PDD Briefs

By TWICE Staff On Feb 13 2012 - 6:01am

ZTE Bows $99 Tablet

RICHARDSON, TEXAS – Chinese cellphone supplier ZTE launched its first U.S. market tablet through Sprint.

The ZTE Optik is available for $99 with two-year 3G cellular-service agreement and $349 without service agreement to make “the tablet experience available to a new segment of consumers,” said Lixin Cheng, CEO of ZTE USA.

The price compares to $249 for these lowest-price cellular-equipped tablets with two-year data contract, as of early February: T-Mobile’s 4G HSPA+ Springboard and Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0 Plus, both with 7-inch screens; AT&T’s $299 4G LTE 7-inch Pantech Element; and Verizon’s 3G $229 7-inch Galaxy Tab.

The 3G device became available Feb. 5 through Sprint’s direct channels. Sales through indirect channels will commence sometime after Feb. 5, ZTE said.

The device features 7-inch touchscreen, tablet-optimized Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS, and dual cameras.

Other key features include 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 16GB of storage, GPS, rear-facing 5-megapixel camera, front-facing 2-megapixel camera, and mobile hotspot capability allowing up to five users to share a cellular-data connection via Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g.

AT&T Prices Galaxy Note at $299

DALLAS – AT&T priced the Samsung Galaxy Note, a 4G Android smartphone with large 5.3-inch screen, at $299.

The device, promoted as a cross between a tablet and smartphone, will be available in stores Feb. 19, but preorders begin Feb. 5 for delivery by Feb. 17.

The smartphone-tablet hybrid features 4G LTE and 4G HDPA+ technology and will be available in carbon blue and ceramic white.

The carrier contends the device will replace multiple devices for many consumers, including e-readers, because of the display’s size and use of proprietary high-definition 1,280 by 800-pixel Super AMOLED technology, said to make the display to read indoors and outdoors.

The Note comes with a stylus to jot down handwritten notes and drawings.

U.S. Cellular Readies 4G LTE

CHICAGO – Regional carrier U.S. Cellular will launch its 700MHz 4G LTE network in March in areas reaching 25 percent of the population its markets.

The March rollout includes select cities in Iowa, Wisconsin, Maine, North Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma.