CES: AT&T to go 4G with devices on HSPA+ and LTE

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AT&T is finally jumping on the 4G caravan, announcing a lineup of 20 devices at CES that will access the speedy wireless network when they roll out throughout the year.

The carrier said its products would tap both HSPA+ -- a faster upgrade to 3G -– as well as the even quicker long-term evolution (LTE) technology to allow for more consistent service.

AT&T’s setup for HSPA+ is already complete; the LTE network will be built by the end of 2013.

Of the 20 devices, 12 will feature the Android operating system from Google. Little was said of the iPhone. Rumors that AT&T would soon have to share the popular Apple device with Verizon rumbled through the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Consumers will see two 4G smart phones in the first quarter, AT&T said. The Motorola Atrix -- so powerful it can power a laptop -- and the HTC Inspire will run on Android 2.2

By the second half of the year, as many as seven 4G devices should be released, the carrier said. The Samsung Infuse, the thinnest Android device, will show up in the second quarter. By midsummer, two 4G tablets, including the first on an LTE network, will hit.

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Photo, top: The Motorola Atrix

Photo, bottom: The HTC Inspire