AT&T and LG Team up to Offer a pre-paid Android Smartphone: Meet the Thrive

If you feel a certain kind of way about wireless contracts, but want to take advantage of all the business and productivity capabilities found in a full-fledged smartphone, well look no further than AT&T and LG as they bring you the first pre-paid Android smartphone to run on the AT&T wireless network.

With traditional wireless contracts, you are subjected to credit checks, a hefty deposit if you are establishing credit, and lengthy contracts. AT&T GoPhone pre-paid services skips all of the former and offers customers the ability to pay only for the days and minutes they choose to use, add to the plan as needed, or cancel at anytime. Previously there was a wide range of cell and feature phones you could choose from with the GoPhone service.

On April 17th AT&T, will begin selling the LG Thrive Android smartphone that you can use in conjunction with the GoPhone service. Features include:

– Android 2.2 OS
– Exchange email support
– Unlimited WiFi usage
– 3.2 megapixel camera
– 2GB microSD card installed
– Text/Picture and Video Messaging support
– Access to over 100,00 apps on the Android Market

In order to utilize all of the smartphone goodness, you will need a data plan. AT&T has got your back and is offering special data plans starting at $5 for 10mb of data usage, up to $25 for 500mb. To add these data plans, customers must sign up for either the Smartphone $0.10/min or $2/day plans. The LG Thrive Android smartphone will be available for purchase nationwide at AT&T company-owned retail stores and in select national retail locations on April 17th.

What all of this means is whether for business or personal, smartphone and mobile device users are starting to see options and if they choose to, can break away from their sometimes restrictive wireless contracts but STILL play Angry Birds stay productive on the go.