AT&T Mobility: Expanding the LTE Windows Phone Range
Samsung Focus® 2 Windows® Phone, available at AT&T on May 20
samsung.com
att.com
>> Meet the Samsung Focus 2: LTE and beautiful design for only $49.99
Ben Rudolph
Windows Phone Blog
May 7, 2012
windowsteamblog.com
One of the most popular Windows Phone devices of all time is the original Samsung Focus, and for good reason - it was fast, sleek, had a killer Super AMOLED screen, and got great battery life. Since then, Samsung’s released two really great devices in the small-but-sturdy Focus Flash and the thinner-than-a-pencil Focus S. And today they’re following up on those with the brand new Samsung Focus 2, which goes on sale starting May 20th for only $49.99 (with a two-year service agreement) on AT&T’s lightning fast 4G LTE network.
Samsung was cool enough to get me a Focus 2 about a week ago and having used it around the office, I can tell you that it’s a worthy successor to the original Focus. Whereas the original Focus was long and lean, the Focus 2 is a bit shorter and feels a bit squatter. That may sound like a step backwards in design, but its most definitely not; Samsung has done a great job making the phone really ergonomic and is comfortable to hold, and pocket-friendly to boot. Typing is where the design really shines through, as the curved edges mean no “hotspots” on your hands and helps you avoid cramping fingers (especially if you have big hands like me).
To see what I mean, I took some shots of the original Focus next to the Focus 2: [See at Link above]
Spec-wise not a ton has changed from the original Focus, but there are some very notable upgrades. You still get a 4” Super AMOLED display, 5MP camera (which takes VERY good pictures, even better than the original Focus) and 8GB of onboard storage (non-expandable). The Focus 2 also comes with a front-facing VGA camera and, as you can see from the pictures, is available in a beautiful pearl white.
And of course, the Focus 2 works on AT&T’s brand new LTE network. I didn’t get a chance to use the LTE network with my loaner Focus 2 as we don’t yet have LTE here in Redmond; but, having just come from LA where I was able to use LTE on some of my other Windows Phones, I can say that I’m really impressed with the speed it delivers. If you’re used to 3G, you’re going to be blown away by what LTE can do.
If you’re looking for a value-priced phone that gets you top-level features, the Samsung Focus 2 is a great choice. Go check one out starting May 20th at your local AT&T store! ###
>> AT&T outs a $49 Windows Phone LTE handset: Samsung Focus 2
Kevin C. Tofel
Gihga OM
May. 7, 2012
gigaom.com
AT&T introduced its third Microsoft Windows Phone handset with LTE on Monday. The Samsung Focus 2 launches on May 20 for $49 with new two-year contract, which is priced lower than the $99 Lumia 900 and $199 HTC Titan II. The handset uses a 4-inch Samsung Super AMOLED display and comes in a glossy white finish.
Although AT&T only has around three dozen LTE markets up and running, the carrier is starting to push LTE-capable devices on an increasing frequency as it transitions from HSPA+ to LTE. And unlike some of the early Verizon LTE handsets from 2011, AT&T is taking a different pricing approach.
Last year and even earlier this year, most Verizon LTE phones came with a premium price of $199 to $299 at launch. AT&T now has two LTE phones for $99 or less. I have to wonder what a lower priced Windows Phone handset will do to Lumia 900 sales in AT&T retail stores; more competition isn’t what Nokia needs right now.
At $49 up front, you’d think the Focus S is more of a low-end model, but the few known specifications aren’t terrible. Windows Phone 7.5 and a 1.4 GHz processor power the device, which has a 5 megapixel rear camera and front facing VGA camera: 720p video recording is supported. The handset measures 10.98mm thin and weighs 4.3 ounces. Although Samsung’s Super AMOLED displays are among the best, the phone’s screen resolution is surely 800 x 480 as that’s the only resolution supported by Microsoft’s Windows Phone software to date. ###
>> AT&T launches the Samsung Focus 2 Windows Phone smartphone
Dan Seifert
Mobile Burn
May 07, 2012
mobileburn.com
AT&T has announced the Samsung Focus 2, the first Windows Phone with support for 4G LTE to come from Samsung.
The Focus 2 is not a high-end smartphone like the Focus S from last year, but it is closer to the Focus Flash, which was an entry-level Windows Phone device. The Focus 2 features a 4-inch, WVGA (480 x 800 pixel) Super AMOLED(INFO) display and runs Windows Phone 7.5 "Mango." As such, it offers all of the features one would expect from a Windows Phone smartphone,including Microsoft Office and SkyDrive integration - as well as Microsoft's slickly simple Metro user interface styling.
mobileburn.com
The new Focus 2 features a 5 megapixel main camera that can record 720p HD video, and also comes equipped with a VGA-resolution forward-facing camera for self portraits and Skype video chatting. The mid-range Samsung Focus 2 measures a reasonable 10.98mm (.4in) thick and weighs 122g (4.3oz).
AT&T will offer the Samsung Focus 2 in white on May 20 for $49.99 with a new two-year contract. ###
- Eric - |
