AT&T to add Pantech's low-cost C630 phone to 3G lineup

NEW YORK, N.Y. - AT&T plans to add another 3G phone in December, BetaNews has learned. Pantech's C630 phone will join eight other low-cost phones in AT&T's growing 3G family, along with the pricier Apple iPhone 3G and Windows Mobile-based LG Incite.

At a press event last night, Pantech previewed the C630, a low-priced smartphone that AT&T will sell to customers for use on its 3G network starting in December.

Pantech asked journalists shown the device to hold off on publishing photos until the C630 is announced next month. Spec sheets and press materials also are not yet available. But the C630 displayed last night is a candybar phone which features that include (but aren't necessarily limited to) Advanced GSM (AGSM), a 1.3 megapixel camera, a speakerphone, Bluetooth, an MP3 music player, a microSD slot, Internet Yellow Pages, e-mail, instant messaging, and AT&T's Video Exchange and Video Sharing.

The C630 will cost in the range of only about $49 to $50 with a service plan, in comparison to the $199.99 price of both Apple's iPhone 3G and LG's forthcoming Windows Mobile Incite, said Frank Fay, a company spokesperson, speaking with BetaNews at the Pepcom-sponsored press event.

Fay told BetaNews he thinks the C630 will appeal to a lot of people who want 3G speeds, especially considering the current state of the economy.

AT&T is also already offering about eight other 3G phones in the $50-or-so price bracket, including Pantech's C610, a clamshell device with features similar to the C630's; and Slate, a wider phone with a built-in QWERTY keyboard.

Pantech's C630 will run the Symbian OS, according to Fay. In contrast, the upcoming Incite will be LG's first major Windows Mobile-enabled phone for the US market.