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A smattering of smartphones bound for AT&T have leaked by way of a roadmap schedule recently. Among them are the BlackBerry Torch 2 9810, the HTC ChaCha (code-named lele), both launching in the second quarter, and a few new ones called the ZTE Alicanto Z990 and Samsung Habrok i857, which is due in the third quarter. There’s also the Huawei Dola U8800, Pantech Bannik P8000, and HTC Hydra A523 listed here, which all range from mid- to entry-level and running Android.
The Pantech P8000 made it through the FCC a long time ago, but apparently has yet to hit store shelves. All we really know about it is that it’s running Android 2.2, has 512 MB of RAM, and there’s no set release date. The Huawei U8800 was announced over a year ago, and offers HSPA+ support, a 3.8-inch 800 x 480 display, runs Android 2.2, and includes 512 MB of RAM. The HTC Hydra is likely the slider dubbed Paradise we saw at the FCC a long time ago, but it could still be canceled.
It’s great to see Android will be populating so much of AT&T’s entry-level smartphone tier, but I always get a little sketchy when manufacturers like Huawei, Pantech, and ZTE get involved. We don’t see them too much at the upper tiers, so it’s hard to vouch for their quality, nevermind the fact that they’re aiming to undercut most of the big boys and have invariably cut some corners to do so. In any case, it’s good to see we have at least one confirmed carrier for the next Torch, though it woudln’t be surprising to see most major U.S. carriers pick it up at some point.
[via PocketNow]
About The Author
Simon Sage
Simon Sage’s education largely surrounded writing, technology and online community, leading him to begin his blogging career at www.BlackBerryCool.com and to quickly discover a vibrant and active community surrounding BlackBerry and mobile technology. In exploring RIM’s platform, he has learned what enterprises are looking for in mobility as well as what makes the innocuous BlackBerry so appealing to them. Recently Simon’s been covering RIM’s gradual move into an already-crowded consumer market, and the impact of burgeoning challengers, such as the iPhone, as well as long-time leaders, like Nokia, on BlackBerry’s advancement. With plenty of content under his belt, Simon will be branching off a bit to see what other smartphone manufacturers are working on while still using BlackBerry as a barometer. At IntoMobile, you can count on his posts being even-handed, well-informed and thought-out.
