14 DAY TRIAL // Rumors that placed the launch date of the HTC Inspire 4G around February 13th have been confirmed by AT&T.
This is the first 4G mobile offered by the carrier, as well as the first to run the Android 2.2 platform and AT&T Mobile Hotspot application.
The device will be exclusively available to AT&T customers for $99.99 with a new two-year contract and will come preloaded with Blockbuster and eReader applications.
“We are kicking off an exciting year for AT&T's smartphone portfolio, and leading off with our first 4G phone,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.
“With its iconic design, 4G speeds and awesome features, Inspire 4G is going to attract new customers and please existing AT&T subscribers,” added Bradley.
HTC Inspire 4G is a quad-band GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 and dual-band HSDPA 850 / 1900 smartphone, which was introduced at the 2011 CES event in Las Vegas.
The device is powered by a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8255 Snapdragon processor (with Adreno 205 GPU) and runs on the Android 2.2 Froyo platform out-of-the-box.
It comes with a 4.3-inch S-LCD capacitive touchscreen with 16 million colors, 480 x 800 pixels resolution, accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, proximity sensor for auto turn-off and HTC Sense UI.
“With a 4.3 inch screen, latest version of the HTC Sense experience and a sleek unibody aluminum design, the HTC Inspire 4G is the first true superphone to launch at under $100, bringing unparalleled power to more people than ever before,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC Americas.
Other highlights of the handset include: HSDPA 14.4 Mbps, HSUPA 5.76 Mbps, 4 GB on internal memory, 768 MB RAM, microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB, 8GB included), Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n connectivity, DLNA function, Bluetooth 2.1 with A2DP and EDR support, Stereo FM radio with RDS, as well as GPS with A-GPS support.
The device also boasts an 8-megapixel camera with autofocus, dual-LED flash, face detection and camcorder (720p). It is powered by a standard Li-Ion 1230 mAh battery rated for 372 hours of standby mode or 6 hours of talk time.