HTC Supersonic WiMAX phone for Sprint getting ready

HTC Supersonic, the first 4G WiMAX HTC phone may be on way. Gadget blogs including Engadget reported that HTC Supersonic, a souped up version of HTC HD2 is nearing launch. The HTC Supersonic will be available only in the US, on Sprint.

UPDATE: HTC Supersonic phone leaked photos

US wireless carrier Sprint is making a determined push at the 4G standard WiMAX phone mobile communications. Already it has a limited 4G WiMAX service in parts of the US, which the company is augmenting. Sprint believes that the future of data communication will be WiMAX. The company already sells a range of WiMAX wireless routers.

HTC HD2 photo; HTC Supersonic possibly 4G and Android on HD2

The HTC Supersonic will be an Android 2.1 smartphone. HTC HD2 is already one of the highest-selling phones from HTC. The HTC Supersonic will also have HTC’s patented Sense UI (User Interface) on top of Android 2.1. Sense UI is also used by HTC in phones running Windows Mobile and Symbian as well.

The HTC Supersonic was initially codenamed the HTC A9292. It is not clear whether the Supersonic name will be final for the HTC WiMAX phone. Possibly, HTC will come up with another name for the phone closer to launch. It is also possible that the phone will be a Sprint-branded one, since its WiMAX speeds will be available only on its exclusive 4G WiMAX network.

According to a tip received by Engadget, the phone runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip. However, there is no confirmation about the detailed technical features and specifications of the HTC Supersonic. No photos of the Supersonic are available; however, if it is actually an enhanced version of HTC HD2, it may closely resemble it. It is speculated that the HTC Supersonic will come with a 4.3 touchscreen and a candybar design. The display screen is unlikely be AMOLED.

Reports also said that the HTC Supersonic will come with a kickstand, similar to the kickstand on the HTC Imagio which is sold by T-Mobile.

Currently, Motorola Droid and Google Nexus One are the front runners in the Android game. Motorola Droid runs Android 2.0, while Google Nexus One runs Android 2.1. The HTC Supersonic may debut as the first Android 2.1 phone on a WiMAX network.

Engadget’s tipster saw the phone in white color. However, this may only be a pre-release version, and HTC may come with at least two non-white colors for the Supersonic WiMAX phone.

Recently, there were reports that Korean electronics giant LG is building a WiMAX phone for Sprint for use in the US. (See report here) Sprint has already said that it plans to launch WiMAX-enabled phones in the US this year. LG was widely expected to showcase its WiMAX phone at the CES, but it did not. If HTC Supersonic hits the shop shelves before the LG WiMAX phone, it would have instantly gained the first-mover advantage in what Sprint believes will be the wireless arena of the future.