AT&T's First 4G LTE Devices Won't Be Smartphones

AT&T has announced the first two devices that will be compatible to the provider’s upcoming 4G LTE network, though neither will be a smartphone.

The first device, the AT&T USBConnect Momentum 4G -- a sleek, black, flat, rectangular modem with a revolving USB port -- will support both Windows and Mac OS. While the second accessory, the AT&T Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G -- a black rectangle with a 1.77-inch, 160 x 128 pixel LCD front screen -- will connect up to five Wi-Fi enabled devices to the LTE network. Both devices will have microSD card slots that allow them to offer data storage.

AT&T will launch its 4G LTE service this summer, though initially it will only reach five markets: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio. The carrier plans to extend its network to at least 15 markets, hoping to cover 70 million Americans by the end of 2011. 

Both the Momentum and the Elevate will fall back to HSPA+ speeds when out of the LTE coverage, though it is unclear how fast the HSPA+ modems are. 

AT&T will certainly introduce LTE-enabled smartphones later on, so phone users shouldn't feel snubbed since they're basically following in the footsteps of their rivals. When Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon brought their 4G networks online, they offered accessories for laptops before they had 4G smartphones.

Price & Availability
The Momentum and Elevate will be available this summer online and in company-owned retail stores for $49.99 and $69.99, respectively, both with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in-rebate. 

These two new products will join the USBConnect Adrenaline, which was released in March as part of the first generation of LTE devices for AT&T. Though the Adrenaline currently runs on the carrier’s 3G network, it will be upgraded to enable LTE when the network becomes available.