HTC T8290 WiMAX – handset of the future


HTC recently unveiled the photos of the HTC T8290 that will be supposedly WiMAX enabled. Although the handset looks like the HTC Touch HD, the WiMAX capability is a defining feature.

Specs known so far:

– 3.8-inch WVGA 800×480 LCD display

– WiMAX & WiFi (802.11g)

– Bluetooth 2.0

What is WiMAX?

For the uninitiated, WiMAX is a wireless digital communications system, also known as IEEE 802.16, that is intended for wireless “metropolitan area networks”.   WiMAX can provide broadband wireless access (BWA) up to 30 miles (50 km) for fixed stations, and 3 – 10 miles (5 – 15 km) for mobile stations.  In contrast, the WiFi/802.11 wireless local area network standard is limited in most cases to only 100 – 300 feet (30 – 100m).

Unveiled for a Russia launch with Russian WiMAX providor, Yota, for Indians it might be a pretty long wait, what with 3G services still to be launched.

Price:

Being the first ever WiMAX handset, the price although not revealed yet should be quite high.

Watch this space for more on the handset.