HTC Aria goes official for AT&T, gets toyed with on video (update: $130, coming June 20)
By Darren Murph 
posted June 14th 2010 9:21AM
posted June 14th 2010 9:21AM
[Thanks, Travis]
Update: Ah, and here's the official presser. It's a mid-range phone with Android 2.1, a five megapixel camera, 3.2-inch HVGA capacitive touchpanel, inbuilt WiFi and support for 7.2Mbps HSPA. There's also a soft-touch back and a total weight of around four ounces, and AT&T says this one will be available on June 20th nationwide for $129.99 on a two-year contract (after $100 mail-in rebate, of course). As for specs? There's a 600MHz Qualcomm MSM 7227 processor, proximity sensor, integrated GPS, a digital compass, light sensor, 512MB ROM / 384MB RAM, a microSD card slot (2GB included) and a 1,200mAh battery good for up to six hours of yapping.
Pocket-Sized HTC Aria to Premiere on Nation's Fastest 3G Network
Android 2.1 & HTC Sense™ Experience Combined With 7.2 HSPA Speeds Offers Exceptional Mobile Broadband Performance
Dallas, Texas, Bellevue, Washington, June 14, 2010
AT&T* and HTC Corporation ("HTC") today announced that HTC Aria™, a rich and powerful addition to AT&T's Android smartphone portfolio, will be available exclusively at AT&T beginning June 20. Pocket-sized and packing the power of the Android 2.1 platform, a five megapixel camera and a bright 3.2 inch HVGA display, HTC Aria offers AT&T customers Android smartphone functionality in an amazingly easy-to-carry design. The combination of 3G speed, a responsive capacitive touch screen and an optical joystick makes HTC Aria an ideal smartphone for mobile broadband.
HTC Aria is Wi-Fi capable and qualifying customers will receive access to AT&T Wi-Fi, with more than 20,000 hotspots across the U.S. In addition, HTC Aria is compatible with AT&T's High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) 7.2 Mbps technology. This technology provides a considerable boost to 3G speeds when combined with expanded backhaul. The combination of faster wireless networks, smartphones like HTC Aria, and tens of thousands of available innovative mobile apps allows AT&T customers to mobilize virtually everything, from video and music, to social networking, to business applications.
"HTC Aria is the first of several smartphones in our Android portfolio to run the 2.1 platform," said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "When you combine the nation's fastest 3G network, and access to the nation's largest Wi-Fi network, HTC Aria will be one of the best Android smartphones available."
HTC Aria features the acclaimed HTC Sense experience, which automatically delivers the most-wanted information by bringing it to the forefront of the mobile experience. Featuring the latest version of HTC Sense, HTC Aria offers even more ways to stay connected, including Friend Stream, which delivers Facebook, Twitter and Flickr updates in a single, consolidated view.
"Its unique combination of compact size and beautiful design instantly separates HTC Aria from the pack of 'me-too' smartphones," said Jason Mackenzie, vice president of HTC America. "But what really differentiates HTC Aria from other smartphones is the acclaimed HTC Sense experience, which we are pleased to be bringing to AT&T customers. By putting people at the center of everything it does, HTC Aria organizes all of your communications in the most human way possible – by person."
A full selection of the newest and most popular Google services can be accessed with HTC Aria. This includes Google search, Google Maps, Google Navigation, Gmail, YouTube and more. With Android Market, customers can also choose from more than 50,000 applications to further personalize the mobile experience.
Along with being ultra-small at just over 4 inches long and weighing a mere 4.05 ounces, HTC Aria's seamless wrap-around soft-touch back cover eliminates sharp edges, making HTC Aria exceptionally convenient to carry and comfortable to hold as well.
Featuring the best selection of smartphones and OS, AT&T is ranked #1 in customer satisfaction among smartphone owners. AT&T plans to expand its Android portfolio to include other Android smartphones during the second half of 2010.
Pricing and Availability
HTC Aria will be available on June 20 at AT&T retail locations nationwide or at http://www.att.com/wireless for $129.99 after $100 mail-in rebate (pay $229.99 and after mail-in rebate receive $100 AT&T Promotion Card. Two-year agreement required and smartphone data plan required).
I think it should be called HTC EVO mini, for you know why.
@Paul Elmy How many models does HTC need to compete with the iphone?
@MySchizoBuddy Ya, who wants choice anyways when it comes to phones....
@element4life3 its a phone not a shampoo
@MySchizoBuddy
You're an idiot. Why do this? No one mentioned it?
Do you build your car world around a single car, and then ask why other car company's need multiple models? The worst thing you can bitch about is having several form factors and technical specs for different peoples' wants?
For once, I wish the fanboys would just STFU.
@everyone does thats why GM didn't go bankrupt cause they had several cars with different specs for different people. oh wait.
@everyone does
HTC ROCKS, PERIOD.
@MySchizoBuddy
God, would you just shut up?
This phone isn't meant for the high-end market.
This phone is meant for people who want to jump in the smartphone bandwagon, and want to basic things, like facebook, music and the internet.
THEY DON'T NEED THE IPHONE TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
GET IT? I KNOW HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THE IPHONE BUT GOD, CAN YOU PLEASE SHUT UP, AND ACCEPT IT THAT APPLE IS NOT THE ONLY PHONE COMPANY IN THE WORLD?!
@Paul Elmy
I wouldn't mind the whole pinch to view all screens that HTC sense adds, on my iPhone. That's a fantastic feature, and so graceful in the process. I've never seen that before. Goo job HTC. Now hand it over to iPhone...
@Btbessey
Damn no edit button... Good job HTC. not go job. And damn you touchscreen while I'm at it...
@Btbessey
Does this phone have the sexy yellow back like the HTC HD Mini?
@MySchizoBuddy
GM went bankrupt because they were a shitty company being run by idiots. Ford, on the other hand, is still kicking ass, and FYI, they have multiple choices.
@MySchizoBuddy
is that why you think GM went bankrupt? Believe me when I say that I mean this in the nicest way possible in this situation: you literally (yes, literally) have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Take some tme on wikipedia or some news site before you ever post something like that again. That is shameful.
ps I hope the trend continues for mid level smartphones. Some people are scared by too much functionality and just want to dabble.
@MySchizoBuddy
You're a moron -- it's actually _more_ profitable for HTC to have multiple models spanned across multiple carriers \ ranges of devices.
@MySchizoBuddy GM went bankrupt because they had SERVERAL LINES of cars that offered the SAME SELECTION of cars as all the other. Who really needs the same car offered 20 times with a different name...
@Paul Elmy
You android fanboys can scream choice all you want but does it really matter when 98% of the choices are pure trash?
And then the remaining 2% of android phones that manage to stand out (droid, incredible, evo) all have some sorta build problem?
Apple gets it RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
Thats why they only need one model. And that model sells more than all those shitty android phones..
So AT&T doesn't need android. It really doesn't. IF you want android go to verizon or sprint.
@MySchizoBuddy
I hope this is a new trend. I don't think I have seen a fanboy so roundly eviscerated for sheer stupidity. I like this new Engadget comments section.
Hopefully the discourse will become more civil and we can discuss the article instead of make irrelevant comments about other devices/companies for no reason.
@Paul Elmy
The HTC Hero > this phone. Why is AT&T getting bad Android phones. Well not 'bad' but not like what Sprint and Verizon are packing.
@Tes
Well of course you do Apple Hater.
So long as the majority of the commentators are
1) Pro Android
2) Anti Apple
3) Attack Engadge (accuse them of Apple Bias)
4) Call Apple Supporters & Fanboys stupid or w/e
You're fine and dandy.
HYPOCRITE
@BrookLynnsFinest
And here we have a good example of the sort of person no one likes to see on any site.
Sad really.
@BrookLynnsFinest
You are unfamiliar with the term Variety and product Mix.
Companies create products to target every kind of buyer, in every price range.
Thats why you see a great variety of Android phones. It encourages competition and leads towards market leadership.
@BrookLynnsFinest
You are entitled to your opinion but not every cellphone user likes a smart phone. Not every cell phone user cares about tons of apps whether it be Apple or Android or Win Mo or the other Mobile OS that exist. The reason why people are drawn to android is because unlike Apple you have many choices of phones that fit your taste.
Every Phone has its pro's and con's If you don't like android then why are you bothering to comment? This article is NOT about the iphone so just leave your fan boy opinions to yourself.
@BrookLynnsFinest
No one is Anti-Apple, Most are Anti-Troll, and most just happen to be rabid Apple fans.
i.e. YOU!
@BrookLynnsFinest
"Apple gets it RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AROUND."
Yeah, all of those DOA 27" iMacs shipped with shotty firmware coupled with cracked and yellow screens were perfect. So much so that Apple had to stop production for awhile.
NO ONE gets ANYTHING right the first time. If that were the case there would be no need for QC and we would have new toys every week.
@MySchizoBuddy
that would be the same for other car companies too wouldn't you think? why does Toyota have the prius, corolla, scion series, and a Lexus brand? Or BMW with it's many versions?
@BrookLynnsFinest
The thing about fanboyism is that instead of praising the subject of fandom, the commenter displays a whole array of pointless and out of context content packed in a rough mannered, ill worded fashion.
Therefore, the fanboy gets the hammer with same or greater caliber.
Engadget is not a Brand-Fan site, it's a gadget-fan site.
Fanboys stating that HTC does bad gadgets (when we can always tell that they haven't used a HTC device in a long time, if at all) is the obvious path to gadget ignorance.
I think we could stop calling these 'fanboys' and just denominate them as n00bs. 'Cause that's what they are.
@BrookLynnsFinest
It's not that iphone doesn't have build quality issues either. These phones are all probably outsourced to the same factory or manufacturer. Didn't the iphone have discoloration issues not too long ago?
@Paul Elmy
Very similar to the HTC Wildfire coming to Hong Kong in July. It is being called the HTC Desire Mini.
@Paul Elmy
No it shouldn't. They took the HD Mini and plastered on a new face. It should be called HD Mini Android version.
@BrookLynnsFinest Funny, you seemed to leap on the label "Apple hater" simply because Tes was criticizing you. Absolutely astounding.
@keyl10 i would say this is better then htc hero (being a hero owner myself) but worse then the legend. seems more like a tattoo upgrade to me
@scld
uh...wikipedia is a reliable source? You just revealed your intelligence level, thanks.
@MySchizoBuddy The iPhone is a great phone i own a itouch but i know how to admit thats there are other great devices in this world thats why i own the Evo, blackberry 9630, and a itouch because there all great devices. I admit i am a android fanboy but unlike most of them i can admit that there are other great devices.
@BrookLynnsFinest
What are these 'build problems' that the Droid and Incredible supposedly have? I don't remember seeing any.
I have a Droid and have not had any major problems.
Imbeciles such as you are the reason people hate on Apple.
@Shooter McGavin
Correction: one of many reasons why people hate Apple.
@scld And some people really and I mean really cant afford those contracts on high end phones.
And others just need a cracking little pone that they can get mobile data of the back for their laptop.
And some people are women and have small hands but are just as tech savy as the men with cave man hands.
And some men have small hands which in one the one hand can make you look big but on there with a HTC EVO in it make you look small......................................................................
@BrookLynnsFinest Yeah, Apple does get it right, then Android beats it :)
@Paul Elmy... HTC WHAT ?
http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/14/htc-evo-4g-and-droid-incredible-suffering-from-unresponsive-scre/
@Dorf
Gm went bankrupt because they ran of of sources for funding (regardless why). Ford was in the same position as GM except they had not run out of funding (like GM did from the Gov't). Ford had a bank account called, CEO of Ford AND Boeing, who "rescued" his failing corporation, Ford, by tapping into Boeings assets. Ford made worst cars than GM. Taurus anyone?
@MySchizoBuddy Are you kidding?? The iPhone is hardly worthy of being called the best phone out there.. it has many downfalls, just like most of the other top handsets out there. It is all dependent on what you are looking for in a phone. I prefer my Nexus over my two different generation iPhones because I like the UI, and the fact that I can flash new roms onto the phone on a whim to change things up. The phone performs the way that I want it to, and does not drop a 10th of the calls that my iPhones did. But, the touch screen is not as good as it was on my iPhone, and texting is nowhere near as easy. It does not have some of the better apps that have been developed for the iPhone, but hey, I am ok with that because of MY PERSONAL PREFERENCE. Not knocking the iPhone, they just aren't MY cup of tea. If it's yours, then great.. go play with your phone and stop trolling and making ridiculous comments.. On that note.. HTC having to make multiple models solely to compete with an iPhone.. and GM going bankrupt because of the same logic is probably one of the most ignorant things I have heard in a while, and really does not deserve an explanation. I think you know that you can not back that statement up in a million years.
With all that said.. I am a fan of phones in general. I would compare it to a woman's love of shoes, or a sports fan's choice in baseball hats or jerseys. Sure everyone has their opinion of which they like best, and which they want to wear most of the time.. but it is fun to change it up every once in a while and collect em to play around with.
@Paul Elmy Actually, they kinda suck.
@BrookLynnsFinest you said "Apple gets it RIGHT THE FIRST TIME AROUND."
Do you even read the news?
Thats why they only need one model. And that model sells more than all those shitty android phones.."
Once again, do you even read the news?
http://phonereport.info/wp-content/uploads/Smartphone-market-share-graph-chart.png
@casmi lmao, I thought the same thing.
@Dorf Yes he may be a fanboy, but you have no idea what you're talking about. Yes GM is run by idiots, but why are they idiots? They spread themselves too thin. (Like he said) Could be why GM axed Pontiac and Saturn, and sold SAABand HUMMER. (Ford also sold off brands: Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mazda, Aston Martin).
You just lost all credibility in this conversation. Goodbye.
ATT doesn't care about Android one bit, nor are they going to do too much to give competition to their cash cow. Is be surprised if this is worth buying.
@topheriffic I sort of agree. AT&T is not pushing Android like Verizon is. Then again, the Death Star has exclusivity with the phone that shall not be named.
@aubreyq uh from the looks of it they'll be pushing android pretty hard soon (big old dell streak, big ol samsung, garman android)....
@topheriffic
AT&T doesn't need Android as bad as Verizon or Sprint. But, since Android has caught up in the past six months to the iphone, AT&T needs to get with the program and not let Android get too far away.
@jiffy and @zephxiii You guys make good points. Forgot all about the Dell Streak, and indeed there are some more Android phones coming out.
This Aria, though, has caught my eye, and for $130, I might bite.
@aubreyq Also did you not see the:
“HTC Aria is the first of several smartphones in our Android portfolio to run the 2.1 platform,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets.
In the press release?
FAIL.