It’s all about QWERTY these days and despite the company’s penchant for full-touchscreen handsets, Samsung has been known to turn out a solid messenger or two. Case in point: the new Samsung Propel Pro, which is now available from AT&T. AT&T made the Propel Pro offical just ahead ahead of CTIA and introduced it alongside five other message-hungry handsets. Despite being forced to share the limelight with a handful of other devices, the Propel Pro can certainly hold its own and looks to be a fine replacement for its predecessor, the Propel. Specs:

• Slider form factor, QWERTY keypad
• 2.5-inch TFT display, 320 x 320 pixels, 65K colors
• Quad band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)
• Tri-band UMTS/HSDPA connectivity (850/1900/2100 MHz)
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard OS
• 3 megapixel camera with autofocus
• Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth 2.0
• MicroSDHC support
• 4 x 2.5 x 0.6 inches, 4.8 ounces
• Talk time: up to 6 hours, Standby time: up to 12 days

Sammy’s Propel Pro rings up at $149.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate on a two-year contract. For the more frugal among you, the original Propel is sitting pretty at $49.99 until inventory is depleted. As an odd side note, AT&T is offering refurbished Propels online at the same $49.99 price point. Hmm.

[Via Business Wire]

Read

Well would you look at that — AT&T has gone ahead and announced six new handsets including the Nokia E71x, LG Neon and Xenon, Samsung Magnet, Propel Pro and Impression just days before CTIA Wireless gets underway in Las Vegas. Starting off with the biggest and baddest of the bunch, the Nokia E71x, the sexy fully-QWERTY S60 device we are sure everyone is more than familiar with now due to a series of Bold-esque delays, will be available to customers “in the coming weeks” for the amazingly cool price of $99.99. Next up on the block is the Samsung Propel Pro, a device we scooped not too long ago. Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 and featuring a sliding full-QWERTY keypad and Wi-Fi, the Propel Pro will be available starting April 14 for $149.99. After that we have the LG Xenon, a device which captured our attention just yesterday when it was first spotted in the wild. If, of course, features a touchscreen display, sliding QWERTY keypad, 2 megapixel camera, GPS and HSDPA connectivity. Look for it April 8 for $99.99. Now on to some low-end devices. First up is the Samsung Impression with it’s 3.2″ AMOLED display and 3 megapixel camera. It will go for $199.99 come April 7.

Now we have the Samsung Magnet, a low-cost QWERTY candybar device that is aimed at all of the teens that text more than study and can’t afford something hot like a BlackBerry Bold. It has yet to be priced and no release date has been given. This brings us to the last of the new, the very unremarkable LG Neon. It has a 2 megapixel camera, sliding QWERTY keypad and, what do you know, a touch screen. It too has yet to be priced and given a release date. Now, kids, are we happy with what we’re seeing or are we disappointed? Let us know in the comment section.

DALLAS, March 30, 2009 – Text messaging and email are still the ‘killer app’ for mobile phone data use and AT&T is responding with a great new lineup of phones for the Spring season.  AT&T* today announced a fresh new lineup of smartphones and quick messaging phones that make it easier for customers to message with friends and family and manage their business and personal lives on-the-go.  Arriving in AT&T stores and online at www.wireless.att.com in the coming weeks, these integrated devices add to AT&T’s leading mobile phone portfolio.

In the smartphone category, AT&T debuted the Nokia E71x and the Samsung PropelTM Pro, two stylish smartphones that inspire fun, while delivering serious functionality.  In addition, the Samsung ImpressionTM and Samsung MagnetTM, and LG Xenon and Neon emerge to the lead AT&T’s lineup of quick messaging phones and expands the number of full-keyboard mobile phones in AT&T’s lineup to seven. Pictures of the new lineup are available at www.att.com/mobilehandsets-news.

“Smartphones and quick messaging phones are no longer for early-adopters and text-happy teens,” said David Christopher, chief marketing officer, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “The ability to text often, or check your email from a phone is easy and more customers demand these features.  These phones are a great addition to our best-in-class lineup and we can’t wait to get them in our customers’ hands in the coming weeks.”

Nokia E71x
The thinnest smartphone on the market, the Nokia E71x, will be available in the coming weeks for $99.99 and features a black steel finish and award-winning design.  The Nokia smartphone, based on S60 on Symbian OS^TM offers the Wi-Fi and the flexibility of many Symbian-based applications, in addition to AT&T’s most popular services, including AT&T Navigator.  The Nokia E71x is just 10 millimeters thin and will turn heads when you text friends, or check your corporate or personal email.  Customers can learn more at http://www.att.com/nokiaE71x.

Samsung PropelTM Pro
The Propel Pro, a full-QWERTY silver and chrome compact slider smartphone with Windows Mobile 6.1 allows users to run full enterprise applications on the same platform they use to text and send photos.  Evolving from the popular Samsung Propel^TM, business users and consumers looking for a full-feature smartphone with Wi-Fi will look to the Propel Pro, available in April for $149.99.

Samsung Impression^TM
The nation’s first commercially available AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) screen results in one of the brightest and clearest displays in the U.S. and 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.  On sale for $199.99, the Impression has an included 3.0 megapixel camcorder-capable camera, 3.2-inch screen and full browser to maximize every pixel of color.

LG Xenon
A quick messaging phone boasting a full keypad for text messaging beneath its vibrant colors and large touch screen display with customizable and intuitive user interface, the 3G-powered LG Xenon snaps 2.0 megapixel photos and offers the full suite of AT&T entertainment services such as AT&T Navigator, Napster Mobile, eMusic Mobile, and more.  Xenon will be available in three colors: black, blue and red for $99.99. The Xenon is also featured in MTV’s upcoming series “The Phone”, executive produced by Justin Timberlake.

LG Neon
Teens and text-happy adults will enjoy the LG Neon, a low-cost touch screen device available in the coming weeks. The green and white quick messaging phone features a full keyboard, 2.0 megapixel camera, and access to Instant Messaging, Mobile Email, AT&T Music, and the mobile Internet.

Samsung Magnet^TM
The Magnet is an incredibly slim orange and black bar-shaped device that will appeal to teens who need a low-cost, quick messaging phone.  The Magnet features a WAP browser and integrated camera in its sleek package and will be offered at an affordable price in the coming weeks.

All six devices can be paired with messaging bundles offering 200, 1500, and unlimited messages that cost $5, $15 and $20, respectively. Unlimited messaging is available for AT&T FamilyTalk® plan customers for all lines for $30. Data plans vary per device.

Samsung Impression and Propel Pro will arrive in AT&T stores on April 7 and 14, respectively, and the LG Xenon will go on sale on April 8. The Nokia e71x, LG Neon and Samsung Magnet will be available in the following weeks.

For the complete array of AT&T offerings, visit www.att.com. For product photos, visit www.att.com/mobilehandsets-news.

AT&T customers, it looks like you’re in for quite a few sexy new phones over the next few months if this new report ends up panning out. Here’s what we’re looking at according to a report from the boys over at Engadget Mobile:

• Nokia Piranha, March 24th – Internal codename, a “thin smartphone with a touchscreen”. If true, it will have to be the 5800 XpressMusic we imagine, but we find it highly unlikely. The other, more likely possibility: The tipster is confused and it’s the E71x which will reportedly follow at Best Buy on April 1st.
• Samsung Propel Pro, March 19th
• Samsung Impression, March 26th – Touchscreen slider, 3 megapixel camera
• LG Xenon, April 9th
• LG Neon, May 9th
• Samsung “BJ 2″, May 9th – Possibly the Blackjack 3, though that codename is extremely odd considering the existence of the already-available Blackjack 2.
• Sony Ericsson C905, June 9th

See anything you like?

Read

Hmm… so we’ve got an update to the Samsung Propel, have we? More or less, yes, this is as we’re told, the Samsung Propel Pro and it brings pro-level features with it. Things like Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard, an optical joystick (which our ninja says is absolutely worthless), 3G, and we’d guess a camera and what not. We haven’t been told anything other than that the QWERTY keyboard is pretty decent, but we’re still in the dark on a release date, pricing, and the usual ever-important spec sheet on this AT&T device. Hey, T-Mobile Shadow, you just got scooped like ice cream. Couple more shots after the jump!

Thanks, Jay!