In response to Sprint Nextel's (NYSE:S) revelation that it plans to increase its selection of tablets next year and launch its first WiMAX tablet, T-Mobile issued a statement saying it will have HSPA+ tablets in 2011.
"T-Mobile is working closely with the majority of our OEM partners to deliver 4G products by integrating HSPA+ into road maps in 2011 as the dominant global standard," the company said. "Consumers will continue to see HSPA+ fuel future innovation in a variety of mobile consumer electronics from smartphones and tablets to emerging devices. T-Mobile will continue to be at the forefront of wireless innovation, delivering an aggressive 4G product lineup in 2011, including 4G tablets."
Sprint has indicated that its tablet plans are part of a strategy to lure traveling enterprise users away from notebooks, said Paget Alves, president of Sprint's business markets group in an interview with Reuters. "There's a lot of interest in tablets, a greater degree of interest and faster adoption than I've seen in any other product," he said. "I can't think of anything that's moved this quickly."
Alves also said in an interview with Forbes that the firm will launch a 4G tablet in 2011. He did not specify which manufacturer would make the tablet, but said that Sprint will soon sell tablets with operating systems beyond Google's Android. Sprint resells WiMAX service through Clearwire (NASDAQ:CLWR) under the Sprint 4G moniker.
Currently, Sprint supports one tablet--Samsung's Android-powered GalaxyTab--but Alves expects to have a "broad portfolio" of tablets next year. He said he expect at least 12 different tablets to be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January, though he declined to say how many Sprint might eventually support. Samsung confirmed last week that it has sold over 1 million units of the GalaxyTab globally since it went on sale in October.
In related news, Sprint announced it would launch WiMAX service in Denver on Dec. 19.
For more:
- see this FierceWireless article
- read this BGR post
Related articles:
ARM chief expects tablet sales near 60M next year
Sprint to offer Samsung GalaxyTab for $400
Samsung's second coup: GalaxyTab headed to VZW, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile
How will wireless carriers sell tablets?