HTC Universal questions

[hang5lngbd]

I currently use a hx4700 and V710 to get my VGA browsing on. Now I see the HTC Universal and am starting to really like that idea. My main concern is switchng carriers and what their data rates / plans are.

I looked at ATT Wireless / Cingular and they don't specify whether or not they support UMTS as a data transfer protocol, nor do I know what the speed is of that wireless service. I have been a long time Verizon customer and love the speeds that I get on my "portable desktop" with EVDO. What is the speed going to look like on the Jas-Jar?

Also thinking about switching carriers, would I just walk into Cingular store, sign up and get a free phone, then take the SIM card out and put it in the Universal? Or is there any way to buy the Universal from a carrier so that it's less than $1000 for this device.

Any thoughts / help woud be appriciated.

[Sven Johannsen]

The Universal isn't the best choice for the US. While Cingular is rolling out UMTS (and you can google for how they are doing at that), in the U.S., UMTS signals are transmitted on the 1,900-MHz frequency band, while most other countries use 2,100 MHz. The Universal is built for, guess what, 2100 Mhz UMTS.

So unless some US carrier, starts up 2100MHz UMTS, or commissions HTC to build a 1900 MHz Universal, you are going to pay big bucks for a GPRS mini-laptop/phone.

P.S. it don't do Edge neither.

[hang5lngbd]

Thank you so much for that info. You just saved me a lot of time and trouble.

[Sven Johannsen]

Sorry about that. It is a neat device/concept. I've got one, and would probably carry it more if it had some neat 3G features to make up for it's size.

[hang5lngbd]

the dimentions seem about the same size as my hx4700, all I wanted was the 3G built in :(

Any word on it being released with a "operator" here in the US? EVDO + VGA = heaven!