MetroPCS is just starting to add LTE-capable models to its roster of smartphones, with the Samsung Indulge all set to be the first this week. We heard last year that when the first LTE smartphones arrived, MetroPCS would have them routing their voice calls over the same LTE network used for data. There’s no word yet on if the Indulge will pull off this feat, but today news arrived of a rumor that HTC is working on a MetroPCS model of its own, one that would be taking advantage of VoLTE.
HTC doesn’t have any phones currently offered through MetroPCS, so the affiliation alone is worth noting. The big question for us is what kind of smartphone this will be. The odds certainly favor that a new HTC device would be an Android model, considering the lack of WP7 presence on the carrier. We’re just hoping it doesn’t end up as a BREW model.
VoLTE could really benefit MetroPCS, as PCMag pointed out while breaking the news. The carrier is sharing frequency allocation between standard voice and LTE systems, so if it’s able to transition its customers to VoLTE systems, it gains additional bandwidth to be used on its 4G services.
There’s no word of a timetable on when to expect this rumored HTC handset.
