AT&T Preparing Its Android Assault?

By Geoff Duncan May 25, 2009

AT&T Preparing Its Android Assault?

AT&T has been noticeably silent about its plans to ship smartphones running Google’s Android platform, but leaked documents and industry reports have the carrier getting ready to launch its first Android device—the HTC Lancaster—in August, with a Motorola device (the Heron, also known as Iron Man) lined up for the end-of-year holiday buying season.

Although neither AT&T nor HTC have confirmed the reports, the HTC Lancaster will feature a slide-out QWERTY keypad, with a form factor that resembles the HTC Touch Pro when opened, and an HTC Magic when closed. The Lancaster features a 3 megapixel camera, 850/1900MHz dual-band HSPA and tri-band EDGE connectivity, assisted GPS, Bluetooth 2.0, microSD storage, and a 2.8-inch 320 by 240 pixel display. The Lancaster will likely be marketed under a different name once it hits AT&T’s retail channel, and reports have the carrier locking in a six-month window of exclusivity for the device. There is no information available on whether the device supports Wi-Fi (although it seems like a good bet), and the device will feature a proprietary AT&T branded interface. AT&T hasn’t announced the phone or pricing information, but reports have it landing at retail August 3.

In the meantime, AT&T also looks to be preparing the Motorola Heron (also known as "Iron Man") for a holiday launch. The Android phone features a 2.8-inch display, a QWERTY keypad that slides out of the bottom of the handset, microSD storage, quad-band GSM, HSPA, and EDGE connectivity, GPS support, plus unique location-based and social networking services. Again, no word on pricing, but reports have AT&T eying an early November launch.

Although neither phone seems to have ground-breaking specs—and will undoubtedly be laboring in the shadow of whatever iPhone revision Apple has up its sleeve—the Android handsets should help AT&T compete with T-Mobile on the Android front, as well as keep the pressure on Verizon in the event AT&T loses its exclusive lock on the iPhone.

Editors' Recommendations

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Mobile

Best cell phone plan deals: T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon, Mint Mobile and more

Woman

One of the best phones deserves one of the best cell phone plans, and whether you’re shopping for yourself or you’re looking to add a line to your plan for a family member, there are more options out there than many people think. With larger carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile you can often find some great phone deals, but if you’re simply shopping for a cell phone plan, we’ve got all of the information you need to get yourself one of the best cell plan deals. Reading onward you’ll find the best cell phone plan deals to shop right now, and while these are general plans offered by each provider, they do include some of the best cell phone plans out there.
Mint Mobile: Get any 3-month plan for $15 per month
For a limited time, Mint Mobile has dropped the three-month price for all of its plans to just $15 per month. That means, the Unlimited plan, normally $30 per month, or $90 for three months, is no just $15 per month or $45 for three months. The base 5GB of data per month plan is $15 per month, and the 15GB per month plan is $15 per month, or $45 for three months. That is an incredible deal. All Mint Mobile plans include unlimited talk and text, access to 5GB high-speed data, free calling to Mexico and Canada, free mobile hotspot access, and WiFi calling support. You can't beat that!

U.S. Mobile: Pre-pay $23 per line per month
Prepaid wireless plans are a great option for light users, kids, and anyone else who won’t be consuming a lot of data on a daily basis. U.S. Mobile is one of the best prepaid service providers available today, allowing you to build your own custom plan, so you’re only paying for as many minutes, texts, and gigabytes of data as you want to. As just one example, its Unlimited Starter plan is just $15 per line, or $276 for 12 months -- saving you $72 per year. You get unlimited talk, text, and data, 10GB of hotspot data, international calling and texting, and more. If you're adding multiple lines to a plan, you can also unlock free extras like Disney+ and Netflix.

Mobile

No, we weren’t expecting this with the revamped iPad Pro

The refreshed iPad Pro that’s expected to be unveiled during a special online event on May 7 could come with Apple’s M4 chip, prominent Apple tipster Mark Gurman claimed in the latest edition of his tech-focused Power On newsletter, which he shared on Sunday.

The news comes as a big surprise as everyone had been expecting a routine upgrade to Apple’s current silicon, the M3, from the existing iPad Pro's M2 chip.

Mobile

The best Android tablets in 2024: the 11 best ones you can buy

OnePlus Pad with official Stylo pencil stylus on a wooden table.

Tablets may not be the hot new thing in 2024, but they're still excellent machines for streaming movies, playing games, or getting work done on the go. And while it seems like the best iPads dominate most of the tablet market, there are still plenty of excellent Android tablet options for consideration if you don't want to be locked in Apple's walled garden.

Whether you want an ultra-premium and superpowerful option, or something more affordable and compact, the Android tablet market has something for everyone. No matter your budget or spec preferences, here are the best Android tablets you can buy in 2024.