Those two developments at the Consumer Electronics Show, which opens this week in Las Vegas, are among the latest in a wave of announcements that will roll out over the next few days as wireless enters its next generation.
The smartphone is Motorola's Atrix 4 from AT&T. It's being billed as the most powerful such device ever, with dual-core one-gigahertz processors, 16GB of internal storage, and expandability up to 48GB with a microSD card. It runs Android 2.2 Froyo, features Motorola's MOTOBLUR user interface, and, most interestingly, can be docked so a user can attach a screen, a full-sized keyboard, and ports for a make-your-own laptop.
HSPA+, Long Term Evolution
Another interesting aspect is that, even though AT&T is rolling out its Long Term Evolution (LTE) network this year, the carrier is calling the new Motorola device 4G -- although it actually is built for the current HSPA+ technology. Some industry observers do not consider HSPA+ to be "true" 4G, but others have a wait-and-see attitude about how fast the transmission will be.
Rival network T-Mobile has taken to calling its HSPA+ network 4G, to some consternation by the other major carriers, and now AT&T has adopted the same approach. The company said it can do so because its expanded infrastructure will allow higher speeds.
T-Mobile has been one of those attacking AT&T for the quality and speed of its service, including ads that show an actor representing AT&T's exclusive-in-the-U.S. iPhone 4 carrying an older actor -- representing AT&T's slower network -- on his back. Both AT&T and T-Mobile currently use the same technology.
On Wednesday, AT&T offered more details about its upcoming LTE rollout. It said 20 4G devices will be released this year with Android, BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7, and Apple iOS operating systems.
Thinnest Phone with Largest Screen
A dozen of the new phones will be Android-based, increasing the carrier's commitment to that fast-growing platform. The LTE network will launch in the middle of this year and be completely deployed by 2013, according to details offered by AT&T executives during a pre-CES meeting with software developers.
In addition to the Atrix 4G, AT&T is announcing the new Inspire 4G from HTC and Samsung's Infuse 4G. At 9mm, the Infuse will be AT&T's thinnest phone, and it will have the largest screen, at 4.5 inches. The plan is to feature products for HSPA+ in the first half of 2011, and for LTE in the second.
Among AT&T's two other major U.S. competitors, Verizon Wireless has an aggressive schedule for its LTE network, which it recently launched in selected markets, and Sprint Nextel has released three 4G smartphones for its WiMAX network.
Source: newsfactor.com
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