AT&T has confirmed pricing and availability for the HTC Inspire 4G, announced back at CES 2011, which is now expected to hit shelves on February 13 2011. Priced at $99.99 with a new, two-year agreement, the Inspire 4G has a 4.3-inch touchscreen, runs Android 2.2 Froyo with HTC Sense and has access to AT&T’s HSPA+ 4G network.
It’s also the first smartphone on AT&T to run the carrier’s mobile hotspot application, sharing the 4G connection out with WiFi-connected clients. As we’ve heard before, AT&T says the Inspire 4G will be the first of “more than 20 4G devices” launching in 2011.
There’s also an 8-megapixel camera with HD video recording, Dolby Mobile and SRS WOW HD surround sound, and access to the HTCSense.com management site. AT&T Mobile Hotspot will require a DataPro Tethering Plan.
Press Release:
HTC Inspire 4G Arrives for AT&T Customers on Feb. 13
AT&T 4G Smartphone is the First of Many Planned for the Nation’s Fastest Mobile Broadband Network
Key Facts
AT&T* will begin selling the HTC Inspire™ 4G on Feb. 13.
The first 4G mobile phone offered by AT&T, the HTC Inspire 4G is the first to run the Android 2.2 platform and AT&T Mobile Hotspot application.
The 4.3-inch super LCD display on the HTC Inspire 4G will be the largest in the AT&T portfolio, and the first to offer the next-generation HTC Sense experience.
HTC Inspire 4G will cost $99.99 after a two-year agreement beginning Feb. 13 in company owned retail stores and online at www.wireless.att.com.
4G Portfolio
AT&T is the leader in smartphones and expects to widen that lead in 2011. In January, AT&T committed to an industry-leading Android portfolio in the U.S. in 2011 and said it plans to offer two 4G smartphones in the first quarter. The HTC Inspire 4G is the first of more than 20 4G devices AT&T plans to deliver in 2011. AT&T has completed the deployment of HSPA+ to virtually 100 percent of its mobile broadband network, which enables 4G speeds when combined with Ethernet or fiber backhaul.
HTC Inspire™ 4G
The HTC Inspire™ 4G will be the first 4G smartphone in AT&T stores and will have the largest screen of any AT&T smartphone, with a 4.3-inch super LCD display, and will offer an 8-megapixel camera with HD video recording. Running on the Android 2.2 platform, the HTC Inspire 4G will be the first smartphone in the U.S. to feature the next-generation HTC Sense™ experience with cloud services. The HTC Inspire 4G will also be the first to introduce AT&T Mobile Hotspot service built into the smartphone, allowing users to connect additional Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
Exclusively available to AT&T customers for $99.99 after a two-year agreement, the HTC Inspire 4G will include a 1 GHz processor, Dolby® Mobile and SRS WOW HD sound, and a premium, aluminum unibody design. HTC Inspire 4G comes preloaded with a Blockbuster and eReader application to keep users entertained on the go. For more information, visit www.att.com/inspire4G.
With the next-generation of HTC Sense, the HTC Inspire 4G offers even more ways to stay connected, including FriendStream™, which delivers Facebook, Twitter and Flickr updates in a consolidated view. The HTC Inspire 4G also offers customers the ability to pinpoint the location of a lost phone on a map and send a command to make the phone sound an alert – even while on “silent” mode – through the htcsense.com website. If needed, owners can also remotely wipe all of the phone’s data with a single command in addition to forwarding calls and text messages to a different number.
Quotes
“We are kicking off an exciting year for AT&T’s smartphone portfolio, and leading off with our first 4G phone,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “With its iconic design, 4G speeds and awesome features, Inspire 4G is going to attract new customers and please existing AT&T subscribers.”
“With a 4.3 inch screen, latest version of the HTC Sense experience and a sleek unibody aluminum design, the HTC Inspire 4G is the first true superphone to launch at under $100, bringing unparalleled power to more people than ever before,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC Americas.
1 Mobile broadband coverage is not available in all areas. 4G speeds delivered by HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. Will be available in limited areas. Availability increasing with ongoing backhaul deployment. Learn more at att.com/network.
2 Limited time offer. Two-year contract required. Qualified customers only. Early Termination Fee up to $325. HTC Inspire 4G requires a minimum data service starting at $15/mo.
3 Mobile Hotspots requires a DataPro Tethering Plan. Devices connected to your Mobile Hotspot use data from your DataPro Tethering Plan. DataPro Tethering Plans are not unlimited and significant charges may be incurred if the included data allowance is exceeded. Performance may vary depending on the number of devices connected and other factors.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
Google’s focus at the Android 3.0 Honeycomb event tomorrow might be tablets like the Motorola XOOM, but the updated OS isn’t just about taking on the iPad. According to Honeycomb lead designer Matias Duarte, “tablet was the focus, but the changes we did also free it up to be more flexible for other contexts as well”; it’s part of Google’s attempt to not only suit devices larger than a regular smartphone, he told AllThingsD, but to evolve Android into something more intelligently capable at handling mobile computing tasks, and being generally more usable in the process.
“It’s about really eliminating all the barriers to all the different kinds of form factors that people might want to interact with” Duarte suggests, though he admits that “all of those are works in progress.” Still, just as existing versions of Android have been adopted by manufacturers for desk phones, STBs and more, Google expects to be surprised by what devices Honeycomb ends up installed on.
“Some of them might look more like a laptop… Some of them might not even have soft buttons. They might be purely gesturally driven” Matias Duarte, Google
That could include Honeycomb on fridges or multitouch tables, with the ex-Palm UI expert envisaging an “experience that you have 24/7, throughout the entire day.” Part of that will be improved notifications and task-switching. For more on Honeycomb, check out the Android Community deep-dive and join SlashGear tomorrow for all the news from the big Google event.
Microsoft may be playing a Samsung game when it comes to Windows Phone 7 sales and shipments, but just having handsets in stores should make a big difference to market penetration. According to TmoNews, T-Mobile USA is about to announce availability of the HTC 7 Mozart, joining the HTC HD7 and doubling the options for magenta-loving would-be WP7 shoppers.
The Mozart won our approval by virtue of its excellent build quality and above-average camera, offering 8-megapixels, autofocus and a proper Xenon flash. That’s unique among Windows Phone 7 devices and relatively unique among smartphones in general. No word on exact availability or pricing, but rumor has it T-Mobile will be offering both 8GB and 16GB versions.
Microsoft has blamed Yahoo! Mail and an “inefficiency” with the Windows Phone 7 email client for the phantom data use some users have reported. The confirmation, sent to WindowsPhoneSecrets, follows Microsoft’s previous statement that an unnamed third-party service was the cause of the issue, which saw Windows Phone 7 devices using large quantities of 3G data without apparent reason.
According to Microsoft’s statement, below, the issue will be addressed in a “near-term end user update” by the company. Until then, WP7 users with Yahoo! Mail accounts should tweak the download settings to reduce the frequency of server pings and the period from which email is downloaded.
We have determined that an inefficiency exists in the synchronization of email between the Windows Phone Mail client and Yahoo! Mail.
This inefficiency can result in larger than expected data usage for a very small percentage of users.
Microsoft and Yahoo! have worked together to identify a fix, which will be rolled out in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, customers can mitigate this issue by following these steps:
On the Start screen of Windows Phone 7, click on the arrow at the top right
Choose “Settings” from the app list
Choose “email & accounts”
Choose “Yahoo! Mail”
Click on the setting under “Download new content”
Select a less frequent setting. If you are using the default setting (every 2 hours), change this setting to ‘manually’
Click on the setting under “Download email from”
Select a shorter time range. If you are using the default setting (the last 2 weeks), change this setting to ‘the last 7 days’
Microsoft has also identified an issue with our Exchange ActiveSync [EAS] email synchronization protocol that may affect a very small percentage of users
This issue can be caused by email that exceeds the mail server email size setting or is sent to an invalid email address
This issue can potentially affect email services that utilize the EAS protocol – Outlook and Gmail for example
The immediate mitigation is for users to delete mail that appears “stuck” in the outbox
This is currently scheduled to be fixed in a near-term end user update from Microsoft
It’s the season for smartphone teasers; LG has been working the Optimus 3D angle, and Samsung has been making a song & dance about the Galaxy S2, the dual-core successor to their wildly popular Galaxy S family. All in the run up to MWC 2011 of course, and in the excitement it’s easy to make a mistake: like, oh, forgetting to double-blur your Galaxy S2 pre-advert and mask out the device itself.
Video after the cut
As Engadget spotted, while Samsung’s video editing people have been very careful to mask out any sign of a device in its models’ hands, that thoroughness didn’t quite extend to any reflections in shot. So, when the grinning lady in the screencap above is busy being blinded on the right, she’s also looking straight at an unmasked smartphone in the reflection on the left.
Now, it’s not clear whether Samsung has actually used real Galaxy S2 handsets for the filming of the promotion – we imagine those with better eyesight than us are already creeping through the 1080p version of the teaser on a frame-by-frame basis – but we won’t let that worry us too much. After all, SlashGear is off to MWC 2011 in just a couple of weeks time, and we’ll have all the news for you then.
With a leaked pic in the wild, LG couldn’t exactly keep pushing its “dimensions” teaser and hope to maintain both enthusiasm and mystery about the LG Optimus 3D. Instead, the company has confirmed that the glasses-free 3D Android smartphone is headed to MWC 2011 later this month, and given us a sneak preview of some of the other skills on its spec sheet.
As you’d hope, there’s a dual-lens camera array for 3D photography – just as on the LG G-Slate – together with HDMI connection and DLNA support for streaming media. It’s not clear whether the 3D camera will capture video as well as photography, but we wouldn’t be surprised if that was the case. More information at Mobile World Congress in just a couple of weeks time, and SlashGear will be there to bring back all the details.
LG TO UNVEIL WORLD’S FIRST FULL 3D SMARTPHONE AT MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS 2011
3D Recording-Viewing-Sharing of Life’s Precious Moments Anytime, Anywhere
SEOUL, Feb. 1, 2011 – At this year’s Mobile World Congress, LG will unveil the LG Optimus 3D, the world’s first 3D smartphone offering consumers a full 3D experience right in the palm of their hands.
The LG Optimus 3D addresses the lack of 3D content issue — one of the biggest problems facing the 3D market — with a complete platform for a one-of-a-kind experience on a mobile device. LG’s most advanced smartphone to date will feature a dual-lens camera for 3D recording, a glasses-free LCD panel for 3D viewing and diverse connectivity options such as HDMI and DLNA for 3D content sharing anytime, anywhere.
Further details and a live demo of the LG Optimus 3D will be offered at Booth #8B178 at MWC in Barcelona from February 14 to 17.
We’re already expecting the LG Optimus 3D to be made official at MWC 2011 next month – after all, it’s already been given one patchy pre-order listing and LG’s “new dimension” teasing invite isn’t hard to interpret – but now what’s believed to be the handset itself has seemingly leaked. Phandroid‘s tipster doesn’t confirm what exact LG this is, but the best guess is that we’re looking at the 3D Android phone.
Details are scant, with a display larger than 4-inches suggested (which we’d guess is most likely to be 4.3-inches) along with a nameless dual-core CPU paired with multi-channel memory. Given LG has jumped aboard the Tegra 2 train with the Optimus 2X, we wouldn’t be surprised to see NVIDIA’s chip at the heart of this device too. Finally there’s a front-facing camera to add to the list. SlashGear will be at LG’s press event at Mobile World Congress in just a couple of weeks time, when we’ll know exactly what the company has in store for us.
Squint, or you’ll miss it. The tiny slab of shininess clutched in the hands of Anand Chandrasekher, senior vice president and general manager of Intel’s Ultra Mobility Group, is apparently a Medfield based smartphone that, according to the Maemo forums, was shown off at an Intel sales conference last week.
Details on the handset are almost entirely unknown, bar the chipset, but Intel hasn’t been shy with its Medfield expectations. Back in August 2010 the company promised to match ARM’s chipsets – currently the popular favorite in mobile devies like smartphones – for active power consumption with the new Medfield processors, which are expected to debut in shipping devices later this year.
At least one of those devices, so the rumors would have it, will be from Nokia’s stable and run MeeGo, the two companies’ collaborative open-source OS. Leaks earlier this month suggested the Nokia N9 had been reworked using a 1.2GHz Medfield processor and dropping the hardware keyboard, and would be shown off at MWC 2011 next month.
Nokia is secretly readying an updated UI for MeeGo devices, with the Qt developers responsible for the new UI components for Qt Quick announcing that, for the moment, they will not be pushing out MeeGo changes to the public. The decision comes as the new MeeGo UI starts “to become feature complete”; Nokia won’t confirm any timescale at this stage, but with MWC 2011 approaching and new CEO Stephen Elop making his first real public debut to talk about the company’s strategies moving forward, we wouldn’t be surprised if this was intended to keep a Barcelona reveal under wraps.
According to Qt\QML Product Manager Henrik Hartz, the closed operations are “a one-off for business reasons” and not a sign that Nokia plans to make more future development off-the-radar from third-party coders until it’s ready for public consumption. The exact nature of the UI changes are unknown, though Nokia is believed to have been experimenting with significantly higher-powered hardware for MeeGo devices than the relatively mainstream chips used in its Symbian devices.
MeeGo’s early UI was described as underwhelming in one unofficial preview of the Nokia N9, and the company later suggested it needed to “regain the imagination” with updated UI dynamics. “If you look at touchscreen devices today … they’re immersive, they require our full attention” Nokia SVP of design Marko Ahtisaari claimed at LeWeb 2010 back in December 2010, ”we’re not doing good enough for better one-handed use, for better using our devices without them demanding our attention.” The updated UI will have to suit not only smartphone-scale handsets, but tablets as well.
One day somebody will write a book called “The rise and rise of Android” and this moment will be highlighted in bold. Canalys’ latest smartphone sales figures show that Android phone makers managed to shift a cool 32.9 million handsets in the last quarter — more than any other smartphone platform out there, including the previous leader, Symbian, which sold 31 million units. That’s a mighty leap from the 20.3 million Android devices the stats agency estimates were sold in Q3 2010. Symbian itself grew from 29.9m in Q3 to its 31m total in Q4, but Android’s pace of expansion has been so rapid as to make it irrelevant.
