The HTC Inspire 4G Android handset has received a new lower retail price in the face of all the second-generation 4G smartphones hitting the mobile marketplace. With faster processors, better resolution and other improved features hitting the second generation 4G phones, as well as much higher price tags, first-generation smartphones have seen a drastic price drop in recent months.
The HTC Inspire 4G on AT&T’s 4G network, one of the first 4G phones ever for that company’s 4G platform, is the most recent phone to benefit from this aggressive retail pricing structure. Sprint and Verizon have dropped the prices of their first-generation 4G phones, and AT&T has entered the fray by offering the Inspire 4G for $24.99 at select AT&T authorized retailers with a two-year activation.
And in yet another move to make their handset more attractive, HTC and AT&T announced an official over the air firmware update to the internal operating system on the Inspire 4G handset. Shipping with Android’s 2.2 operating system, Froyo, the new update will install Android’s 2.3.3 version of their Gingerbread OS over the air.
You should have received a notification instructing you exactly what to do to complete the install of the upgraded operating system on your HTC Inspire, but in case you haven’t seen an update notification yet, simply log into your handset and check your Menu on your home screen. From the Menu, check Settings and then AT&T Software Update. You should then see an option for HTC Wi-Fi software update. Simply click on the Check Now button, and follow the on-screen prompts to install the new OS.
The HTC Inspire 4G is one of the heavier 4G handsets, at 5.78 ounces (164 grams) as opposed to to the 4.4 ounce 4G smartphone average. Employing the familiar black slab form factor, the Inspire 4G measures 4.84 x 2.68 x 0.46 inches (123 x 68 x 12 mm) in size, which is about average for all smartphones. The S-LCD display on the HTC Inspire 4G handset is a 4.3 inch capacitive touchscreen with protective layer of anti-scratch Corning Gorilla Glass. Proximity and light sensors are built in to the display, and multitouch gestures are supported.
The Inspire 4G offers a rear facing 8 megapixel camera for capturing video and still portrait shots, and 1280 x 720 pixel resolution (720P HD) is obtained in video capture. A dual LED flash is present, and features such as face detection, geo-tagging, special effects and autofocus are also on board. The Adobe Flash media player is supported, and popular applications such as Facebook, Flickr, Picasa and Twitter are preloaded, with support for a YouTube upload. Learn more about the features, technical specs, and where to get this phone starting at only $24.99 in our detailed HTC Inspire 4G Review.
October 4, 2011 at 3:11 pm
I did a lot of reading online about the unvieling of this WONDERFUL phone! But was reluctant to purchase one until I had one in hand. It was the best money I ever invested!
I have only one issue. I have had an unlimited data package on my phones for the last 3 phones I’ve owned. I tethered with my last phone to my laptop for internet. Is there any way I can do the same with the Inspire 4g? Or even use the HotSpot? Mind you, I am with AT&T.