HTC EVO 4G launches as EVO WiMAX ISW11HT in Japan
The HTC EVO was the first 4G phone in the US when it was released in June 2010, and now it's set to be the first WiMAX-compatible Android phone in Japan in April 2011.
Announced today by KDDI as au's HTC EVO WiMAX ISW11HT (let's just call it the EVO WiMAX), the handset was described by company president Takashi Tanaka as a "super fast smartphone" and will be released in mid- to late-April for an unknown price.
In addition to the standard smartphone data service charge, users will have to pay a small monthly fee of ¥525 (about $6) for unlimited WiMAX. From the day it's released until August, however, KDDI will waive this fee and let customers enjoy the speed boost (40Mbps down/10Mbps up max speeds vs au's current 3G speeds of 9.2Mbps down/5.5Mbps down) for free.
Although there's a chance that we might already be drooling over pics, specs, and other details about the EVO 2 (possible announcement at CTIA next month?) before our friends in Japan can get theirs hands on the EVO WiMAX, that won't stop me from saying いらっしゃいませ (irasshaimase) every time a new G&E visitor stops by from the Land of the Rising Sun.
[Press release | Japan Times Online]
