As we're fast approaching the holiday season, manufacturers and network operators alike will be gearing up to unleash a range of new mobile hardware to get consumers reaching into their wallets. Like many other carriers, AT&T will be carrying the new iPhone when it arrives later this year, but while there'll no doubt be a buying frenzy when the new fruitphone is released, it's fair to say that not everyone is an iFan.
Of course, AT&T also caters for those who prefer their phones in different flavours and a roadmap leaked by Pocketnow claims to reveal at least some of the new handsets that the network is planning to release before the end of the year. In addition to the obligatory wide selection of Android devices, there are also two BlackBerry 7 handsets, and two Mango-powered Windows Phones on the horizon.
AT&T roadmap through to the end of 2011. Source: Pocketnow
All six of the Android phones on the alleged roadmap come with Gingerbread on board. The devices appear to cover a range of requirements, from the entry-level Huawei Jengu, with its modest 480x320 resolution, 3MP camera and 256MB of RAM; up to the Samsung SGH-i777 (believed to be the ‘Attain', AT&T's Galaxy S II variant) and SGH-i927 (similar to the Attain, but with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard), both of which have 8MP cameras and at least 1GB of RAM.
Samsung SGH-i927, AT&T's QWERTY-equipped variant of the Galaxy S II. Source: BGR
On the BlackBerry front, the recently announced Curve 9360 is on its way, bringing a 2.4” display with 480x360 resolution, 512MB RAM and a 5MP camera, wrapped in a svelte body that's just 11mm thick.
The Torch 9860 is a higher-end handset announced earlier this month, with a 1.2GHz Snapdragon MSM8655 processor, 768MB RAM, 3.7” 800x480 touch display and 5MP camera with autofocus and 720p video recording. Both devices are powered by the new BlackBerry 7 OS.
Left: BlackBerry Curve 9360. Right: BlackBerry Torch 9860. Source: BlackBerry press images
AT&T will also be welcoming two new Windows Phones from HTC and Samsung; both are powered by the latest 'Mango' version of the operating system, expected to be branded as Windows Phone 7.5. Samsung's SGH-i937 is believed to be the device briefly revealed on video at a Microsoft event last month, with 512MB RAM, an 8MP camera and possibly a front-facing camera. Many websites refer to this device, codenamed ‘Kupua', as being essentially a Windows Phone version of the Galaxy S II.
HTC's new Windows Phone handset is referred to on the roadmap by its codename, 'Bunyip'. PhoneArena.com speculates that this might in fact be the HTC Eternity, a beast of a device believed to include a 1.5GHz single-core Snapdragon, 16GB of storage and 8MP front/1.3MP rear cameras, along with a huge 4.7" SLCD display.
HTC Eternity - could this be the Bunyip'? Source: HTCinside.de
There's a couple of notable omissions from this roadmap, including the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, which has already been confirmed as on its way to AT&T in the coming months, and the HTC Holiday, with its 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, 1GB RAM and 4.5" qHD (960x540) display, which is also expected to join AT&T this year.
HTC Holiday prototype device; the rear panel is believed to be a conductive charging area. Note the 'myAT&T' app at the bottom right. Source: SlashGear
10 Comments - Add comment