A T-Mobile Samsung phone with the model number T989 has just passed Bluetooth Org, but what exactly could it be? The model number suggests it could be a part of the Galaxy S line. The Samsung Vibrant and Galaxy S 4G were T989 and T989v respectively, though, and we’re not sure if this is a case of “the higher the number, the better the phone”. One thought is it could be that Samsung Hercules we’ve all been hearing about.
If previous rumors are to be believed, T-Mobile will have a Galaxy S II phone but it won’t be quite like the versions for Verizon, Sprint and AT&T. Instead, the Samsung Hercules will have a 4.5 inch Super AMOLED Plus display, a dual-core processor by Qualcomm with an Adreno 220 GPU, full 42mbps HSPA+ support with AT&T radios in case the merger is approved and a whole lot more. A full list of those specs can be had below.
T-Mobile is thought to be passing on a true Galaxy S II phone due to uncertainty with the looming merger. If approved, AT&T would have had two Galaxy S II phones which could get very confusing for both AT&T and consumers down the line. With that, the Hercules would be to the Samsung Attain as the Samsung Infuse 4G is to the Samsung Captivate when all is said and done. I
t’s still a bit too early to think of it that way, though, as integration might take quite some time to start after the merger is possibly approved, and we still don’t know exactly how long that’ll take. In any case, keep your eyes on this phone if you’re a T-Mobile customer.
4.5-inch 480 x 800 Super AMOLED Plus display
Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
NFC support, though compatibility with the forthcoming ISIS mobile payment standard is “to be determined”
Category 24 HSDPA (42Mbps) and Category 6 HSUPA (5.76Mbps) for extremely fast HSPA+ support — faster than any HSPA+ phone currently sold in the US
AWS plus 850 / 1900MHz compatibility for support on AT&T’s “4G” network if the merger succeeds
Preliminary measurements place it at 5.16 x 2.76 x 0.37 inches — within a few hundredths of an inch of the Infuse
16GB internal ROM, 1GB internal RAM, external microSD up to 32GB
Here’s where it outdoes the Infuse: it’s quoted with a Qualcomm 1.2GHz dual-core APQ8060 application processor, which is extraordinarily unusual for a Samsung — particularly considering the availability of Samsung’s own multi-core Exynos line; it’s paired with an MDM8220 modem processor
8 megapixel primary camera with flash and 1080p video capture, secondary front-facing camera
Like the Galaxy S II, the Hercules won’t have a dedicated HDMI port — it’ll move high-def video over Micro USB using MHL