AT&T (T) Unveils First 4G LTE Phones for AT&T Network

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) announced today that starting next week they will have a pair of 4G LTE smartphones available for use on their own network.

The two phones are made by HTC and Samsung.  The HTC phone is called the Vivid while Samsung’s product offering is called the Samsung Galaxy S Skyrocket.

Interesting notables regarding the two phones are that they both feature 4.5″ screens but regarding resolution Samsung’s Galaxy S Skyrocket bests the HTC Vivid by 800×480 pixels versus 540×960 pixels.  Both feature vibrant displays, HTC uses a qHD screen while Samsung uses a SuperAMOLED screen.

For storage, both have the same capacity and capability.  The new Galaxy has 16GB of on-board memory, while the Vivid has the same.  Both have a MicroSD slot for expandability for things such as those pesky photographs and that seemingly accumulate and tie up a lot of storage space over time, among others.

Regarding processors, both sport dual-core processors, however, the Vivid runs at 1.2 GHz while the Galaxy operates at a 1.5 GHz frequency.  Both can record video in 1080p.

Both run the Android operating system.

The followings are some statements from AT&T regarding today’s LTE product offering announcements,  “The two LTE-powered superphones will be our 20th and 21st Android devices in 2011, adding to an outstanding year of Android success,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “We’ve far exceeded our commitment to offer 12 new Android devices this year –now including our first 4G LTE smartphones. We’re delivering an incredible amount of innovation to our customers, which is a huge reason why more than half our post-paid subscribers are using a smartphone.”

“We are thrilled to continue growing our relationship with AT&T and excited for the HTC Vivid to be one of the first LTE devices on AT&T for the holiday season,” said Jason Mackenzie, president of global sales and marketing, HTC. “The HTC Vivid combines an exceptional display in a premium device that delivers a powerful smartphone to our customers through AT&T’s fast LTE and HSPA+ 4G networks.”

“AT&T’s LTE network allows for quicker access, smoother streaming and faster web experiences, especially when using the powerful Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket,” said Todd Pendleton, chief marketing officer, Samsung Telecommunications America. “Pairing the Galaxy S II Skyrocket with AT&T’s LTE speeds, creates the ultimate smartphone experience.”

Shares of AT&T stock closed down today at $29.31 per share but during intraday trading shares only dropped under last Friday’s daily range by a penny.  Market sentiment in general today was to the downside, overall.