NEW YORK – AT&T is positioning its Samsung Infuse 4G as a “supermodel of superphones,” thanks to a large 4.5-inch display, shallow depth of 8.99mm, 1.2GHz processor, and a bright Super AMOLED Plus display viewable in sunshine.
And like any supermodel, the Infuse will get a lot of exposure, thanks to an AT&T promotion campaign.
The Android 2.2 device, which will be available exclusively on the AT&T network, goes on sale May 15 at $199 through AT&T’s direct channels and through select national retailers. The phone will also be available through other indirect dealers soon after, AT&T senior device VP Jeff Bradley told TWICE.
In its direct channels, AT&T will not require consumers to submit a rebate form to get the $199 price.
To promote the device, AT&T will make Infuse 4G the lead product in advertising, including TV advertising, beginning May 15. The Infuse will also be featured in the carrier’s co-sponsorship of the 17-market Glee concert tour, Bradley said.
The first 500,000 purchasers will get a $25 voucher to download movies and TV episodes for purchase or rent through the Samsung Media Hub app preloaded on the phone, said Omar Khan, Samsung’s chief product and technology officer.
The phone is promoted as the thinnest 4G phone in the U.S. and touted as the smartphone with the largest screen size in both the Samsung portfolio and in AT&T’s direct-to-consumer portfolio. It’s also the first 4G phone in AT&T’s portfolio to incorporate the fastest versions (category 14) of 4G HSPA+ technology to deliver maximum theoretical data rates of 21.1Mbps.
“When you combine the powerful 1.2 GHz application processor with AT&T’s advanced 4G network, this device will truly be the fastest smartphone Samsung has ever created with AT&T,” Khan said.
In another point of differentiation, the Infuse boasts the largest screen size of any 4G smartphone in the U.S. at 4.5 inches. The only other smartphone with a larger screen size in the U.S. is a 3G phone, the Dell Streak, with 5-inch screen. It was launched last year with AT&T 3G HSDPA technology but is not sold direct by AT&T. It’s available through multiple sources, including Dell and Amazon.
Other 4G smartphone screens max out at 4.3 inches.
The Infuse is the fourth 4G phone announced by AT&T so far this year following yesterday’s announcement of the Hewlett-Packard Veer.
The Super AMOLED Plus display, a proprietary Samsung technology, features 50 percent more subpixels than its predecessor technology for better contrast, and it provides “unmatched outdoor viewing quality,” even in the brightest sunlight, said Khan.
Other features include diversity receiver with dual antennas to maximize signal strength, an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera/camcorder with HD video capture, front-facing video camera, and 2GB microSD card preloaded with trailers for upcoming summer movies.
