14 DAY TRIAL // The first mobile phone in the world to put together Google's Android operating system and WiMAX connectivity options, the HTC EVO 4G, has just made another step closer to its release on Sprint's airwaves. The handset was cleared by FCC for use in the United States, with support for the WiMAX networks on the 2500MHz band, as well as for Sprint's CDMA bands with EV-DO. No other specific details on the device were unveiled via the FCC filing, yet it seems that the release date for the phone is getting closer.
Another fact that seems to confirm that the HTC EVO 4G might indeed be launched on the market at the beginning of the next month, just as previous rumors suggested, is the fact that Sprint reportedly started training its employees for the event. The rumored release date is June 6, and it seems that the carrier indeed started to present the device to its employees one month before that happens, so as to make sure that all is in order for the big day.
However, the release date hasn't been confirmed for the time being, even if all things point towards it. According to a recent article on Android Guys, which managed to get hold of a series of screenshots with the training materials from Sprint, there are chances that the carrier would indeed launch the phone on June 6. Moreover, additional details might be unveiled next week at a Sprint event in New York City, yet nothing is certain for the time being.
Among the specs and features an anonymous source unveiled to the news site, we can count a series of pre-loaded Sprint specific applications, Sprint Navigation and Google Maps Navigation (both will be present on the phone), hotspot features with WEP and WPA encryption, and FM radio. It seems that Sprint is set to make the device available for its users with specifically tailored data plans, some of which are aimed at the hotspot functionality. You can check on screenshots with the aforementioned materials at Android Guys here.