AT&T (NYSE:T) will add a third 4G LTE Android smartphone to its lineup when it begins selling LG’s Nitro HD Dec. 4 for $249.99 with a two-year contract.
The Nitro has a 4.5-inch True HD Advanced High-Performance In-Plane Switching (AH-IPS) display, runs Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating system, and is powered by a dual-core 1.5GHz processor.
AT&T’s first smartphone to sport a true high-definition screen is also equipped with 500 nits (candelas per square meter) display luminance, providing clear viewing in direct sunlight. Red, green and blue stripe pixels offer accurate, true-to-life color rendering, according to a press statement from AT&T.
Any device fitted with an HD resolution supporting resolutions up to 1280-by-720 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio should be ideal for viewing movies, TV shows and other multimedia content, such as games. The LG Nitro supports Zynga Poker HD, as well as HD titles from the Gameloft HD game store.
The Nitro is also graced with an 8 megapixel HD camera and 20GB of memory, including 4GB onboard and 16GB via a microSD that comes in the box. WiFi Direct technology and DLNA allow Nitro owners to tap wireless HD content streaming options, allowing users to share HD content.
The LG Nitro joins the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and HTC Vivid as the third Android handset in AT&T’s 4G LTE portfolio.
The carrier’s 4G LTE network, which is vying for market share versus Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network, Sprint’s 4G WiMax and T-Mobile’s 4G network, is currently available in 15 markets and provides speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G.
AT&T’s 4G LTE provisions aren’t as clear cut as Verizon’s are. AT&T enables 4G using HSPA+ and LTE technologies. The carrier claims that HSPA+, when combined with enhanced backhaul, provides 4G data speeds to customers with compatible devices such as the Nitro, Skyrocket and Vivid.
That 4G LTE backhaul deployment is ongoing, said AT&T, which earlier this month added Boston; Washington, D.C.; Baltimore; and Athens, Ga., to its existing markets of Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas-Fort Worth; Houston, Texas; and San Antonio, Texas.