AT&T rolled out a half-dozen new phones Monday including the first phone on contract with a major telecom carrier to sport a super-bright, ultra-thin active matrix OLED display.
The phone from handset maker Samsung is called Impression and features an active-matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) screen that displays vibrant colors and consumes less power than widely used LCD displays today.
"The nation’s first commercially available AMOLED screen results in one of the brightest and
clearest displays in the U.S.," said AT&T in a statement. "It is paired with a keyboard underneath
an amazingly slim, metallic blue, quick messaging phone that’s all touch
screen on the outside, all buttons on the inside" Samsung rival Nokia has an OLED phone available in the U.S. but it is unsubsidized and not available on contract with the major telecom carriers.
OLED-based displays are fast emerging as the alternative to LCD screens. OLEDs offer extremely bright displays that can make colors pop out. They draw less power, which means phones can run longer on a single battery charge. OLED-based displays also do not need a backlight so the screens can be thinner than an LCD panel leading to overall slimmer phones. The Samsung Impression is likely to be just the first of the OLED-based phones to hit the U.S. market.
The Impression has an 3-megapixel camera, a 3.2-inch screen and a full browser, says AT&T. It will be available starting April 7 for $200 with an AT&T contract. Here’s a complete list of the phone’s features.
AT&T’s new lineup also includes phones from other handset makers such as Nokia and LG. AT&T said it plans to offer the Nokia E71x, billed as one of the thinnest smartphones in the market. The Symbian operating system based E71x is about 10 millimeters thick, runs Wi-Fi, GPS, and will be available for $100 with a contract.
Among the other phones will be the Samsung Propel, a Windows Mobile based full QWERTY keyboard slider phone for $150 with a contract; the LG Xenon, a 3G capable phone focused on music and text messaging; and the LG Neon, a low cost touchscreen phone targeted at teens.
Gadget Lab will be at the CTIA wireless conference in Las Vegas later this week. And we will bring you pictures of the phones from the show floor.
Photo: Samsung Impression/AT&T
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