgets make HTC Sense look better than ever and, by continuing to focus on all of the aspects, both large and small, that make HTC Sense special, HTC introduces a more cinematic and immersive weather experience with stunning imagery and audible weather effects.

HTC Sense also makes it easy to have fun by enabling people to capture and share special moments. The HTC Sensation’s 8-megapixel camera doesn’t just shoot gorgeous photos but, with the new instant capture feature, lets people capture the moments they want without worrying about missing or keeping up with the action. The HTC Sensation also shoots full HD video in 1080p resolution, with full stereo sound, at up to 30 frames a second, giving you smooth video that is better than many other phones. With the new Video Trimmer tool, people can crop their clips to the perfect size for easy sharing with friends and family.

HTC Watch

The HTC Sensation is a smartphone that is built from the ground up for a sophisticated, evolved multimedia experience. The 4.3” widescreen display means that users can watch movies like they were meant to be seen – in their full cinematic glory, with no cropping or letterboxing. The HTC Sensation is also the first smartphone to feature HTC Watch – an application and service that puts an entire library of the latest, premium movies and TV shows right at your fingertips, letting people discover the latest video content in an easy and visually engaging way. HTC Watch uses progressive download technology that makes it possible to watch videos without waiting for a huge file to finish downloading. HTC Watch offers the choice of renting or buying videos, and if purchased, lets you watch them on up to five different HTC devices.

We don’t think there will be too many tears shed over this news, but T-Mobile today announced that it will be halting sales of both the Sidekick LX and Sidekick 2008 as of tomorrow, July 2nd (we called it.) There’s no bug, defect or data loss SNAFU to blame; just the cold realization that there’s no room for such a product in a smartphone obsessed nation. Here’s how T-Mobile is spinning it.

As T-Mobile looks to further innovate and raise the bar for the next iteration of the T-Mobile Sidekick, as of July 2, the Sidekick LX and Sidekick 2008 will no longer be available through T-Mobile, including retail stores, care, telesales and online. While we work on the next chapter of our storied Sidekick franchise, T-Mobile will continue to provide our loyal Sidekick customers with product service and support. Stay tuned for exciting updates in the months ahead, which we expect will provide customers with a new and fresh experience.

Two Microsoft feature phones killed off in two days? Not looking too good for the Redmond Boys, now is it? Let’s hope Windows Phone 7 will step up to the plate and knock one out of the park.

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Lost in the hubbub surrounding smartphone powerhouses like the DROID X and iPhone 4 is the fact that the average person simply wants a phone that makes calls. To satiate this need, and throw in a few extra feature for good measure, T-Mobile today announced the immediate availability of the LG Sentio. An affordable device that brings to the table a 3″ touchscreen, 3 megapixel camera, visual voicemail and 3G connectivity. A UI with a set of customizable widgets as well as Social Buzz, an application that will not only handle your social media needs, but email as well. The LG Sentio from T-Mobile is available for $69.99 with an Even More plan, or $9 per month with Even More Plus.

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AT&T is no longer the only American carrier to officially have a variant of Samsung Galaxy S coming soon, as T-Mobile has finally gotten around to admitting that it will be releasing the Android 2.1 smartphone under the name Vibrant. Sporting a chrome bezel that is reminiscent of the first three generations of iPhone, the Vibrant has the same 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 4″ WVGA Super AMOLED display, and 5 megapixel camera as the Galaxy S. No word yet on a release date or pricing, but we imagine we’ll learn next week, be it by press release or leak.

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The rumors of a T-Mobile branded Samsung Galaxy S received a healthy dose of credibility today. Spotted on its way out of the FCC was the aforementioned SGH-T959 with 850/1900 GSM/GPRS/EDGE and T-Mobile friendly AWS/1900 WCDMA/HSPA on board. With FCC approval out of the way, the flagship Android handset for both Samsung and T-Mobile is looking ripe and ready for launch this coming July. Though we have to wonder, with the EVO 4G out and about, and rumors of the DROID X coming fast and furious, is anyone still interested?

[Via Unwired View]

UPDATE: Included frequency testing screenshot from FCC documentation.

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Despite a rash of rumors which would have the iPhone landing on Verizon Wireless before the end of the year, Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu believes it’s more likely we’ll first see an AWS 3G version of the iPhone offered by T-Mobile. Although it might come as a shock to some considering AT&T’s exclusive on the 3G iPad and the impending retail launch of the iPhone 4, Wu believes that Apple is eager to “attack Android more directly” and argues that Apple would need to get the iPhone into the line-up of carriers that currently tout Android. ”While the general consensus is around Verizon (which we believe will happen eventually), we continue to believe that T-Mobile USA is the most likely candidate given its use of similar cellular technology as AT&T,” said Wu who added “we are picking up that T-Mobile views the iPhone as key in winning back lost customers and as such could be more likely to agree to Apple’s terms.” So what do you think? Is Wu, the man who claimed that iTunes.com and a refresh to the Mac Pro were coming to WWDC, off his rocker, or do you think this is possible?

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It’s been long established (albeit unofficially) that T-Mobile will launch the Samsung Galaxy S, but a timeframe for release has always eluded us. That is until one of TmoNews’ tipsters threw their hat into the ring. According to them, the big date for the launch of the most advanced T-Mobile, Android handset will be July 21st; a date that lines up nicely with what we said a while back. Of course that doesn’t change the fact it would be odd for T-Mobile to release the Galaxy S so late into the summer, while everyone is clamoring to get an EVO 4G and iPhone 4, but hey… They’re the nation’s fourth-largest carrier for a reason, right?

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Alright, Vancouverites, you’ve been a bunch of good sports politely clapping as WIND Mobile rolled out in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton, but your time has finally come. Starting today, much of Metro Vancouver will be transformed into a WIND Home Zone with the flip of a switch by Chairman Tony Lacavera and friend of BGR CEO Ken Campbell. Launch day festivities will kick off at 10am for members of the media, but Joe and Jane Public will be able to hit up the Yaletown store at 11am to get a first-hand glimpse of what WIND’s all about. Just exactly how far WIND’s coverage will reach in Lotus Land we’re not sure, but here’s to hoping that WIND’s outrageous roaming fees won’t bite too many people in the backside.

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If you’re and Android user on T-Mobile, then we probably don’t need to remind you of this, but for everyone else, the myTouch 3G Slide is available as of today. A decent handset by all accounts, there is but one major problem with it – it’s priced at $179.99 with an Even More plan with 2-year contract or $429.99 outright with Even More Plus. Yes, you certainly do contract-free financing provided you pledge to pay $21.50 per month over 20 months, but no matter how you slice it, you’re still going to be paying top dollar for something that really doesn’t command it.

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Although T-Mobile has remained mum on the issue of whether or not it will carry the BlackBerry Pearl 3G, it’s good to sell the phone so far as Uncle Sam is concerned. Both the SureType and T9 siblings have passed, as the AWS 3G variants just received FCC certification. Of course with rumors recently circulating saying that T-Mobile had passed on the Pearl 3G in favor of a cheaper, 3G-capable Curve floating around, it’s anyone’s guess as to whether or not we’ll ever see these hit the shops.

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If you live in the Northeast U.S. and T-Mobile is your poison carrier of choice, there’s reason to smile this morning, as the nation’s fourth-largest carrier has announced that much of Upstate New York, Connecticut, and Providence, Rhode Island are now basking in the electromagnetism of its HSPA+ network. Capable of theoretical speeds of 21Mbps, T-Mobile had cojones to say in its press release that the network is capable of delivering “4G speeds today” while its competitors with geniune 4G “are asking consumers to pay more for faster wireless service with limited coverage and very few capable devices.” T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network currently reaches 30 million Americans, and is on track to offer coverage to 155 million more by the year’s end. Boston and Washington, D.C. are on deck and should feel the HSPA+ love “in the coming weeks.” Hit the break to check out the press release.

4G Speeds From T-Mobile Now Broadly Available in the Northeastern U.S. and Other Major Cities

T-Mobile Deepens, Expands Mobile Broadband Network to More Places on More Leading Devices

BELLEVUE, Wash. – May 24, 2010 - T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced today the continued expansion and customer availability of its HSPA+ super-fast mobile broadband network that delivers 4G speeds in the Northeastern U.S. and other major cities across the country.

As the company continues to aggressively broaden its HSPA+ network in the New York City metropolitan area, including New Jersey and Long Island, T-Mobile announces the further build-out and widespread availability – right now – of its super-fast network in adjoining regions, including Upstate New York (Albany, Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse), Connecticut (Hartford, New Haven, Milford and Stamford) and Providence, R.I. Already live in Philadelphia, as well the Washington, D.C. suburbs, T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network will expand into Boston and Washington, D.C. in the coming weeks, further enhancing the Northeast corridor with 4G speeds. In addition, customers in Memphis, Tenn., and Las Vegas, also now can stay connected on T-Mobile’s high-speed mobile broadband network.

Using the HSPA+ wireless technology standard, the T-Mobile network currently delivers theoretical peak download speeds of 21Mbps. T-Mobile’s rapidly expanding HSPA+ mobile broadband footprint makes it easy for customers to enjoy 4G speeds on existing mobile broadband devices such as the T-Mobile webConnect™ Rocket™ Laptop Stick. In addition, more than a dozen released T-Mobile devices benefit from these enhanced speeds, with two high-performance smartphones available next month – the T-Mobile® myTouch 3G Slide™ and the Garminfone™.

T-Mobile’s HSPA+ mobile broadband network now covers more than 30 million Americans. With an aggressive build-out plan, T-Mobile expects to make further significant leaps in the coming weeks and months to deliver 4G speeds in 100 major metropolitan areas, covering 185 million people in the U.S. by the end of this year.

T-Mobile customers with 3G smartphones who live in these areas served by the company’s mobile broadband network are now getting enhanced data speeds without having to buy a new phone or spend additional money. Now, these customers can surf the Web, download files and share media on-the-go – many times faster on home-broadband-like speeds.

“Our competitors are asking consumers to pay more for faster wireless service with limited coverage and very few capable devices,” said Neville Ray, senior vice president of Engineering and Operations for T-Mobile USA. “In contrast, T-Mobile is already delivering 4G speeds today to customers and we continue to make major leaps in expanding our HSPA+ mobile broadband footprint.”

T-Mobile’s next-generation network can provide consumers with a home-broadband-like experience on-the-go. T-Mobile currently has 5.2 million customers using 3G-capable converged devices on the network, a 33 percent increase in smartphone adoption since the end of 2009 and expects to increase that number to 8 million by the end of the year.

Today, T-Mobile announced that the fabled myTouch 3G Slide will be available to the masses starting on June 2nd. Despite the fact that the 3G Slide is nowhere near the most advanced Android smartphone on the market, we know for a fact that a lot of readers are really looking forward to picking one up from T-Mo. There is just one problem…for some unknown reason, T-Mobile is going to ask customers to pay in blood $179.99 for the Slide after a $50 MIR. For those of you keeping track — and we know you are — that’s only $20 cheaper than Sprint’s EVO 4G which launches 4 days later for $199.99. The question is: Are we the only ones who think $180 is way too much to pay for the myTouch 3G Slide, or are the folks at T-Mobile smarter than we are?

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AT&T made a pretty big splash last year when it launched the Nokia E71x, and now it appears that T-Mobile is hoping to do the same on June 16th. That’s the date Engadget has been informed T-Mobile will introduce a new, business-centric and Symbian-based QWERTY smartphone from Nokia known as the E73 Mode. Other than it will have 3G and Wi-Fi, concrete specs have yet to emerge (although we think it pretty safe to assume it will best the E72 based upon nothing but our knowledge of Nokia’s naming conventions). We’ll hit up some of our T-Mobile connects and try and find out what we can, but in the meantime please feel free to speculate at will.

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