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AT&T was the lone carrier who wasn’t claiming their high speed network to be 4G – that all changed once the standards changed. Suddenly, T-Mobile, Sprint, and Verizon are no longer falsely advertising and AT&T saw their opportunity to follow suit.
As you may have heard, they’ve announce the HTC Inspire 4G, a 4.3-inch Android that anyone would be proud to carry. I likened it to the HTC Desire HD and the HTC EVO 4G, and while it doesn’t have all of the same bells and whistles – no HDMI, no kickstand, and no next-generation processor – it’s still quite the looker.
Speaking on that processor, it’s the same 1GHz Snapdragon featured in the EVO 4G and the Nexus One, so it isn’t the fastest out these days. Still, anyone would tell you that these things still kick butt when it comes to speed and responsiveness. It runs Android 2.2 and the latest version of HTC Sense and has an 8-megapixel camera (with HD video recording capabilities and dual LED flash).
HTC informed me that the software wasn’t near completion, so no tour of what AT&T’s included there, nor could we get them to offer up any sort of information in regards to future plans.
Alongside the Infuse 4G from Samsung (which I have yet to get my hands on), AT&T’s finally looking to take Android seriously. Most folks would have no problem telling you it’s because they’re afraid of the momentum they’ll lose if or when the iPhone makes its way to Verizon. If that’s what it takes for AT&T to adopt Android just as enthusiastically as every other carrier has, then I’m 100% for it. Video coming soon.
EDIT – I was told by the HTC rep that it was the same 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon as in the Nexus One and EVO 4G. They didn’t have the entire slate of specs available, so I just went on his word. My apologies for any confusion.
out of those 40 secs.. i was focused on your nails. haha. did anyone else look for the thunderbolt on the display table? lol
I won’t consider AT&T as taking Android seriously until they allow side loading of apps.
@Jared
This. Though their Android lineup is improving quite a bit.
Wish the video was a bit longer…
I wouldn’t say it is improving. The inspire just seems to be at&t’s variation of a phone that came out almost a year ago(Evo)
but it looks like a nice device….
@Jared
That’s the reason I left AT&T. Would have a Captivate right now if they allowed non-market apps.
@Jared
Exactly, since AT&T is starting to take Android seriously, perhaps its time they remove that dumb restriction. Its not like they have Apple to please anymore (allegedly)
Friggin bullshit why cant tmobile get this phoe as well.
@carmendiva It looks like an Evo but that is where the comparisons end. It has a Super-LCD display, a faster 1GHz processor (newer generation Qualcomm chip), 50% more RAM (768MB total), the newer version of Sense (which includes a a service similar to Apple’s expensive MobileMe service FOR FREE). Tho the Evo does have some pros: Closer to real 4G, front facing camera, HDMI out. They are 4.3″ but that is where the comparisons end.
@soundman You can sideload apps through ADB. But if I ever got a phone branded by AT&T, I would load a custom ROM which does allow for side-loading apps and allows for Froyo’s tethering features. And since the fricking Atrix has a locked bootloader, this HTC is probably the best option on AT&T.
get your facts straight dude, this is NOT running the same processor as the EVO, it’s using the newer snapdragon that the Desire HD uses. You’re a tech journalist and im just some internet nerd yet i know this and you dont?
sorry for coming across as so negative, its just that i hate nothing more than seeing websites feeding their readers the wrong information.
thats the damn desire hd lmao atnts and us version wooooow atnt coming up still wouldnt consider switching from tmobile though
This phone will be obsolete by Q2 2011 compared to everything being announced.
@beaver
You’re right, I’ve got the Desire HD and it’s a newer version of the snapdragon processor.
It’s a very very fast phone as well. Upgrading from a EU Hero was such a MASSIVE step up in terms of everything! Having a better camera, with flash, much much faster responsiveness, and the ability to install more than 3 apps at a time is just incredible.
It’s a great phone, despite it’s size, which takes some getting used to.
Didn’t he say it would be released on Tmobile? I’m confused.
Even further proof of this phone’s life span being shorter than the Nexus S is the fact that it is not LTE-compatible, and AT&T is supposedly rolling out it’s LTE network in Q3 or Q4 2011. This phone is miles behind the Moto and Samsung phones AT&T announced alongside it, except Moto and Samsung are both complete garbage.
Thunderbolt is everyone’s best bet.
Is it T mobile and AT&T? I swear he said T Mobile.
@jon, yeah i have the phone too. its really fast! so happy with it.
I’m so ready for this phone! Yes!
My Captivate was fun but the larger display and sense are what makes this HTC Inspire the one for me.
@mikeyo this phone is junk, and it’s only news because it’s on AT&T
The purpose of this phone is to make android look bad to anyone walking into an AT&T store, to make them buy an iPhone 4 instead.
They can change the name all they want, but AT&T is still Ma Bell, and they still hate anything even remotely open
I’m honestly suprised this is going to ship with android 2.2 and not 1.6
@Aaron actually this phone isn’t junk. It is good that AT&T is getting some better android devices. Verizon will get the Iphone also so AT&T wants to counter act this with better android devices. I’m happy to see they are starting to let their tight grip go on the Iphone, it’s nothing special.
Then how come they wouldn’t let anyone turn it on I LIKE TO SEE THE SOFTWARE. Cause I’m making my decision getting the Atrix or the Inspire