The FINANCIAL — AT&T and Microsoft Corp. on October 11 introduced one of the leading portfolios of new phones based on Windows Phone 7 , Microsoft's new mobile operating system that that has been the focus of worldwide buzz and bandwidth for months.
"The new smartphones from HTC, LG and Samsung will be available exclusively for AT&T customers ahead of the holiday shopping season," AT&T says.
“These devices – quite literally – are game changers, and we are delighted to bring them to our customers,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “It's a perfect match – phones that re-define gaming and entertainment, riding a network that assures customers a high-speed experience.”
“AT&T has long been a leader in the smartphone market, and we're pleased that the powerful, new experiences in Windows Phone 7 will debut on a very fast and reliable mobile broadband network,” said Steve Ballmer, chief executive officer at Microsoft. “With Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has taken the most engaging and useful experiences across the company and delivered them in a single point of focus and value for customers nationwide.”
Each of the three smartphones sports a capacitive glass touch screen, 5-megapixel camera and a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, but is designed to appeal to different types of customers. The new Windows Phones for AT&T customers are:
HTC Surround – premiers as the first smartphone to include integrated Dolby Mobile and SRS surround sound speakers. The HTC Surround speakers slide-out and reveal a kickstand for watching video beneath its 3.8-inch touch screen. HTC Surround blurs the line between home and mobile entertainment, making games, music and video on the go more enjoyable than ever.
LG Quantum – designed for work, play and everything in between. With a slide-out keyboard for quick use of Office Mobile, users can stay active and up to date with work. The LG Quantum also features DLNA technology through a preloaded application called Play To, which allows users to wirelessly stream videos, music, and pictures from the phone to a DLNA-enabled TV, stereo, Windows 7 PC and other consumer electronics devices.
Samsung Focus – debuts as AT&T's thinnest Windows Phone and offers a visually stunning experience with a Super AMOLED screen on a sleek 9.9 mm-thin touch screen phone. With the Focus'™ amazingly crisp, brilliant screen, photos, games and videos come alive.
Windows Phone 7 has been carefully crafted to help people get more done in fewer steps by bringing important information to the surface with a unique Hub and Tile interface. The Hubs offer quick and easy access to a person's latest and most valuable information and includes People, Pictures, Games, Music & Video, Office and Marketplace content. Windows Phone 7 also integrates with many popular and powerful Microsoft consumer services such as Xbox LIVE, Windows Live, Bing and Zune.
Apps and Entertainment
Each new Windows Phone from AT&T will include AT&T U-verse Mobile, an app that allows users to download and watch hit shows on their smartphone. U-verse TV subscribers with certain packages will be able to download and watch hit TV shows for no extra charge, and all U-verse TV customers can also schedule and manage their DVR recordings from the app. For the first time, U-verse Mobile will be available nationwide — even to those who are not U-verse TV customers — for just $9.99 per month. Subscribers can access the full content library, select which series or specific episode to download over Wi-Fi, and view on the go wherever they have their Windows Phone.
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