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The FCC has recently approved the Samsung SCH-R900, and it’s the first U.S. 4G long term evolution (LTE) phone.The SCH-R900 features a sliding QWERTY keyboard, Bluetooth with stereo audio support, 802.11b/g WiFi radio, dual-band 1700/1900 dual-mode LTE/EVDO support…….

Just about every handset that is being announced as of late has deeply integrated network connected features. This is largely thanks to the addition of touch screen displays that let users manipulate a handheld’s user interface with ease. Thanks to this ease of use, consumers are able to navigate a website, check their Twitter or Facebook, play games and much, much more. This increasing use of a mobile network connection has led to an increased demand for higher mobile broadband speeds. We already know that Sprint is heavily pushing their faster 4G network (thanks to the prominence of devices like the HTC EVO 4G) but other networks have some tricks up their sleeve as well.

Sprint is proud of being the only wireless carrier in the United States, and around the world, for that matter, to offer a mobile phone with 4G connectivity capabilities, but it seems that this might not be so for a long period of time. The Federal Communications Commission has just approved for use a new handset with 4G connectivity on board, which should arrive in the country on the airwaves of another carrier than Sprint.

We’re referring here to the Samsung SCH-r900, which has recently received all the necessary approvals from FCC, and which packs support for Long Term Evolution networks, making it suited for use at MetroPCS, the wireless carrier which already announced plans to soon release the first LTE / CDMA phone in the United States. Sprint’s existing 4G device, the HTC EVO 4G, comes with WiMAX / CDMA connectivity on board.

If you remember, back in March we let you know that MetroPCS would be pushing ahead with their LTE network with the Samsung SCH-R900 being its first LTE enabled device. Unfortunately, at the time, we had not known of a solid release date for the device as MetroPCS was still working out their LTE roll out.

According to FCC documentation (via PhoneScoop), the Samsung SCH-r900 packs support for the spectrum used by MetroPCS in various areas around the United States. Moreover, the device should arrive on shelves with LTE capabilities using the 1700 / 1900 radio bands. Other connectivity options are also expected to be included in the package, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, which might also suggest smartphone capabilities, though nothing has been confirmed on this for the time being.

Luckily, the Samsung SCH-R900 has appeared at the FCC for all to feast their eyes on. Unfortunately, we don’t have an actual picture of the device to show you but we do have the above image which accompanied its FCC listing.

We first caught wind of the SCH-R900 after MetroPCS announced that it would be first to carry the Samsung handset when its fledgling LTE network lights up in select markets sometime after the summer. Now the FCC has been kind enough to bless a preproduction R900 with its approval.

Not much is known about the dual-mode CDMA / LTE device other than what we can glean off the broad-shouldered image above and certifications for Bluetooth, 802.11b/g WiFi, dual-band 1700 / 1900 LTE and EvDO data.

We don’t know too much about this device but the FCC listing does let us in on some. For instance, we know that the device will feature 802.11 b/g WiFi, dual-band 1700 / 1900 LTE and EvDO suport along with Bluetooth. That’s about it regarding our knowledge of the Samsung SCH-R900.

Unfortunately, there are not too many details available on the newly approved dual-mode CDMA / LTE device, nor on its exact arrival or pricing. The wireless carrier announced initially that it shouldn’t be too long before it launches the first LTE device on its airwaves, and chances are that the official announcement would be made before the end of the ongoing year. However, it still remains to be seen what the upcoming mobile phone would be able to offer to its users in terms of features, and whether this would be yet another 4G smartphone to e put on sale in the US.

However, it is rumored that the device wil feature specs similar to the Samsung Omnia which features a 3.2-inch screen, a 624MHz processor and 128MB of RAM. However, while the Omnia ran Windows Mobile 6.1 it is unlikely that Samsung would choose to go the same route with their SCH-R900.

Resources :news.softpedia.com,nexus404.com,engadget.com