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We’ve already told you about a bunch of the stuff AT&T just announced at their CES Developer’s conference. Most of you all will likely be interested in hardware: the Motorola Atrix 4G, the HTC Inspire 4G, and the Samsung Infuse 4G. But that isn’t ALL they announced. The company just issued a press release reaffirming those releases, but also emphasizing network improvements and development of Enterprise Apps.
So here is the complete and official skinny, which is actually rather hefty, concerning AT&T’s CES announcements:
AT&T today announced its strategy to deliver the nation’s most advanced mobile broadband experience along with major device news at its annual Developer Summit in Las Vegas leading into CES. AT&T will deliver a true 4G experience with a combination of network, device and application advancements. The three components of today’s news include:
1. Network – AT&T already offers the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network today and it’s getting faster with 4G:
· We’ve deployed HSPA+ to virtually 100% of our mobile broadband network today which enables 4G speeds when combined with backhaul.
· We’re rapidly expanding backhaul nationwide and we’re already seeing 4G speeds in parts of key markets. These areas are seeing network speeds of up to approximately 6Mbps.
· We’re accelerating our LTE network build, to be largely complete by year end 2013; AT&T plans to begin its launch of LTE service in mid 20112. Devices – We plan to launch two 4G smartphones, Motorola ATRIX 4G and HTC Inspire 4G, in the first quarter of this year and we expect to add 5-7 4G devices to our portfolio by the first half of this year (including the two 4G enabled laptop cards announced in 2010). By the end of 2011, we expect to have more than 20 4G devices. Today we’re also announcing a major commitment to offer an industry leading Android device portfolio. The first of these exclusive devices include:
· Motorola ATRIX 4G 2.2 Android smartphone – The world’s most powerful smartphone with a 1GHz dual-core processor, high-res qHD display and breakthrough accessories that include a super-thin laptop dock for which ATRIX 4G is the “engine.”
· HTC Inspire 4G – A 1GHz 2.2. Android smartphone with a 4.3 inch super LCD display, next-gen HTC Sense with cloud services, an 8-megapixel camera and HD video recorder.
· Samsung Infuse 4G – The thinnest AT&T 2.2 Android device with a 1.2 GHz Hummingbird processor and the largest Super AMOLED Plus screen at 4.5 inches.3. Applications – AT&T is investing $70 million with others to build three innovation centers in Dallas, Silicon Valley and near Tel Aviv to improve project cycle time by 3x. AT&T is also renewing its commitment to “Apps for All” by utilizing Brew Mobile Platform on all new Quick Messaging Phones, including the HTC Freestyle launching this February. Additionally, the company plans for a March Beta program for an HTML5 development toolkit for AT&T devices. Further application-related advancements are included in the full press release.
For further information or images, please visit: www.att.com/ces-news.
Also today, the company announced three enterprise applications now available on Android, its selection of MedApps, a wireless patient monitoring system developer, as a new service in its AT&T ForHealth portfolio, and the upcoming cloud-based location information services offer.
Additional pre-CES announcements from AT&T and its partners yesterday include: wireless Vitality GlowCaps are now available on Amazon for $10 per cap and $15 per month for AT&T service; the new Pandigital Novel 9-inch Android tablet and eReader with AT&T service built-in for $279.99; Garmin’s upcoming GTU 10 GPS locator and web-based personal and property tracker service delivered across AT&T’s wireless network; and AT&T’s agreement with BMW to wirelessly deliver an enhanced suite of safety and infotainment services to future BMW models. Also, Isabella Product’s Mini connected USB for photo sharing – makes any photo-frame into a Vizit.
We’ll be following up with hands-on throughout the course of CES so stay tuned!
[Via E-Mail]
ATT’s current 3g network sux their 4g network will be no better. No announcements to improve call quality? I use to get 30 bucks a month credited to my bill when I had an iPhone because I would bitch about all my dropped calls.
So that’s where all that money has been going. And all this time I thought some CEO was banking on it. Lol
It seems every carrier i leave after complaining about the lack of devices that i want. They announce it a month or two after i leave. Oh well i guess thats how competition go, sprint is pretty good for me right now.
@Craigmier
On GSM carriers, the phone calls don’t go through the 3G network. Dropped calls were not because of the iPhone “data overload”.. as it’s been discovered, the iPhone has antennae issues. People have refused to accept that the phone they are using could be the reason their calls were dropped.. However it was noticeable to me, when I never had a dropped call with my “cheap” Razr while the iPhone users around me were cussing up a storm about how much AT&T sucked… And all those people are convinced it “will be different” on Verizon.. it may.. but it will be because they fix the hardware.
@dennis
He didn’t say which iPhone he had. That antennae issue is only on the latest. It’s common knowledge that AT&T Call Quality is sub par.
@dennis
If it is written “3g” or “H” at the top of your screen, then your call is using the 3G network and not the old GSM network. You can’t switch from 2G to 3G without loosing your call and your phone can’t be in both modes at once. Some carriers are even UMTS only (no 2G GSM network) so the calls definatly not use the 2G network.
@ dennis it will be better because unlike any other carrier, Verizon tests all of their devices for 30 days in house, letting their own employees find the bugs and issues they have. this is why the iphone originally didn’t go to verizon, because Apple is a bitch like that and didn’t want that to happen
my friend had i phones for long time now, and ever since he got the Samsung activate from at&t all of his problem went away, i think that the problem on at&t is actually the iPhone it self not at&t.
@moises
see apple fanboys would never admit that though. The iphone was the problem all along a la death grip
Can someone please explain how exactly ATT is the fastest network when Sprint and Verizon have already began rolling out their 4g network?
Oh right, I forgot. If it’s marketing, then you can say whatever you want.
All that speed and you still can only get a 2GB a month plan..what’s the point..that’s why I am staying the hell away from At&t..Verizon is the lesser of two evil for now.
Naw, ATT sucks. Period. I had a bunch of their phones for about 5 years and never got had good service.
@ Stephen
They (AT&T/T-mobile) say that HSPA+ speeds that you get are faster (on average) than speed you get on Sprint’s WiMax.
AT&T is bad in some areas but in my particular area (near Houston), the coverage is best and 3G is fastest. It makes more sense for me to stick with AT&T than jump ship for Verizon. Plus this rollout of 4G with both HSPA+ and LTE and phones that can support both is brilliant. They may be the last to the 4G party but at least they are doing it right.
@ Stephen there is an old rap song….DON’T, DON’T, DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE. Just because somebody says their the fastest, just because somebody says they have 4G does not mean that it is fast, does not mean that it is truly 4G. All the carriers are stretching the truth about 4G, about the best you can do is check out some of the independent research to see who is the best. As all of the so called 4G networks roll out and mature they will all be decent, but for today…stay away from AT&T.
wow if there network improvements are that good I may have to give them a try. Wait I forgot about the restrictions At&t on Andriod phones such as not being able to download outside the market place.
I guess no one in the comments section lives in STL. I have never had any problems with connectivity here. I’ve got an iPhone 3G still, it’s the processor that’s holding me up. I look forward to these devices.
BOUT FUCKING TIME AT&T!! now all I have to do is decide. which you guys think I should upgrade to the Artix or the Inspire?
Wow big promises from the carrier whose been lacking lately… I hope they can pull through.
Well I didn’t have an iPhone and can attest that the dropped calls, at least in Southern CA, cannot simply be blamed on the iPhone (at least iPhone < 4). I would watch my wife have several dropped calls in a row on her iPhone (not the 4), so would immidiately try it on my WinMo phone and have the same problem. Then we would end up calling on her Sprint work phone and never have a problem. We actually did this with the same results a number of times – and no, I'm not a Sprint fanboy as we just switched to TMO. Over the past 4 years, we've had smartphones on all 4 major carriers (between our personal and work-provided phones) and I can definitively say that a) they all suck in general, and b) AT&T was noticably WAY worse on dropped calls than any of the others. Don't get me started about the data…I actually wondered for a long time if I was secretly stuck on EDGE even though it said 3g…