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With the WiFi SKU just a week from release, we knew we'd see a cellular radio sporting SKU crop up sooner or later. And so, T-Mobile and Samsung announced this morning that they would be bringing the latest Tab to T-Mo's HSPA+ airwaves. Device specs remain unchanged, so we're still expecting a 1.2 GHz dual-core Exynos SoC, backed by 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of NAND for storage (expandable by microSD) pushing pixels to a 7" 1024 x 600 display, in a thin slate form factor. Though the tablet will run on HSPA+, buyers shouldn't expect to see the speeds they've come to expect from their SGS2 variant. Recalling our speculation and subsequent confirmation, the T-Mobile SGS2 uses a Qualcomm SoC in order to take advantage of DC-HSDPA+ speeds that, on T-Mobile, peak at a theoretical 42 Mbps. No other basebands are available that could enable these speeds in conjunction with another SoC, so unless Exynos has been bumped in the name of network speed again, we should expect peak downloads in the 21 Mbps range. 

All told what is most intriguing about this announcement is the QVC-esque way that T-Mobile is marketing their tablet line-up. Each tablet is marketed based on its "down payment" price. Come November 16th interested shoppers can choose the Tab 7.0 Plus for a 9 down payment, after mail-in rebate. If the shopper's credit is good enough they can then pay 20 interest free monthly payments, along with fees associated with the requisite 2-year agreement. That brings the actual price of the "4G" Tab 7.0 Plus to 9, a premium over the WiFi version. So, if you're credit is good, and you're in the market for a tablet for browsing, e-mailing, streaming and gaming on the go, head to your local T-Mobile on the 16th and have a look. 

When T-Mobile launched the G2, I was super psyched. It was an HTC-designed slider, ran the stock Android UI, and happened to be one of the first phones running Qualcomm’s 2nd-generation Snapdragon (S2) chips. I was so psyched that I ended up buying one, three days before launch (thank you Radio Shack!) I must say, I loved that phone. The hinge mechanism was an initial concern for me, but the rest of that phone was absolutely brilliant. I still regret selling it to buy an HD7, but I had some major durability issues with the hinge. It started loosening up majorly after the four month mark, and it was out of my life by month five. If HTC had seen fit to equip it with a normal spring-loaded slider, I would almost definitely still have it.

T-Mobile EOL’d the G2 last month, and I was sad to see it go. But it set the stage for the MyTouch 4G Slide, which released last week and on paper looks like the ultimate slider phone. There’s one dual-core Snapdragon S3 processor, one real slider with one brilliant HTC keyboard, and one very highly touted 8.0MP camera. It joins the HTC Sensation and the T-Mobile G2x atop the T-Mobile smartphone list. How does it stack up versus the rest of the elite smartphone class? Read on to find out. 

IPHONE OWNERS in Seattle with an idle afternoon to while away can spend it in a T-Mobile retail store pitting their handset against a Samsung Galaxy S 4G smartphone in a speed test.

The Korean electronics firm has promised that should an Iphone beat one of its in-store Galaxy S 4G models in a head to head, best of three game of my app is faster than yours, its owner will wander out of the store ,000 richer. Or presumably, if there is some sort of marketing wizard in the store, a Samsung Galaxy S 4G and some change.

The competition will run from April 29 to May 1, and tests will be carried out using an unnamed, but free third-party application, the firm explained.

“T-Mobile is so confident in our network that we’re willing to put ,000 on the line in a public competition against an iconic device such as the iPhone,” said Eric Schlumpf, VP for the Pacific Northwest at T-Mobile USA.

“For months, we’ve heard various advertisements from our competitors claiming to have fast networks. We’ve decided to put our money where our mouth is by putting one outstanding smartphone against another in a test with measurable results.”

So, Iphone fanbois, the gauntlet is thrown. µ