AT&T wasn't kidding about getting aggressive on Android.
On Wednesday AT&T announced that its $45/4GB DataPro plan can be used towards mobile hotspotting built into select smartphones, a feature that allows users to connect multiple Wi-Fi-enabled devices to their mobile phones.
But unlike Verizon, which is using the iPhone to introduce a similar service, AT&T is debuting its hotspot application exclusively on the HTC Inspire 4G (pictured) on February 13th.
This morning an AT&T spokesman clarified reports that the AT&T iPhone will be enabled with hotspotting: "We are working with Apple to bring it to iPhone. Nothing else to share at this time."
What do they need to work out, exactly? Apple needs to issue an iOS update, and AT&T, like any carrier, needs to make the feature available to consumers (remember how it dragged its feet to briefly disable iPhone tethering).
Meanwhile the Verizon iPhone will launch with the best of both: a slightly later version of iOS, 4.2.6 compared to AT&T's 4.2.1, and a disabled hotspot tethering feature.