On Friday AT&T unveiled its second touchscreen-equipped mobile hotspot, the AT&T Unite.
The carrier announced via a press release that the Unite will sport a 2.4-inch touchscreen and be capable of sharing 4G LTE with up to 10 devices.
Sierra Wireless, a wireless equipment designer and manufacturer based in British Columbia, will manufacturer AT&T's Unite.
In Friday's release, AT&T Senior Vice President of Devices and Developer Services Jeff Bradley called the new touchscreen hotspot "a compelling and valuable option" for connecting to the carrier's 4G LTE network.
Touching benefits
The AT&T Unite can connect to as many as 10 devices at once, including one "guest hotspot" for users who will only connect to it once.
On the Unite's touchscreen, users can manage devices (including blocking unwanted users), change network settings and more.
The Unite even features an on-screen data meter that will make it easy to monitor usage.
AT&T did not reveal pricing in its end-of-the-week announcement, though it did say the mobile router can be used with an individual or family plan, or added to a shared data plan for $20 per month.
Liberate, then Unite
The AT&T Unite is the carrier's second touchscreen mobile hotspot, following in the footsteps of Novatel Wireless' MiFi Liberate.
The naming scheme makes sense; "liberate" users from standing Wi-Fi networks, then "unite" them by allowing them to connect up to 10 devices (though the Liberate could handle 10 as well - maybe we're reading too much into this?).
The Liberate sported a slightly larger screen, however, at 2.8-inches compared to the Unite's 2.4 - though for the router's purposes a large screen is hardly necessary.
AT&T launched the MiFi Liberate on Nov. 16 for $49.99 with a two-year contract. There's no word on release date for the Unite yet, but no doubt it will be priced to compete.
The Unite is sure to pop up at CES 2013 next week.
