AT&T intros four new Quick Messaging devices, new low-end device services

By on Mar 15, 2010 at 6:23 AM
Services March 15, 2010

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First up is the Samsung Strive. Available March 21st for $19.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate (pricing reflects a limited-time AT&T promotion), the Strive features a sliding full-QWERTY keypad and a 2 megapixel camera. Second is the Samsung Sunburst. Also available on the 21st but for $39.99 after a $50 MIR, the Sunburst is a candybar touchscreen that features widgets which offer one touch access to frequently used services like SMS and social media sites. Other than that, all we know at present is the Sunburst also has GPS capabilities. Although pictures, pricing and specific release dates have not been announced, AT&T also announced two devices from Pantech in the Link and Pursuit. The Link, which will be available in the coming weeks, is described as an “ultra slim and light, full keyboard quick messaging phone” that has a wide range of social media capabilities. As for the Pursuit, it has both a touchscreen and sliding QWERTY keypad and its camera of unknown megapixelage supports facial recognition and geotagging. It will be available this summer.

In other news, AT&T also announced three new services for low-end devices. AT&T Address Book is a free OTA contact sync system that backs up to AT&T’s servers and is accessible via the PC. AT&T Mobile Share is lame lets users upload pictures and videos up to 10MB to their PC and social media sites as well as send it to friends or upload it to the new AT&T Locker. The service will cost $10 per month or $0.35 per use and provides 250MB of storage which is expandable to 10GB for an additional $5. Last and quite possibly least is Next Generation Messaging which enables threaded SMS in addition to group messaging and the ability to reply to all for up to 10 contacts at time. Why this is needed is beyond us, but we think it has something to do with scaring parents into buying their tweens an unlimited SMS plan.

Any takers?

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16 Comments

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  • palmrocks

    no…no…cant see the other two but no

  • Darryl Vaughn

    AT&T Address Book is a great service and I’m glad it’s free. I know Sprint makes you pay for a service like this. Also, I think BGR should be a little bit more optomistic about the Next Generation Messaging feature. I can’t tell you how many people wanted threaded text messaging on dumb phones. But then again, if it’s AT&T, it’s never good enough.

  • Gauntlet Down

    When feature phones have all the features that the run-of-the-mill end-consumer used to have to buy smart phones for, whither smart phones?

    • Dale McNamee

      Good question…

  • Michal Scott

    Now that all of the tweens have smartphones, I guess this will be the lineup for 6-7 year olds.

  • matt

    Thanks for the AT&T advertisement. Im sure they appreciate it. You know, Verizon has had free Backup Assistant for some time now and yet that was never reported on BGR. They also have a line of simple feature phones but that was never reported on here either. I used to love this site but the more biased it becomes towards Big Blue and your anti-android campaign is leaving me looking for other means of getting my info. I think BoyGeniusReport is a bit of a stretch nowadays. But then again, I suppose http://www.MacAndATTfanboy.com was probably taken.

    • StevenGlansburg

      what site are you reading? It’s nearly always Verizon news or something related to another lame rehash of Android or Blackberry…why is people like you get pissed over something Apple related? Like it or not, it’s what’s popular and would bring hits to the site. Just because some of the uber dorks out there are anti-Apple (you) it doesn’t mean the average person is.

    • Gees

      Jump to Engadget

  • Percy

    4 new devices with ATT’s lightning yet spotty ass shit service.
    Fucking lame!

  • Droid Lover

    Matt- you’re too honest

  • Win44

    Seems like BGR needs to take a step down from the high horse.

    How many other non-smartphone devices support threaded group messaging? How many average consumers out their are asking for popular and useful feature without paying smartphone device prices? None and lots!

    AT&T is catering their offerings to everyone, and doing a good job at it.

    • Mack Simmons

      Agreed. Messenger phones are for most people the gateway to smartphones. Once you get your hands on a sweet keyboard (and no longer have to text message with a traditional dial pad), you aren’t likely to go back. Add in the e-mail capacity, the video and other 3G perks, and suddenly, you begin thinking about buying a smartphone. Then you have to pay for unlimited data and voila, smartphones become more attractive. You’ll either get a new version of the messenger phone (with its upgraded capacity) or, more likely, buy a smartphone (since many messenger phones are priced in the same range as many smartphones).

      That’s what happened to me personally, moving from a Samsung Rant (I had a BB for work) to a Curve last month. My fiancee has the Samsung Exclaim on Sprint; she is already drooling over my Curve and the Nexus One.

      If you are any of the Big Four, you want as many messenger phones in the lineup as possible. The better to upsell to the Bold or the Dream.

  • glass

    When I glanced at the article and saw the word “sunburt” up there, my first thought that it was a misspelled version of “sunburnt.” I thought, man, that’s an odd name for a phone!

  • Eastie

    Are these going to be the first Qualcomm BMP handsets which they announced at CES?

  • Q

    The group messaging will be like using group messages on bberry messenger for phones that support this feature…you could text 10 people about a party, work/school group assignment, or whatever and respond to just one person too

  • Nico

    If these type of phones were available a few years ago, I would have been all over them. Now I’m addicted to my smartphones. I am a bit jealous though that these Feature phones are available and first time phone owners get the chance to get a neat phone while I was stuck with some boring phone. It’s not fair. At least I can get one of these type of phones for the boyfriend. And I get to play with his phone along with my iPhone 3G, Samsung Jack and my baby (for now) my HTC Magic.

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