AT&T’s rumored Q1 roadmap includes Galaxy Note, Skyrocket II HD, Sony Ion, more

AT&T announced six new Android devices earlier this month at their developers conference during CES, and now we are learning more details about specific release dates. Jonathan Geller of BGR is reporting that AT&T will launch at least seven Android devices in Q1 including the Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Rugby Smart, AT&T Fusion, Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD, Samsung Exhilarate, Sony Xperia Ion and Sony Crystal.

At the top of our wishlist is the Samsung Galaxy Note, which should launch February 18 for $299.99. This device has already sold over 1 million units overseas, and it’s one of the most anticipated releases for the first half of this year. Its 5.3-inch HD Super AMOLED display and unique S-Pen make it a compelling device for those who want some of the functionality of a tablet, but in a smaller package that can still fit in a pocket.

For those who think a 5.3-inch display might be too large, we have the Sony Xperia Ion. This high-end smartphone features a 4.65-inch 1280×720 HD Reality display, 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 12MP Exmor-R and support for AT&T’s 4G LTE network. We originally thought the Ion would arrive in Q2, but Geller now says we can expect it in the latter half of Q1.

On the low-end smartphone side we have the Samsung Rugby Smart and the AT&T Fusion. Not many details are available about these phones, but both will launch on February 18 for  $99.99 and $124.99, respectively. The Samsung Exhilarate will also launch in Q1, a $49 LTE phone with a 4-inch Super AMOLED display.

Also from Samsung, we have the Galaxy S II Skyrocket HD. This is AT&T’s 3rd Galaxy S II phone with only a minor tweak from the original Skyrocket – a 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display.

Finally we have the Sony Crystal. Not much is known about this tablet, but BGR claims it will support AT&T’s HSPA+ network and retail for $409.99.

Overall, it looks like a solid lineup for AT&T customers to choose from in the next couple months. My top pick would likely be the Samsung Galaxy Note, but I believe the Sony Ion will also be an excellent choice.

If you are an AT&T customer, which device are you looking forward to the most?

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Sony’s 2012 Android roadmap leaks – 12 devices expected before October

Only a week after SONY unveiled the Xperia Ion and Xperia S at CES, a leaked image has hit the web which lists twelve Android powered smartphones from Sony which are expected to hit the market between March and Setpember. Full specifications for all twelve phones are not currently available, but we do have price points and launch months for each device.

The list kicks off withthe Sony Xperia S, which we saw at CES. The handset is pegged with a March release date, matching what we heard from Sony last week. The next three devices are listed under their code names (Kumquat, Nypon and Pepper) and should hit store shelves in April. Not much is known about these three handsets, but Nypon is rumored to sport a 4-inch “WhiteMagic” display while the Pepper is said to feature a 3.7-inch Reality Display.

If the list holds true, Sony’s summer releases should include the Olive I, Hayabusa, Tapioca, Tapioca DS and Lotus. Based on the price points of their devices, we can expect the Sony Hayabusa (listed at $632) to be the company’s summer flagship device while the Tapioca and Tapioca DS (listed at $188 and $208) could be this year’s replacements for the Xperia X10 Mini and Mini Pro, which Sony unveiled nearly two years ago.

The Atlas I, AFFM and Mint I are scheduled for a September release and are the last three devices to make the list.The only one to really stand out is the Sony Mint I which is listed with a $720 price tag. To give you a little perspective on the price, that’s about $50 more than it would cost you to import a penta-band GSM Samsung Galaxy Nexus or $30 more that the Samsung Galaxy Note. We’re not sure what Sony has planned with the Mint I, but we’re expecting something truly amazing for $720.

We’re expecting most of these phones to launch in Europe, Asia and Canada, but we may get lucky as see a few of them make their way to the US market as well. After spending some quality time talking with a few different people at the Sony booth at CES, we got the feeling that Sony will be working extra hard this year to change their approach with US service providers.

With Mobile World Congress right around the corner, we’re expecting more details about Sony’s 2012 lineup to surface over the next few weeks. Do you think Sony has what it takes to catch up with Samsung, HTC and Motorola?

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