AT&T Likely to be Exclusive Windows Phone 7 Carrier

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A report by the Wall Street Journal reports that AT&T will be the exclusive carrier with Windows Phone 7. According to the article, AT&T will begin selling 3 new devices, the HTC Mondrian, the Samsung Cetus, and the LG Optimus 7, on November 8th. Official names and specifications of these devices are expected to be released October 11th.

AT&T is gearing up for a busy fall with many phones being released soon, including a Blackberry Curve 3G and Blackberry Pearl 3G, in addition to the Windows Phone 7 devices. By the end of November, AT&T will have released 12 new devices since June.

It may seem curious that Microsoft has decided to with AT&T as an exclusive carrier, but when you think about it, this may be just another opportunity to compete with Apple.

Confirmed: iPhone coming to Verizon

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Today, Apple suppliers have released information confirming a CDMA iPhone is coming, with information suggesting that Apple will begin manufacturing the devices in December. Apple is expected to make 3 million devices during the month in order to support a early 2011 launch. Although both Verizon and Sprint use CDMA networks, it is pretty apparent that it will be Verizon receiving the iPhone, as they have the largest network and many rumors had already suggested that the iPhone would go to Verizon.

At this point in time, it is unclear whether there will be an specification changes to the new iPhone, but one could expect the antenna issue to be fixed. There are not many more details known, but it will be interesting to see how Android phones fare with this news. Now finally people will be able to enjoy an iPhone on a network other than AT&T, and who knows, maybe we will end up with an even better iPhone.

AT&T to Roll Out LTE mid-2011

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Following Verizon's announcement, stating that they would be rolling out LTE to 30 cities by the end of 2010, AT&T announced that they are working on their LTE network, and expect it to roll out by mid-2011. That said, don't expect AT&T to be nearly as quick as Verizon in rolling out their network, as they have plans to upgrade their HSPA (3G) network to HSPA+ (3.5G) by the end of the year.

Many people would be happy if AT&T would stick to improving their 3G network though, as it has been a major problem for AT&T in terms of reliability. Even iPhone users complained that their biggest problem was AT&T's spotty network.

AT&T is continually working to improve the network, but how long, if they will ever, will it take for them to catch up to everyone else?

*Note: I apologize to anyone who is offended by the AT&T image above, but you have to admit, its pretty funny in light of AT&T's network troubles.

Samsung Galaxy Tab to Come to 3 of 4 Major Carriers

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The Samsung Galaxy Tab, the tablet based on Samsung's Galaxy S smartphones and the first real competitor for the iPad, is now just a few weeks away and is expected to be released on 3 of the 4 major U.S. carriers. Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon have all reportedly reached deals with Samsung to carry the device, leaving T-Mobile the odd one out.

Samsung is expected to unveil the tablet in the U.S. September 16th in New York City.

The Galaxy Tab is expected to a smaller device than the iPad at 7 inches (the iPad is 9.7 inches), but functionality wise it will be a more capable device. The Galaxy Tab will have run Froyo 2.2, have both front and rear cameras, as well as have the ability to function as a phone. An additional feature the iPad is missing that the Galaxy Tab has is full Adobe Flash support (although with Apple's loosening of App Store restrictions, this could change).

Altogether, the Galaxy Tab is a worthy competitor for the iPad. The question remains is will the average user prefer the larger screen and for user friendly OS of the Apple iPad, or will users prefer the flexibility of Android and the ability to video conference and make phone calls.

Dell Streak Delayed

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The Dell Streak, a tablet phone with a 5 in. screen, has been delayed. It was originally intended to be released "at the end of July" meaning it would have had to be released sometime this week, but now according to the Dell website, the Streak is now coming "soon"

This is very vague, and leaves people angry, wondering if it is coming next week, or possibly even later.

Pricing has also been anounced, starting at $300 with a 2 year agreement at AT&T. Unfortuanately, the device will launch running Android 1.6, but an update to 2.2 Froyo is coming.

Looks like everyone will have to wait just a little bit longer to get their hands on this device in today's ever evolving smartphone market.

Smartphone Showdown: Apple iPhone 4 vs HTC Evo 4g vs Motorola Droid X vs HTC Droid Incredible

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This year has truly become the summer to buy a smartphone. So many great choices, but which one to get? Lets break it down in a summary here:

Apple iPhone 4 (AT&T): Ah, the ever so popular iPhone. This year, the iPhone has a bit more competition than in the past. The iPhone 4 comes in either 16gb or 32gb (not expandable), 5 megapixel camera, VGA front facing camera, and an impressive 3.5 inch retina display. The iPhone runs iOS4, and has access to Apple's App Store. The iPhone is powered by Apple's A4 processor (unknown clock speed, reports say 1ghz).

*There are reports of signal issues if held a certain way. Apple is giving away free bumpers to help issue.

HTC Evo 4G (Sprint): This amazing device has a spec sheet to dream of. The only phone on this list that can run on a 4G network, which makes its mobile hotspot feature (in which you can connect up to 8 devices) very useful and effective. It also sports a 8 megapixel rear facing camera, as well as a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera (useful for video conferencing). This device also has a 4.3 inch screen, and a speedy 1ghz Snapdragon processor. This phone runs Android 2.1 with HTC Sense. Other notable features include an HDMI port and a kickstand. It comes with 1gb internal memory, and an 8gb micro sd card (expandable up to 32gb).

*Many users report poor battery life, over the air update may have partially/fully fixed this.

Motorola Droid X (Verizon): This smartphone is very similiar to the Evo, with a few differences. To begin with, it has a 4.3 inch screen, just like that Evo, but it is thinner and taller (screen size is measured diagonally). The Droid X also has an 8 megalpixel camera, but no front facing camera. This phone features a 1ghz ARMv7 processor. This phone also runs Android 2.1 with Motorblur. The Motoblur software has been greatly improved, but HTC Sense is still superior. The Droid also supports a mobile hotspot feature for up to 5 devices. This device also includes an HDMI port. This phone comes with 8gb of internal memory and a 16gb micro sd card (expandable up to 32gb).

*Reports say it cannot be modified, hackers and power users will not like this.

HTC Droid Incredible (Verizon): This speedy phone has a 1ghz Snapdragon processor, an 8 megapixel camera, 3.7 inch screen, and has 8gb of internal memory, with a micro sd slot that supports cards up to 32gb. This smartphone runs Android 2.1 with HTC Sense. An overall impressive phone.

Conclusion:

Best Smartphone: HTC Evo 4G

2nd place: Apple iPhone 4

3rd place: Motorola Droid X

4th place: HTC Droid Incredible

In my comparison, the winner is the HTC Evo 4G. However all of these phones are great phones, and it really is up to personal preference. For some users, the Evo's lack of battery life (most likely will last 1 day at most) will make the phone impractical. However, with Apple's signal issues, and the lack of a front facing camera on the Droid X and Incredible, I feel confident that the Evo 4G is currently the best phone on the market. Please, let me know what you think!

Good luck getting your hands on any of these!