Motorola Quietly Announces ATRIX HD, Adds T-Mobile 3G Support

Without so much as the courtesy of a press release, Motorola has quietly opened a dedicated page for the successor to the Atrix 2 Android smartphone in the Atrix HD.

As expected in the third version of the Atrix, the new Android flagship for Motorola will include LTE support as well as Android Ice Cream Sandwich at launch. The phone will also benefit by featuring a 720p HD display which will measure 4.5 inches, as is becoming increasingly common for Android flagships.

Rounding out the specification list will be a TI OMAP 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, which is identical to the processor from the DROID Bionic series while also featuring a GSM radio with pentaband 3G support, a first for an Android smartphone intended to ship on AT&T and is likely the result of internal device development scheduling in the wake of the ultimately failed purchase bid for T-Mobile. An 8.0 megapixel camera with HD video capture capability and a microSD slot are also included.

AT&T and Motorola have yet to officially announce the pricing and availability for the Atrix HD and are heavily promoting the phone as a business tool with support for enterprise-level encryption along with a more durable Kevlar bodyshell and emphasis on the Smart Actions tool for optimizing functionality and battery life for each individual owner.

 While the Atrix HD will also feature LTE as one of its key selling points, the apparent addition of AWS 3G support at launch means that T-Mobile customers would be able to purchase this version of the Atrix to use on T-Mobile’s 3G network, though the issue of unlocking will need to be solved, as Motorola does not directly provide unlock codes and there is currently no word on availability outside of AT&T.

Motorola also plans to continue the Webtop platform with the Atrix HD, but as previously discussed, the functionality will be greatly reduced from previous versions of the software with no immediate word on just how reduced it will be. With many already predicting yet another version of the unsuccessful Lapdock peripheral series, it remains to be seen whether Motorola will indeed add yet another overpriced unit that will most likely end up filling racks in Japanese electronics shops and become fodder for overstock sales sites, or if it will now rely on cheaper docks for mere display output and mirroring.