Vinod Yalburgi

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Posted on 09-07-2010

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It is good news for Samsung smartphone fanatics, as  AT&T (NYSE:T) has reportedly confirmed the release and pricing details for the Samsung Captivate on thursday (08/07/2010). This happens to be AT&T's version of Samsung's Galaxy S smartphone. The Android-based Captivate is proposed to be available from AT&T starting July 18, with a price tag of $199.99 accompanied by a two-year lock-in, requiring an AT&T voice and data plan.

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The release date apparently indicates that AT&T will be the first of the major U.S. carriers to release a version of the Samsung Galaxy S, and closely followed by T-Mobile's version called as Samsung Vibrant which is set for July 21 release.

Meanwhile, Galaxy S versions for Verizon (NYSE:VZ) and Sprint (NYSE:S), known as Samsung Fascinate and Samsung Epic 4G, respectively, have not yet confirmed the release dates or pricing details. Also a fifth version of the phone, termed as Galaxy S, headed for carrier U.S. Cellular, does not have the release date confirmed either.

At its launch, Samsung Captivate is expected to be the most advanced Android-based smartphone available till date for AT&T, which has reportedly added several Android devices to its smartphone portfolio in the recent months.

The Samsung Captivate is expected to ship with Android 2.1 platform with an android 2.2 upgrade option shelved for later this summer. The smartphone claims to offer a rich assortment of features including 4-inch AMOLED display, Samsung's 1 Ghz Hummingbird processor, 5-megapixel camera, up to 32 GB of storage (including internal and added memory) and connectivity for Bluetooth, GPS and Wi-Fi.

The advent of Galaxy S signifies a giant step forward for Samsung as a smartphone competitor and a strong player in the rapidly growing Android market. The unit was reportedly named among the CRN's list of Top 10 Coolest Smartphones of the Year, and also reflected AT&T's intentions to continuously expand its smartphone portfolio, with the expectation that its exclusive contract with Apple iPhone as a carrier in the U.S would end shortly.