TerreStar Genus Satellite Smartphone Coming Officially from AT&T [2.6-IN Touchscreen, Full QWERTY Keyboard, Wi-Fi, GPS, Windows Mobile, Works as Regular Cellphone Too]

When’s the last time that you have even considered getting a new satellite phone? Did you actually purchase one? I’m just about to show you a brand new smartphone, the TerreStar Genus, which has been officially announced by none other than AT&T and happens to come with satellite communication capabilities on board!

It is not a cruel joke! The TerreStar Genus is a real smartphone, but it’s just a little ironic that AT&T is the carrier to have launched it. AT&T’s network issues are not something new. If you’re not an AT&T subscriber yourself than I’m sure you must have at least a friend that’s not happy with AT&T’s coverage. So, are we to understand that AT&T wants to offer us an alternative to its poor service? Should we all get a satellite phone and not worry about dropped calls anymore?

The TerreStar Genus will only be available in the first quarter of next year and the first subscribers to get it are AT&T’s enterprise, government and small business customers. The phone will work both as a regular phone and as a satellite phone. Considering what it has to offer it’s certainly worth a look before you decide to go with an iPhone or a new BlackBerry.

Let’s take a sneak peak then at this hybrid phone’s features and capabilities. The TerreStar Genus will be able to connect to both GSM/GPRS/EDGE and UMTS/HSDPA networks and when these fail, you’ll always be able to go into satellite mode. The overall design doesn’t impress as the hybrid looks like a BlackBerry wannabe phone. But this BlackBerry-like phone will pack both a full QWERTY keyboard and a 2.6-inch touchscreen display. Couple these features with satellite connectivity and you’ll have a powerful tool to help you make all the calls you want and send lots of text messages and emails. And before you ask, I’ll tell you that the TerreStar Genus comes with Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth connectivity too.

Just when you thought it can’t disappoint you I’ll have to come clean and talk about the OS of this amazing satellite phone. It’s an unknown version of Windows Mobile which doesn’t sound that good at all when you think at everything else out there in terms of mobile software.

Pricing details are not available at this point but you’ll definitely have to get an AT&T data and voice plan coupled with a satellite network access plan. Oh and did I forget to mention that roaming charges apply when using the satellite feature?