AT&T and Samsung on Monday introduced the Samsung Eternity, yet another touchscreen phone. The differentiator is that the phone supports AT&T Mobile TV, and the wireless carrier is offering a 30-day free trial for new subscribers.
The black-and-chrome device has a 3.2-inch touchscreen and haptic support that vibrates to confirm selections on the touchscreen.
Three dedicated keys on the lower portion of the device streamline navigation. The phone also supports an accelerometer that automatically detects the device’s motion and the orientation. That makes it possible for users to tap into capabilities like autorotation of the display, motion-sensing games, and photo scrolling by tilting the device.
“Eternity can provide endless entertainment options for AT&T customers,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of devices for AT&T’s mobility and consumer operations. “Our customers are looking for mobile phones to be a remote control for their life, bringing music, the Internet, GPS navigation, and even TV with them on the go.”
Betting on Mobile TV
Samsung characterizes the Eternity as a multimedia-rich device. It offers a full QWERTY keypad that lets customers tap into the mobile broadband Web on AT&T’s 3G network. Customers can also wield the AT&T Navigator, listen to AT&T Mobile Music with Napster Mobile, and take pictures with a three-megapixel camera.
“This is a touchscreen feature phone — it is not a smartphone,” said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Current Analysis. “That means while it has a great mobile-TV features it won’t synchronize your calendar or contacts and it can’t be expanded to do new things in the way that the iPhone or the G1 or even a Windows Mobile smartphone can be.”
Eternity users will get instant access to continuous streaming television content and sporting events from top networks, including programming from leading entertainment brands CBS Mobile, CNBC, Comedy Central, ESPN Mobile TV, FOX News, FOX Mobile,…