AT&T’s first two 4G LTE-enabled smartphones are now available for purchase, and subscribers looking to be among the first to own these powerful new Android devices are in for a pleasant surprise. Announced just last week, the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and HTC Vivid feature Google’s Android Gingerbread OS and specs that place them on par with most modern high-end handsets. They were also announced with high-end price points; the Vivid was unveiled at $199.99 and the Skyrocket was given a $249.99 price tag. Both phones are now on sale as promised — they became available a day early on Saturday, in fact — but each smartphone is priced $100 lower than expected on AT&T’s website. Read on for more.
The Vivid is being offered for just $99.99 on contract in black or white, and the Skyrocket costs $149.99 on AT&T’s website, $50 less than the standard version of the Galaxy S II that lacks LTE. It is unclear how long the $100 online discounts will last for these sleek new smartphones, but buyers who were on the fence may have just gotten the push they needed.
BGR went hands-on with both the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and the HTC Vivid last week, and we found the devices to be excellent jumping-off points for AT&T’s 4G LTE smartphone portfolio.
UPDATE: The plot thickens — apparently, pricing varies by region. Many report seeing the phones listed at their announced prices, while others are still seeing the $100 online discount. The screenshots below were taken at 12:30 p.m. EST using our zip code in New York.