Update (11/8): I just heard back from the developer who said, “Only Android 1.6 and newer will have the latest releases of our software available at this time.”

If there was one thing we learned from last week’s HSPA 7.2 rumors, it was Android needs a proper speed testing application. Many mobile sites provide inaccurate results and the limited selection of available apps have not been updated in months. Speedtest.net must have been reading our site because they finally ported their popular iPhone application to Android.

Speedtest.net for Android is the perfect application to test 3G speeds. The app was just released in the last 48 hours and has already been updated several times to fix some bugs. The service works just as one would expect it to. A settings page allows you to change servers, adjust speed measurements, and sort history.

If you have any problems finding the application in the Android Market, please post your carrier and device info. I noticed the app was not showing up on my T-Mobile Cliq, but had no issues on my other Android phones.

I have one suggestion to Speedtest.net: Please add a share option so users can email or Tweet their results. We would also love to see your new Pingtest.net service make its way to Android.

Side note: I’m still not really sure what to think about the recent T-Mobile HSPA 7.2 sightings. One of the reports was running a Nokia n900 and the other was using a G1 (which I have no way to confirm.) I would love to know how T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint’s 3G network compare so post some screen shots if you got them.

We know T-Mobile is working to upgrade their 3G network to HSDPA (7.2 Mbps) in 2009 and HSPA+ (21 Mbps) in 2010, but how fast is it right now? The T-Mobile G1 and myTouch 3G are capable of HSDPA  7.2, but I do not believe any markets reach that speed yet. From the reports I have read, T-Mobile 3G data speeds tops out around 1 to 1.5 Mbps down and 384 Kbps up.

How fast is 3G data on your Android phone?

Download the Xtreme Labs Speedtest and post your results (make sure WiFi is turned off). I have been running the test for several days and the fastest downloads I get around my place are 500 Kbps. The best results have come when I was outside. Run the test a couple times and share what you find.

Please post your results in the following format:

Carrier and phone
Location
Max download
Max upload

Example:

T-Mobile myTouch 3G
Corpus Christi, TX
Download: 531.4 Kbps
Upload: 134.1 Kbps

For a sneak peek at T-Mobile HSDPA+ check out the hands on report from PCMAG.

Update (9/26 21:47): From what I can tell, the current T-Mobile 3G network is capped at HSDPA 1.8 Mbps. Their is also HSDPA 3.6 Mbps, but it appears T-Mobile has skipped that speed in favor of launching HSDPA 7.2 by the end of 2009. I’m trying to get further information to clarify this.