T-Mobile's still doing its darndest to keep its fragmented 3G network launch on the DL -- the carrier can't deliver a wide footprint just yet, and it look like it doesn't want to put customers under the false impression that it can. A great way to make sure no one cares about your high-speed handsets is to make sure they're all totally anonymous, low- to midrange devices with minimum shelf appeal, and what can we say, T-Mobile? Mission accomplished! PC Magazine has devoted some quality time to checking out all four of the 3G models currently offered -- the 3555 and 6263 from Nokia along with the t819 and t639 from Samsung -- and it looks like they've managed to develop a really potent power user repellent with the lineup. The 6263 scrapes by with the most generous review of the review, but even it is hampered by a lack of HSDPA (meaning 3G data's capped at a theoretical 384kbps) and a measly 1.3 megapixel camera. Clearly, T-Mobile wants these phones viewed in exactly the same light as the remainder of its consumer-class models, and we'll give 'em that much, they've done a bang-up job in that regard. Maybe too good, in fact.

Read - Nokia 3555
Read - Samsung t819
Read - Nokia 6263
Read - Samsung t639

We doubt anyone was too broken up about it, but up until this week, T-Mobile's Samsung t639 clamshell was only being sold in certain markets. Why's that, you ask? If we had to venture a guess, we'd say it's because the t639 is one of T-Mobile's very first few handsets to support UMTS on the 1700MHz AWS band, the carrier's unique flavor of 3G that has run into its fair share of hiccups on the long road to national availability. Anyway, yeah, T-Mobile is still trying its darndest to downplay any presence of 3G here, and indeed, in most of the country you'll be operating on plain ol' EDGE if you pick this bad boy up. Look for it to run $50 on contract after rebates.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

This summer, we all got our hopes up when Samsung's (apparently 3G-enabled) SGH-T639 found its way into the FCC, and now that the handset is reportedly on sale in New York City, it'd be a great time to work yourself into a tizzy once more. According to PhoneScoop, the 3G-capable T369 is indeed "the first phone to be compatible with T-Mobile's 3G network, even though the network is not yet up and running." Oddly enough, Samsung managed to conceal this dirty little secret just yesterday, but now that the truth is out there, all that's left to do is hope that this release means that T-Mobile's 3G launch is coming sooner rather than later.

The A127 is about the least exciting reveal Samsung could've possibly undertook, but it turns out they loosed a couple others at the same time with a little more meat to 'em. The SGH-T639 for T-Mobile looks like a fitting big sib to the Stripe, offering Bluetooth, a 1.3 megapixel camera, 220 x 176 primary display, changeable faceplates, and microSD expansion with 30MB on board -- all curiously without any mention of that beloved AWS band WCDMA we (and the FCC) heard this phone would rock. The SGH-A517 for AT&T looks like yet another 3G offering from Samsung for the carrier -- but appearance is as far as it goes. It's actually just a quadband EDGE handset (despite what we'd previously heard) with a 1.3 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, and a 220 x 176 display -- pretty much the same spec sheet as the T639, in fact. It's available now in Radio Shack stores for $50 on a two-year contract with availability directly from AT&T in the coming weeks.

[Via Phone Scoop]

Read - SGH-T639
Read - SGH-A517

Though we still don't have a great sense of exactly when or where T-Mobile plans to kick off its long-overdue 3G launch, the hardware is thankfully starting to materialize -- so they'll at least be ready when the time comes to flip the switch. Boy Genius Report has apparently scored some additional intel detailing the Samsung SGH-T639, a phone we saw grace the FCC not long ago (which is how we happen to know it rocks T-Mobile's particular flavor of WCDMA, 1700MHz). If this slide pans out, it looks like the T639 is a pretty unremarkable offering considering its rather remarkable place in T-Mobile history, sporting a meager one megapixel camera in an ultra-conservative flip package. It looks like it'll hit on the 10th of September, though there's no indication whether any 3G markets will light up on the same day. In other T-Mobile news, it looks like the carrier will be rereleasing the first-gen BlackBerry Pearl in three new colors on September 4 while the more interesting 8320 variant of the Curve -- WiFi and all -- hits on September 24. Finally, Motorola pulls two out of its sleeve for the month: the low end W490 clamshell and the "RAZR V3 06," which as far as we can tell, is yet another rehash of the tired RAZR V3. At any rate, kudos, T-Mobile!

Read - Samsung SGH-T639
Read - RIM BlackBerry Curve 8320
Read - RIM BlackBerry Pearl
Read - Motorola RAZR V3 06, W490

Well, what have we here? The oh-so-informative depths of the FCC have seemingly disclosed what appears to be the "first 3G handset approved for T-Mobile." Judging by the tested bands and the obvious model number, it looks like the SGH-T639 (Alltel flavor pictured) may be a sign of things to come (and hopefully soon) for T-Mobile. Of course, we did see a similar coincidence earlier this year when Nokia's N90 got its own shiny approval sticker, but there's no harm in hoping. The clamshell device supports quad-band connectivity and Bluetooth, but until T-Mobile or Samsung fess up to exactly what's going on here, speculation is still all we've got in regard to T-Mobile's forthcoming 3G rollout.

[Via Phonescoop]