Computerworld - Spring must be here, because the wireless carriers are launching new phones with a focus on style, quick connections and lower costs.
AT&T Inc. today announced four new Quick Messaging Devices designed to bring what the carrier called "smartphone-like experiences to a wider range of powerful, yet affordable, devices designed for mass market."
The four AT&T devices are the Samsung Strive, the Samsung Sunburst, the Pantech Link and the Pantech Pursuit.
Meanwhile, Sprint Nextel Corp. today announced the Motorola i890, a flip phone for the Nextel Direct Connect network that will cost $130 after rebate with a two-year agreement.
The Nextel Direct Connect service has become a favorite of service workers, road warriors and blue-collar workers because it allows them to make push-to-talk calls that can be started in less than a second. Now Sprint is promoting the i890 as a device that offers those features of Direct Connect in a "style-minded look," according to Fared Adib, vice president of product development at Sprint. He said it is "perfect for anyone who needs to get work done but still wants to look good."
The announcements by both carriers are an indication of how competitive the wireless market has become, as the carriers seek to woo buyers from all backgrounds, not just early adopters seeking the latest, most sophisticated smartphones, analysts have noted. And smartphone devices themselves have come down in price over the past year, as carriers seek to sell customers contracts for two-year plans with voice, texting and data service that can easily cost more than $100 a month.
The Strive starts at $20 after rebate with a two-year agreement. AT&T said the Strive will be available March 21. It will feature a vertical slide design with a full physical keyboard and a 2.0-megapixel camera. It will come in two color schemes, black and silver or purple and charcoal. Other specs were not released.
The Strive will be the first device to support a new lineup of services from AT&T, including an address book, group messaging and "reply all" functions for up to 10 contacts, and mobile sharing of photos and videos. That sharing function, Mobile Share, will cost $10 extra per month for 50 media transfers, or 35 cents per transfer. Online storage of 250MB is part of the service, but customers can also purchase 10GB of online storage for $5 a month.
AT&T said the Sunburst is a touch-screen, GPS-enabled phone that will cost $40 after rebate with a two-year agreement. It too will be available starting March 21.
The carrier didn't announce pricing or availability for either Pantech device, nor did it post photos or specs for those products on its site.
Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at 
@matthamblen, or subscribe to 
Matt's RSS feed. His e-mail address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.
Read more about Mobile and Wireless in Computerworld's Mobile and Wireless Topic Center.
Free Insider Guide
Prepaid service has started to transform from a source of cheap, bottom-of-the-barrel phones into a viable outlet for compelling smartphones. Read more...
Copyright © 1994 - 2012 Computerworld Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Computerworld Inc. is prohibited. Computerworld and Computerworld.com and the respective logos are trademarks of International Data Group Inc.
