AT&T has announced two new phones for inclusion in its roster, both of which are rebadged models of previously-released handsets.  These are the LG Thrill 4G and the HTC HD7S, the carrier's version of the Optimus 3D and the WP7-powered HD7.

As with the original, the LG Thrill 4G features a 4.3-inch glasses-free 3D display, dual 5.0 megapixel optics, 8GB of onboard storage, HDMI, DLNA and microSD card expansion.  It packs a dual-core 1GHz processor, with the complete range of wireless connectivity (aGPS, WiFi, 3G with HSPA, Bluetooth).  In case you don't remember, this phone can both play and record 3D content, making it an entirely unique device in the current smartphone space.   It will also get access to LG 3D Space, a central download hub for 3D games, video and images.

The HD7S, as the name makes obvious, is a renamed version of the HD7 on T-Mobile.  Specs are the same -- 1GHz Qualcomm processor, a 4.3-inch Super LCD (800 x 480 resolution), a 5.0 megapixel camera module with dual LED flash, aGPS, Bluetooth 2.1, WiFi, 3G with HSPA, a choice of internal storage (8GB or 16GB) and a 1,230 mAh battery.

Neither phones' availability date nor pricing were announced.  Expect them sooner, rather than later, though.

[via Engadget]

A $100 credit would have been even better but AT&T wants to thanks its customers (Hmmm...I wonder f it has anything to do with Verizon getting the iPhone also) by offering no strings attached 1000 roll over minutes. Apparently this should would work not just on iPhone but other phones also.

Just text the word "Yes" to 11113020 and you should receive a reply like above within a few minutes. Let us know your experience.

HTC has built a huge name for itself with its roster of Windows Mobile and Android phones.  They're not beyond looking at expanding their roster with handsets running other platforms, though.  Here's the latest: the BREW-powered HTC Freestyle.

First introduced last month at CES, the compact device takes on moderate specs and a simple design.  As such, it's far from the kind of phone that will turn heads.  However, the functional features and the solid aluminum body should make for a strong case among those with modest needs.

Details of the HTC Freestyle include a 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, a 3.2 megapixel camera module, aGPS, stereo Bluetooth, 3G with HSPA, a 3.5mm headset jack, an FM tuner and microSD card expansion (up to 32GB).  A 528 Mhz processor commands the action.

If the BREW experience isn't so much to your liking, you'll be glad to know that the handset comes with Sense UI on top of the native interface.  While it isn't a full-fledged smartphone, it does fit in a full HTML browser, a whole slew of communication apps and AT&T's numerous multimedia services.

The HTC Freestyle will be available starting Sunday, priced at $99.99 after a new two-year agreement with AT&T and a $50 mail-in rebate.

[AT&T]

Can't get over your affinity with your Sidekick?  Bring your act to AT&T and score the Sharp FX, which borrows the old messaging phone's form factor and pairs it with a heaping of modern features.

Physically, the device takes on angled lines and a relatively large size.  While it looks similar to the Sidekick, it does forego the swiveling display, opting for a simpler slide-up design to reveal the QWERTY keyboard.  The pairing of a 3-inch touchscreen (400 x 240 resolution) and a full QWERTY keypad is great for a feature phone.  We do wish the display offered better touch responsiveness, though.

As a phone, the Sharp FX makes for less-than-desirable calls.  There's a very noticeable echo in almost every call we experienced and the lacking volume makes it hard to use outdoors.  Speakerphone was similarly weak (with even less volume), so we’d rather not use it unless absolutely necessary.  Battery is rated at three hours of talk time, so expect to require nightly charging.

While not a smartphone, it does pack a good collection of messaging, social and multimedia features, putting it on par with some of the more robust mid-range feature phones in the market.  It's a quad-band worldphone with 3G support and WiFi too, so it's equipped to handle all of your connectivity needs.

It's got the usual phone features, such as a 500-contact address book, PIM tools and Bluetooth 2.1.  For messaging, it's got SMS, MMS, mobile email and IM (AIM, Windows Live Messenger and YM).  It comes with AT&T's Social Net (for access to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and RSS), the att.net browser (fast and decent rendering, but no Flash support), aGPS (AT&T Navigator) and a whole load of useful apps.   The multitasking capability (yes, you can run multiple applications) is a neat surprise.

You get the standard AT&T music player, along with access to the carrier's numerous streaming services.  It's a serviceable multimedia device, but is nowhere near heavy on the features.  The 2.0 megapixel camera offers a good range of options and actually takes average-looking shots.

Overall, the Sharp FX pairs good hardware with a decent range of features.  The call quality is upsetting, though.  It's available for $99 with a two-year agreement from AT&T.

What do you do when three phones you manufacture for third party companies meet an untimely demise?  Why, release one yourself, of course.  That's exactly what Sharp did with the Sharp FX, a touchscreen-cum-QWERTY slider, that appears like a direct descendant of the discontinued Sidekick line.

During the past few months, Sharp has seen three of the hardware models it produces - Sidekick, Kin One and Kin Two - go bust.  So seeing them try to get a model in the US market under their own brand is quite an interesting move.

The Sharp FX is a feature phone that liberally takes from the Sidekick's unmistakable slider design.  Aimed at a messaging crowd, it goes heavy on the functionality, with standard SMS/MMS, full email capabilities, instant messaging and social networking applications  onboard.

Hardware details include a full touchscreen display, a four-row QWERTY keyboard, a 2.0 megapixel camera, aGPS, Bluetooth 2.1 and AT&T mobile TV support ($10/month).   It comes with a full HTML browser, along with compatibility to AT&T's various services, including AT&T Address Book, AT&T Navigator, AT&T Mobile Share and AT&T Social Net.

AT&T will sell the Sharp FX beginning July 25th, priced at $99.99 with a two-year agreement and a $50 mail-in rebate.  Old fans bemoaning Sidekick's loss might want to give this one a gander.

[AT&T]

Looking for a mid-range Android smartphone with a smoother interface than the OS default?  The HTC Aria from AT&T fits that bill like hand in glove, running Sense UI inside a compact frame.

Physically, it's quite petite for a new model of smartphone.  Measuring 4.6 x 2.3 x 0.5, it's particularly pocket-friendly - a far cry from the present trend of bigger devices.  It features a clear and bright 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen, with 320 x 480 resolution.  The small size, coupled with the sturdy feel, makes it comfortable to handle.

As a phone, the HTC Aria makes for good calls.  There was some detectable harshness to the voices, but it was clear and had very few instances of interference.  Those on the other reported excellent quality, with natural-sounding voices.    Speakerphone was usable, with ample volume and decent sound.  Battery life is rated at six hours of talk time, which should be good for a day or two of regular use.

Despite the size, this is a full-featured Android smartphone, with version 2.1 of the OS and the Sense experience.  As such, it gets the full range of Android staples, from the robust messaging to the integrated Google services.  HTC's apps (Peep, Footprints and some widgets) are onboard too, along with numerous apps for AT&T's various services.  The phone runs a 600MHz CPU, which should be adequate for moderate needs (in fact, the phone's about as responsive as any Android handset we've seen).

One quick negative: AT&T crippled the phone's ability to install apps that don't come from the Android Market.  It's annoying, especially if you want to use some of the better out-of-market apps (and there are a number of them).

The phone has quad-band world roaming, along with all the usual voice and messaging capabilities you see with Android smartphones.  It has both 3G and WiFi, so you can get your fast broadband fix most of the time, allowing you to take full advantage of the HTML browser and AT&T's bevy of multimedia streaming services.   Just so we're clear, web video stream fast, but quality leaves much to ask for.

Onboard music and video player sticks to the standard Android stuff, so it's far from spectacular.  The 5.0 megapixel camera takes good outdoor shots.  Lacking flash, however, indoor shots are just too degraded to matter.  Oh yeah, there's aGPS too.

Overall, the HTC Aria is a full-featured Android phone that's pocket-friendly on both the size and the price ($129.99 on a two-year contract with AT&T).  The only real sticking point is the restriction of access to third-party app sources.  If that doesn't matter to you (it matters to me), then this is an excellent pick.

Apple iPhone 4 in Black is now available for pre order. Apple promises to deliver it your door by June 24th. But seems like both Apple and AT&T servers are being hammered with traffic right now as all our attempts to pre order the new iPhone have either timed out or site just goes into infinite loop of getting information.

Just tells you that iPhone legacy continues.

If you still have plenty of time on your hands, feel free to try using either Apple store or by logging into your AT&T Wireless account itself.

Apple Store offers both in store pickup and shipping option how ever AT&T online store is only offering shipping to your door. Actually who would prefer to stand in line at store if it can be shipped to your house same day as everyone else gets the iPhone 4 in US?

While marketed as a senior-friendly phone, the Pantech Breeze II brings just enough mid-range features to make it an attractive option for those in search of a cheap but functional handset. Bearing a slim frame, easy-to-use design and an intuitive interface, it's easily one of the best entry-level handsets on the market.

Physically, it's a regular clamshell handset with a slim and trim profile. Subtle curves and a dimpled back make it feel good in the hand. It comes with two displays - a 1.38-inch outside and a 2.22-inch screen inside. Both offer sufficiently sharp and clear images. The keypad has good spacing, but are set a little too deep set into the phone, so older users might be prone to making mistakes while typing. Like the original Breeze, it has three quick call keys that you can use to speed dial emergency contacts.

As a phone, the Breeze II manages impressive call quality. Voices went through loud and clear on both ends, with nary a distortion. Speakerphone calls were similar, just adding a slight harshness to the voice. Battery life is rated at three hours of talk time, which should be good enough to last a day or two (possibly even more) of normal use.

Pantech's menu interface is very well-done and intuitive. I personally loved the Breeze mode, which presented menu items in a simple list with large fonts. Those who want the full range of customization settings, however, should opt for the grid-style Advanced mode.

It comes with all the basics, such as a 1,000-entry phone book, PIM tools and stereo Bluetooth. It offers a complete range of messaging capabilities, including SMS, MMS, IM (AIM, Yahoo, Windows Live Messenger) and mobile email (an extra $5 a month, though). There are advanced features here as well, with aGPS, 3G connectivity (good speeds with minimal buffering on video) and an Opera-based HTML browser.

Because of the 3G support, it gets access to a slew of AT&T services, including AT&T Online Locker, AT&T Mobile Video and AT&T Mobile Music. Music player is basic but usable. The 1.3 megapixel camera doesn't take very good photos, though.

Overall, there are plenty to like in the Pantech Breeze II, especially at the $19.99 price (with a two-year agreement from AT&T). It brings quite a solid set of features for an entry-level phone.

The Pantech Breeze from 2008 was pretty swell for its easy-to-use features and design. Old fans should be glad to know they're keeping all that simplicity with the handset's successor in 2010, the Pantech Breeze II.

Released in the US market by AT&T, the device features a traditional clamshell design, paired with entry-level phone features. Designed with older mobile users in mind, it comes with EZ One-Touch Quick Call Keys, a set of three shortcut buttons right below the display, meant to store numbers for automatic dial with a single press. Other features aimed at senior users include larger than usual keypad keys and a breEZe mode, which changes the interface to display bigger fonts and simpler menus. The menu can also be configured to use the Advanced mode, which converts it to normal-looking fonts and an icon-based menu.

Details of the entry-level phone include two displays (one internal with QVGA resolution and one external), a 1.3 megapixel camera module, stereo Bluetooth and microSD card support. Surprisingly, it gets a few advanced capabilities too, most notably 3G connectivity, a wireless web browser and aGPS.

Marketed as a "simplified" phone, the Breeze II is now available on AT&T for $19.99 with a two-year agreement (price includes a $50 mail-in rebate). You can also get it for $169.99, contract-free.

[Press Release]

AT&T just introduced a slew of new phones, intended for inclusion in its 2010 Spring Cell Phone Portfolio. All four devices, which comprise of the Samsung Strive, Samsung Sunburst, Pantech Link and Pantech Pursuit, are geared towards messaging-centric uses and are billed, in fact, as Quick Messaging Devices (QMD).

Along with the new handsets, the company also announced three new data services that will be present in phones grouped in the QMD category. The most notable is Next Generation Messaging, which adds group messaging and "reply all" functionality, along with a consolidated inbox, threaded messaging format and improved multimedia display (they didn't elaborate on the latter). A free contacts list (AT&T Address Book) and paid media-sharing capability (AT&T Mobile Share), both PC-accessible and cloud-based, round up the rest of the new services.

The Samsung Strive, a vertical slider, will be the first handset from the lot. Details include a full QWERTY keyboard, a 2.6-inch QVGA screen, built-in social networking apps, IM, Mobile Email, 3G connectivity and a 2.0 megapixel camera module. Price will be $19.99 on contract. Samsung's other offering is the Sunburst, an entry-level touchscreen with a widget-based UI, 3-inch WQVGA resistive display, accelerometer, GPS, Bluetooth and microSD slot. Expect it in-stores by March 21, priced at $39.99 with contract.

Similar to Samsung, Pantech's offering will also consist of one QWERTY and one touchscreen phone. The former is the Pantech Link, which will come with IM, social networking apps, Mobile Email and GPS. The latter is the Pantech Pursuit, a touchscreen with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard. Feature set appears similar to the Link, although the press release hints that it will have a slightly more powerful camera.  No pricing or release dates were announced for the two.

[AT&T via Unwired View]