Las Vegas
– Samsung will come to the CTIA convention with two new handsets for AT&T
and a convertible mono-to-stereo Bluetooth headset.
The Modus Bluetooth headset consists of an on-ear headset that
can be used for hands-free conversations, but a pair of wired stereo ear buds
can be plugged into it for stereo music listening. The Bluetooth 2.1+EDT
headset features multipoint technology.
The two handsets are among a quartet of AT&T quick-messaging
handsets – two each from Samsung and Pantech – that will provide new messaging,
contact-management, and video- and photo-sharing features and services to users
of low-priced quick-messaging phones, the carrier said.
The first phone to come with the features and services is the Samsung
Strive HSDPA-equipped 3G phone with slide-down QWERTY keyboard at $19.99 during
a limited-time promotion. It’s due in AT&T stores March 21 along with a
Samsung full-touchscreen quadband GSM Sunburst at $39.99. The Sunburst will
offer the new services at a later unannounced date, as will two Pantech phones,
the Link bar-style QWERTY-keyboard phone and the Pursuit with touchscreen and
vertical sliding keyboard. The Link is due “in the coming weeks,” and the
Pursuit is due in the summer.
New enhanced messaging services enabled by the four new handsets
include group messaging, reply-all capability for up to 10 contacts, threaded
conversations, and a consolidated in-box. The phones will also access a free online
address book that automatically syncs with a handset when a new contact is
entered on the handset. Users can also access their contact list from a PC and
use a PC to import contacts from web-based email accounts.
The new AT&T Mobile Share service will let users, for a fee,
store up to 250MB of pictures and videos online for viewing on their handset or
a PC. The fee is $10/month for 50 transfers, or 35 cents per transfer.
None of the four
models, a spokesperson told TWICE, features Qualcomm’s
operating system, designed to bring smartphone functionality to
low-priced phones.
