T-Mobile plans to introduce a new version of the MyTouch, an Android phone made by HTC, which will be the second phone to run on the operator’s high speed HSPA+ network.
The phone will use the Android 2.2 operating system and include an HD video camera. It is expected to go on sale in time for the holidays, T-Mobile said. The operator did not reveal pricing.
Following in the footsteps of Apple’s latest iPhone, the MyTouch will let users conduct video calls with other MyTouch users, or with people who have compatible phones and PCs. They will be able to do so over the HSPA+ network or Wi-Fi.
T-Mobile will be partnering with two well-known companies to deliver the video calling capability, said Chris Park, a product manager at T-Mobile, but he declined to reveal their names. He also declined to say which other phones a MyTouch user will be able to conduct video calls with.
The new phone will run HTC’s Sense user interface as well as some features developed by T-Mobile. One will be the integration of T-Mobile Faves into additional phone applications. The Faves Gallery was introduced with the MyTouch Slide and lets users view e-mails, texts, Facebook posts and other communications from as many as 20 friends in one spot.
On the new MyTouch, while using the mail, contacts or photos applications, users will find a section of the screen displaying content related to their Faves.
A new media player on the phone will pull together content from a user’s own music and video libraries, as well as YouTube, Slacker radio and Amazon’s MP3 store. That will let users search for an artist, for instance, and get results from any of those sources.
The features were designed to make the phone easier to use for mass market consumers, T-Mobile said. That will set it apart from the G2, the first phone from T-Mobile to run on the HSPA+ network. T-Mobile considers that series of phones, which started with the very first Android phone, to be aimed at tech enthusiasts who want the straight Android experience.
The MyTouch will not have a physical keyboard but will come preloaded with Swype, software designed to make it easier to type on an on-screen keyboard. It will have a 3.8-inch WVGA screen, 5-megapixal camera and an 8GB MicroSD card. It will run the second generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 1 GHz processor.
T-Mobile said it continues to expand its HSPA+ footprint, which now includes the San Francisco area. It expects to cover 100 major metropolitan areas and 200 million people this year.
Nancy Gohring covers mobile phones and cloud computing for The IDG News Service. Follow Nancy on Twitter at @idgnancy. Nancy's e-mail address is Nancy_Gohring@idg.com