Dallas – AT&T
will beat T-Mobile to market by three days with the U.S. market’s first Galaxy class
Android phone from Samsung.
T-Mobile
previously announced a July 21 launch of its version of the phone, which it
calls the Samsung Vibrant, at $199, but AT&T just announced plans to sell
its version, the Samsung Captivate, starting Sunday, July 18, also at $199. The
Galaxy is Samsung’s flagship phone in the U.S. market.
Captivate sales
begin July 18 in AT&T-owned stores and the carrier’s website. A
spokesperson wasn’t certain whether the phone would also be available through
indirect retail channels on that day or later.
Carriers Verizon Wireless, Sprint and U.S.
Cellular also plan to offer Galaxy phones this year but haven’t specified launch
dates.
All versions of
Samsung’s flagship phone feature Android 2.1 OS, 4-inch multi-touch touchscreen
with virtual QWERTY keyboard, 1GHz Samsung processor, 720p high-definition
video capture and playback, 5-megapixel camera/camcorder with autofocus and LED
flash, six-axis sensor, stereo Bluetooth, DLNA-certified 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, 16GB
of embedded memory, MicroSD slot for additional memory, and Samsung-proprietary
Super AMOLED LCD display for a thinner, brighter and less-reflective display. The
phones will also access Samsung’s Social Hub, which aggregates social network,
e-mail, contacts and calendars.
Each carrier’s
version differs slightly. Sprint’s version will add a slide-from-the-side
QWERTY keyboard, 4G data and two cameras. One camera will be front-facing for
video chatting over data. In addition, Verizon and Sprint said their models
would be equipped with an embedded Wi-Fi hot spot, but AT&T’s version will
not offer the embedded hot spot. AT&T’s version, however, will include free
access to AT&T’s hot spots.
In addition, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile
said their models would access the Samsung Media Hub, which will be available
“in the coming months” to download movies and TV shows from Paramount for rent
or purchase. The other carriers haven’t mentioned Media Hub availability.
AT&T’s version will feature 3G HSPA 7.2
Mbps technology and operate in 3G mode in foreign 2.1GHz networks.
Captivate also
includes subscription-based AT&T Navigator service, which offers
voice-guided and visual turn-by-turn GPS driving directions and competes with a
free Google navigation app. The phone will also access AT&T Family Map
service, which lets families track a child’s location from a PC or cellphone.
A two-year
contract with a voice plan and a minimum $15 data plan are required to buy the
AT&T phone at $199.
