The first 4G cellphone?

Consumer Reports News: March 17, 2010 05:54 PM

Rumors of cell phones that run on the 4G network, which promises much faster downloads and uploads than today's speediest networks, have been floating around for more than a year. Yet no phone maker or carrier has produced a 4G cellphone. That includes Sprint, the first and only carrier to actually have a 4G network in place. Its 4G network, deployed in about 30 major metropolitan areas, is exclusively for laptops at this point.

That may change as early as next week. A number of credible online sites have reported that Sprint will be unveiling a 4G phone next week at CTIA 2010, the leading annual wireless trade show in the U.S. The likelihood that this rumor will become a reality seems quite high, as other carriers, including Verizon, plan to roll out their own 4G networks as early as next year.

The handset will reportedly be made by HTC. Called the Supersonic, the 4G phone is said to sport a huge, 4.3-inch touch screen display and run on the Android operating system. There's even a silent teaser video of the Supersonic on YouTube.

I'll be covering the Sprint event at CTIA, and will provide details as they emerge.

—Mike Gikas