Telstra's HTC Velocity 4G out next week

This Tuesday, Telstra will launch the first long-term evolution (LTE), or "4G" handset in Australia, the HTC Velocity.

The HTC Velocity
(Credit: Telstra)

After weeks of speculation, Telstra has announced that the first "4G" handset will be made available online and through Telstra stores from 24 January.

The Velocity features a 4.5-inch touchscreen, a 1.5GHz dual-core processor and an 8-megapixel camera, and is powered by Android. The phone runs on 4G in Telstra's 1800MHz spectrum, but has the ability to switch to 3G and GSM or EDGE. Talk time is estimated to be 310 minutes on 3G, and 248 hours on standby for 3G.

Telstra advises customers that typical 4G download speeds for the HTC Velocity will be between 2 megabits per second (Mbps) and 40Mbps, while upload speeds will be between 1Mbps and 10Mbps.

Telstra's 4G network was launched in September last year, and is now deployed within a five-kilometre radius of all major capital cities, as well as within three kilometres of 80 regional locations.

The phone is available to consumers for $0 on Telstra's 24-month $79 Freedom Connect plan, which includes $800 worth of calls and MMS, unlimited SMS and 2GB of data each month.

For business customers, the smartphone is available on Telstra's $90 Business Mobile Advantage plan with $90 worth of standard national calls, unlimited SMS and 2GB of data on a 24-month contract.