AT&T gets heavy on messaging with 6 new QWERTY handsets
AT&T announced 6 new entries to its mobile phones portfolio today. The emphasis is quite obviously on texting with all 6 of their new offerings featuring full QWERTY keyboard. The leader of the pack is Nokia E71x, followed by three Samsung handsets - Propel Pro, Impression and Magnet and two LG devices - Neon and Xenon.
Nokia E71x
The Nokia E71x isn't really any different from its European sibling, save for the new paintjob. The bar is the slimmest smartphone to date and sports a 2.36" 16M color tQVGA display.
It will also feature a GPS receiver a 3 megapixel auto focus camera and of course - HSDPA and Wi-Fi connectivity. A built-in microSD card slot will allow expanding the internal memory with up to 16GB worth of additional storage.
The Nokia E71x will be available in the following weeks across AT&T stores for 150 US dollars on a 2 year contract.
Samsung Propel Pro
The Samsung Propel Pro comes as a direct successor of the Samsung A767 Propel, extending its functionality quite extensively. Running on the Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard it packs Wi-Fi, GPS and a 2.55" square display with a resolution of 320 x 320 pixels.
The Samsung Propel Pro has a 528 MHz CPU and 128 MB of RAM. Its other important features include 3G with HSDPA support, microSD card slot, Bluetooth, USB and a 3 megapixel autofocus camera.
You can find the Propel Pro in the AT&T stores starting from April 14. In order to walk out with it you will have to part with 150 US dollars and sign a two-year contract.
Samsung Impression
Nex in line is the side-slider Samsung Impression. Its highlight feature is the 3.2" AMOLED touchscreen of WQVGA resolution, which according to AT&T is a first for the US. In addition to it the handset comes with quad-band GSM and dual-band UMTS with HSDPA support.
The other key features of Samsung Impression are Bluetooth with A2DP, microSD card slot and a 3 megapixel camera with video recording capabilities.
The Samsung Impression will be available from April 7 for 200 US dollars on a two-year contract.
Samsung Magnet
The Samsung Magnet is a simple offering, targeted at the younger audience. Sporting great messaging capabilities thanks to the full QWERTY keyboard it will be the most affordable of the bunch. However AT&T haven't yet published the full specifications of the device so all we can tell you is that it will be an entry-level offering.
The Samsung Magnet will hit the shelves in the coming weeks.
LG Neon
LG Neon is an exact replica of the LG KS360, which we reviewed not too long ago. It is a mid-ranger that catches the eye with bold colors and quirky controls. Its main features include a 2.4" display, a 2 megapixel snapper and Tri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support.
FM radio is also onboard and so are stereo Bluetooth, microSD card slot and FM radio.
The Neon will be available quite shortly for 100 US dollars on a two-year contract.
LG Xenon
The LG Xenon comes with haptic feedback for improving the touchscreen experience. The quad-band GSM and dual-band UMTS (with HSDPA support) handset sports a 2.8" 65K color WQVGA display.
Its other features include 2 megapixel camera, Bluetooth, USB and a microSD card slot.
The LG Xenon will be available shortly across AT&T stores but its pricing still remains to be disclosed.