AT&T adds 4G LTE Galaxy Express, Rugby Pro, Galaxy Note II, and GalaxyTab 2 10.1 to lineup

Samsung Galaxy Express

Nowadays, we can pretty much count on AT&T to be the first out of the gate with announcing new products to its expansive smartphone and tablet lineup. The same can almost be said for Samsung, who today have announced the newest additions to AT&T's 4G LTE offerings.

The Samsung Galaxy Express sports a 4.5-inch Super AMOLED Plus screen with Ice Cream Sandwich and a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor on board. The Galaxy Rugby Pro is touted as being built to "military specifications" and is waterproof, dust proof, and shock resistant. The Galaxy Note II smartphone/tablet comes in with improved battery life, a  narrower design, and Jelly Bean out of the box. AT&T completes the lineup with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 sporting a 10.1-inch display and a 7000 mAh battery.

The devices are scheduled for release "in the coming months". Pricing is not yet available.

The complete Press Release is below:

AT&T Continues To Build 4G LTE Android Portfolio With The Addition Of Three Smartphones And One Tablet From Samsung

DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- AT&T* and Samsung Telecommunications America, LLC (Samsung Mobile)1 announced three new 4G LTE Android™ smartphones– Galaxy Express™, Galaxy Rugby Pro™ and the Galaxy Note® II – and one new 4G LTE Android tablet, Galaxy Tab® 2 (10.1), available in the coming months.

Samsung Galaxy Express
First-time smartphone users will find their perfect match with the Samsung Galaxy Express, a 4G LTE smartphone that combines high performance features at a great price. Galaxy Express runs Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and sports a clear and bright 4.5-inch Super AMOLED™ Plus screen. The 1.5 GHz dual-core processor and 2000 mAh battery helps users stay productive throughout the day; while the 5-megapixel rear facing camera lets you capture and share images easily through text messages, email and social networks.

Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro (pictured above... Ed.)
An ideal mix of brains and brawn, the Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro gives customers with active lifestyles access to a 4G LTE smartphone that can handle whatever life throws at it. The Rugby Pro is built to military specifications (810g specifications) and is waterproof**, shock resistant and dust proof. It features a 4-inch WVGA Super AMOLED display and a 5-megapixel rear facing camera that lets you record HD video in 720p. Business customers can rest assured that in addition to being protected from every day wear and tear, Rugby Pro also comes with full device encryption and EAS corporate email support. The device will have access to Enhanced Push-to-Talk functionality upon launch of the service.

Samsung Galaxy Note II
Announced earlier this month, Samsung Galaxy Note II continues to expand the popular category created by the Galaxy Note with improved battery life, a thinner and narrower design and enhancements to the S Pen™. Arriving later this year running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), Galaxy Note II with 4G LTE combines the productivity of a tablet with the convenience of a smartphone and the S Pen features you need to unleash your creativity in a single device. With a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED™ display and 1.6 GHz quad-core Exynos™ processor with integrated graphics processing unit (GPU), the Galaxy Note II provides PC-like processing power and advanced features like Popup Video, new Gallery views and great gaming performance in a truly pocketable device.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 10.1"
This 4G LTE Android 4.0 tablet delivers entertainment and productivity to fit your whole life. Galaxy Tab 2 10.1" offers a 10.1-inch display and premium entertainment options including Media Hub, Smart Remote and AllShare® Play. Features like on-device encryption and VPN access ensure your tablet is secure for business use. The 7000 mAh battery allows you to stay connected throughout the day.

AT&T customers have access to the nation's largest 4G network***, covering 275 million people. AT&T has two 4G networks that work together for customers, LTE and HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. That means AT&T customers are able to enjoy a widespread, ultra-fast and consistent 4G experience on their compatible device as they move in and out of LTE areas. With other carriers, when you travel outside of their LTE coverage area, you may be on a much slower 3G network.

All of these devices will be available from AT&T in the coming months.

Samsung, Express, Note, Rugby Pro, Super AMOLED, Exynos, S Pen, and AllShare are trademarks of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

1 Samsung Mobile is the No. 1 mobile phone provider in the United States, based upon reported shipments, according to Strategy Analytics, North America Handset Vendor Marketshare, Q2 2012. Samsung Electronics Company is the No. 1 smartphone provider worldwide, based upon reported shipments, according to Strategy Analytics Global Smartphone Vendor Market Share by Region: Q2 2012.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

**Waterproof against incidental exposure to water when all ports (incl. USB and earphone ports) are tightly closed. NOT designed or intended for in water use. Submersible up to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes. Waterproof based on IP57 rating.

***4G speeds not available everywhere. Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. Learn more at att.com/network.

 Source: AT&T

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Apple CEO Tim Cook Apologizes for iOS 6 Maps

Apple has taken a tremendous amount of heat over the new maps application in iOS 6. After dumping Google Maps for their own solution, users of the new maps application in iOS 6 have complained about incomplete map data, missing or misplaced landmarks, and lack of transit information to name a few.  Google Maps have spent years building up the vast amounts of data we see today, and for Apple to take mobile mapping back down a few notches in iOS 6 has users asking, why?

Today, Apple CEO Tim Cook has published an open letter in which he admits Apple "fell short" on delivering the "best experience possible" to their customers, and is "extremely sorry". He goes on to recommend other 3rd party alternatives that customers can download while Apple works to improve their own solution including Bing, Mapquest, and Waze among others.

The complete statement by Tim Cook is below:

To our customers,
At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.
We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.
There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.
While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.
Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.
Tim Cook
Apple’s CEO

Source: Business Insider, Apple

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