This week at the CTIA Enterprise and Applications 2010 convention in San Francisco, the Google Android operating system dominated new smartphone releases from manufacturers. Every major carrier made announcements. Keynote speakers addressed attendees. Android also dominated the CTIA Hot for the Holidays award winners.
Verizon
Verizon announced the launch of their 4G Long Term Evolution network in 38 major metropolitan areas with service to 110 million Americans by the end of the year. Verizon also announced two new Android smartphones:
- The Motorola Citrus is considered "an affordable, entry-level, customizable smartphone," featuring a backtrack touchpad on the back to use as a mouse and running Android 2.1. The processor is only 524MHz, and the screen is a lower resolution, but it is ecological.
- The Droid Pro by Motorola is optimized for business with security features, push corporate email unified calendars, QuickOffice Mobile Suite and a QWERTY keyboard. Droid Pro by Motorola will use the Verizon 3G data network and has a 1GHz processor, 4GB of memory, 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, Wi-Fi, 3.1-inch touchscreen, DLNA connectivity and 3G mobile hotspots.
AT&T
Motorola is including a newly enhanced Motoblur interface on top of Android on the Motorola Flipout, Bravo and Flipside from AT&T. Motoblur syncs contacts, posts, messages, photos and much more from your social media sites, work and personal email, and Last.fm -- and automatically delivers them to the home screen.
- The Motorola Flipside comes with the newly enhanced Motoblur, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 3.1" high-res HVGA touchscreen, web browsing with Adobe Flash Lite 3, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a GPS, 3-megapixel camera, 256MB RAM x 512MB ROM, and 2GB microSD card.
- The Motorola Flipout comes with a 720MHz processor that flips out, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, FM radio, 3-megapixel camera, 512MB internal memory with removable 2GB MicroSD card (included).
- The Motorola Bravo offers the power of Android, an 800MHz processor, 3.7-inch WVGA touchscreen, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and enhanced web browsing with Flash Lite.
- The Pantech Laser will also be available from AT&T this month and features a 3.1" AMOLED touchscreen and a full-sliding QWERTY keyboard.
Sprint
Sprint unveiled the new Sprint ID package that allows users to download up to five ID packs that include applications, widgets, ringtones, and wallpapers all at once.
Sprint also announced three new Android smartphones for October - all featuring the new Sprint ID package:
- The Sanyo Zio is loaded with Android 2.1, including a 3.5-inch WVGA touchscreen, 3.2 MP camera, Wi-Fi, MP2 player and Stereo Bluetooth.
- The Samsung Transform is equipped with Android 2.1 and features a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen, a 3.2MP rear-facing camera with flash and camcorder and VGA front-facing camera for video conferencing. Users have access to GPS navigation, Stereo Bluetooth Wi-Fi, Visual Voicemail and Sprint TV.
- For first-time smartphone users Sprint unveiled the LG Optimus S, which features Android 2.2 with Wi-Fi hotspot for up to five connections, a 3.2-inch touchscreen, 3.2MP camera, microSD card slot (supporting up to 32GB), Visual Voicemail, GPS and Bluetooth.
T-Mobile
The LG Omptimus T will be available during the holiday buying season and features a 3.2-inch touchscreen, a 600Mhz processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a virtual QWERTY keyboard with Swype, a 3.2-megapixel camera and runs Android 2.2.
U.S. Cellular
- The Samsung Mesmerize will be avaliable at the end of October and features a 4-inch AMOLED touchscreen and a 1GHz Samsung Hummingbird Application processor as well as a 5-megapixel camera/camcorder that records video in HD, MP3 player and 3.5mm headphone jack, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0 and expandable memory up to 32GB.
- The Samsung Intercept will be available by mid-October for $249.99 and features an 800MHz processor, 3.2-inch touchscreen display, slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 3.2 MP camera and video, and runs Android 2.1.
- The Huawei Ascend can be bought from Cricket with a no-contract, non-subsidized price of $149.99 and will be released mid-October. The Huawei Ascend features a 3.5" HVGA touchscreen, Wi-Fi, 3.2MP camera/camcorder, MP3 player and microSD slot, and a virtual keyboard.
Motorola Release (No Carrier Yet)
- The Motorola Spice features a full QWERTY slide-out keyboard, with a 3-inch touchscreen, multi-touch support for text input pinch-to-zoom, as well as a 3-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, a GPS and 256MB RAM x 512MB ROM that supports up to 32GB microSD card.
Keynote Address
- CTIA-The Wireless Association President and CEO, Steve Largent, announced the results of the association's biannual wireless report which found that wireless subscriber connections rose to 292.8 million and that these subscribers used 2.26 trillion minutes, 1.8 trillion SMS messages and 56.3 billion MMS messages.