AT&T goes wild with texting, announces four QWERTY phones
If you're into that whole SMS craze and you're on AT&T, you're in luck -- four times over. The carrier's gone ahead and announced not one, not two, but four QWERTY-equipped dumphones today, including a dual slider and a Pantech being billed as "the world's thinnest device with a full QWERTY keypad."
First up, the Pantech Matrix is available now in your choice of blue or green, with red being added on Thursday, October 16. It slides two ways -- a conventional vertical slide to reveal a numeric keypad, and a second side slider for the full QWERTY action. It's got 3G, AT&T Navigation, Video Share support, and a 1.3-megapixel cam, running $79.99 on contract with rebate. Next, the Samsung Propel apes the i620's industrial design -- but make no mistake, there's no Windows Mobile to be found here. It also does 3G and features the full host of AT&T services, packs a 1.3-megapixel cam, and will run the same $79.99 as the Matrix when it hits in late October in blue, green, red, and white with red accents. Next, the Pantech Slate is pretty appropriately named -- if its claim of being the thinnest QWERTY device in the world ends up holding water, anyway. It'll be available in late October alongside the Propel for $49.99 on contract with a 1.3-megapixel camera, but there's no high-speed data to be found in this sucker. Finally, the long-rumored Quickfire -- you may know it better as the Knick -- will come in November bearing AT&T branding and a Sidekick-esque style that'll likely appeal to the young'uns among us. It's got a touchscreen in addition to a slide-out QWERTY deal, a 1.3-megapixel camera (notice a trend here?), and 3G in your choice of orange, lime, and silver for $99.99 after you've inked up the dotted line.
First up, the Pantech Matrix is available now in your choice of blue or green, with red being added on Thursday, October 16. It slides two ways -- a conventional vertical slide to reveal a numeric keypad, and a second side slider for the full QWERTY action. It's got 3G, AT&T Navigation, Video Share support, and a 1.3-megapixel cam, running $79.99 on contract with rebate. Next, the Samsung Propel apes the i620's industrial design -- but make no mistake, there's no Windows Mobile to be found here. It also does 3G and features the full host of AT&T services, packs a 1.3-megapixel cam, and will run the same $79.99 as the Matrix when it hits in late October in blue, green, red, and white with red accents. Next, the Pantech Slate is pretty appropriately named -- if its claim of being the thinnest QWERTY device in the world ends up holding water, anyway. It'll be available in late October alongside the Propel for $49.99 on contract with a 1.3-megapixel camera, but there's no high-speed data to be found in this sucker. Finally, the long-rumored Quickfire -- you may know it better as the Knick -- will come in November bearing AT&T branding and a Sidekick-esque style that'll likely appeal to the young'uns among us. It's got a touchscreen in addition to a slide-out QWERTY deal, a 1.3-megapixel camera (notice a trend here?), and 3G in your choice of orange, lime, and silver for $99.99 after you've inked up the dotted line.













Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Restoration @ Oct 14th 2008 12:16PM
I'm curious to know how much thinner the Pantech Slate is compared to the Nokia E71. Interestingly, this will be the second phone on at&t that has the "Slate" name.
derX @ Oct 14th 2008 12:37PM
I think the phone you're referring to has the color "slate" and not its official name.
Restoration @ Oct 14th 2008 1:25PM
derX, you are correct, thanks.
Danny @ Oct 14th 2008 12:25PM
It was always my complaint that at&t didn't have these style phones the way Verizon has. Not everyone wants or needs a smartphone and the way we all love to SMS eachother these devices should sell well.
About time!
smith @ Oct 14th 2008 1:24PM
its about time !!! forget about envy and alias and crap !!
Top Banana @ Oct 14th 2008 2:35PM
To keep it in perspective Verizon and T-Mobile have had many full qwerty's for years, and AT&T needed to get with the program awhile ago they really aren't setting any trends in the industry, and the Iphone doesn't count since Apple is the brains behind all that(marketing, pricing and availablity included)
Eric @ Oct 14th 2008 3:11PM
no e63-2. I am sad.
Iain @ Oct 14th 2008 7:31PM
It is possible to text on non-QWERTY handsets, or has that fact been lost somewhere?
Look at the likes of the UK, there are huge amounts of texts sent, a number of both pay monthly and PAYG tariffs offer unlimited text packages but QWERTY handsets are a tiny minority of handsets sold.
The 'SMS craze' as you seem to have dubbed it is not dependant on the hardware, it's dependant on the tariffs.
When the demand is there, the networks will enter a price war, the popularity will increase and away we go...
turn_self_off @ Oct 15th 2008 12:11AM
this is usa, the place that discovered sms only after blackberry had made it big providing email in the users pocket.
people want to appear as if they are doing big important emails, even tho they are packing a cheap feature phone, not a "crackberry".
John T. @ Oct 15th 2008 8:45PM
What- no LG Xenon?
AwlAmericanDawg @ Oct 15th 2008 9:17PM
don't forget the LG Xenon
AJ @ Oct 22nd 2008 2:43PM
question about the quickfire.
does the screen turn with the phone like an ipod touch or can u only look at it up and down?