AT&T Confirms Big-Screen HTC Inspire Release Date

While the definition of 4G varies carrier to carrier, AT&T says youll be able to pick up its first 4G handset the HTC Inspire on Feb. 13.

The Inspire is the first of 20 4G devices including a dozen Android offerings to which AT&T has committed in 2011. The new smartphone runs on Android 2.2 and offers a likeable 4.3-inch touchscreen. It also comes with the AT&T Mobile Hotspot application. The Inspire comes with a powerful 1GHz processor and an 8MP camera with HD video recording. Its the first smartphone in the U.S. to feature the next-generation HTC Sense experience with cloud services.

We are kicking off an exciting year for AT&Ts smartphone portfolio, and leading off with our first 4G phone,” said Jeff Bradley, senior vice president, Devices, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. With its iconic design, 4G speeds and awesome features, Inspire 4G is going to please a lot of AT&T customers.”

The device will set you back $99.99 after a two-year service agreement. Next up: Look for the Motorola Atrix aka Olympus, which Motorola promises to be its fastest smartphone yet. AT&T is rumored to release that sometime this month.

AT&T has completed the deployment of HSPA+ to virtually 100 percent of its mobile broadband network, which it says enables 4G speeds when combined with Ethernet or fiber backhaul. So not everyone has access to those speeds just yet. And the definition of 4G remains malleable. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile all now promise 4G speeds, but many question whether any of their networks yet qualify as 4G under standards set by the International Telecommunications Union.