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AT&T introduced the HTC Jetstream on Wednesday, the company’s first Google Android tablet that will assist the carrier’s upcoming LTE network. Comparable to other tablets operating Android 3.one, the Jetstream makes use of a ten.1-inch show, but with a twist: The capacitive touchscreen operates with the HTC Scribe digital pen accessory for notice-taking and drawing.
AT&T is supplementing the Jetstream with a new three GB information prepare costing $ 35 a month. Clients that agree to a two-calendar year contract on the new strategy will be able to obtain the Jetstream for $ 699 a subsidized cost most likely to put several buyers off.
To a gadget addict like myself, there is considerably to like about the Jetstream on paper: a 1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor, assist for today’s HSPA+ cellular broadband networks as well as long term LTE networks, a new version of HTC Sense software program for enhanced usability, and dual digital camera sensors, which includes an 8 megapixel rear camera, to title a number of crucial specs.
But AT&T seems to be betting on LTE as a important differentiator right here, and possibly as justification for the fairly high subsidized value of the Jetstream. I believe that is a error. We’ll see when the tablet hits stores on September four at $ 699 with agreement, reportedly $ 849 without having.
AT&T wants only to seem at its rival Verizon and Motorola Xoom pricing to get an concept of how well a tablet with two-yr contract will market at $ 700 or a lot more. Simply place: it will not at least not effectively. Granted, the Xoom undoubtedly faced other issues outside of the to begin with higher price tag since it was rushed to industry with some key flaws: standard instability, a minimal range of tablet-optimized purposes, and a promised LTE hardware upgrade where “coming soon” meant six months afterwards. In a sense, LTE assist for the Jetstream is also “coming quickly,” due to the fact AT&T hasn’t but released its LTE services. And when it does, it will only be in 5 markets to start and 10 much more by yr end.
Even though I anticipate that HTC’s hardware and software won’t confront the same issues as the Xoom, it nevertheless demands to reply a important query: What justifies the price tag premium over an Apple iPad 2 that can be had without having a agreement?
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