AT&T’s Affordable Fusion 5G Smartphone Offers Fast Speeds

Note: A previous version of this article mentioned support for mmWave connections for the Fusion 5G. The phone does not support mmWave connections. It does support Sub-6 5G. This was due to an oversight on the part of AT&T in the preparation of this announcement’s materials.

AT&T on Monday introduced the AT&T Fusion 5G — an AT&T-branded 5G device that slots comfortably into the carrier’s existing range of affordable 5G smartphones. The phone finds itself positioned well above AT&T’s cheapest 5G offering — the Radiant Max 5G — and distinguishes itself from the latter by offering much better hardware and support for sub-6 5G connections. Let us take a closer look at the rest of the features the Fusion 5G has to offer.

The AT&T Fusion 5G has the hallmarks of an affordable Android phone — perhaps best exemplified by its prominent “chin” and the obnoxious number of rear-facing cameras (kidding!). The phone does manage to score some points in the looks department, thanks to the frosted glass-clad rear panel.

Powering the AT&T Fusion 5G is MediaTek’s mid-range Dimensity 700 chip, which houses an octa-core CPU and a 5G capable modem. The phone comes in a single 4GB + 64GB variant that supports memory expansion using microSD cards. Connectivity options include support for Wi-Fi b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.1, USB-C, and NFC.

The AT&T Fusion 5G packs a 4750 mAh battery that supports fast charging using the included charger. AT&T also throws in support for a fingerprint scanner and wireless charging — the latter being something you do not usually see on sub-$250 phones. We also know that the Fusion 5G will boot a near-stock version of Android 11 at launch, with a possible update to Android 12 several months down the line.

The large 6.82-inch screen has a teardrop notch for the selfie camera, only supports HD resolution (720 x 1640 pixels), and claims to be scratch-resistant as well. While AT&T did not reveal the display type, chances are we are looking at an IPS LCD here.

The camera setup on the AT&T Fusion 5G includes a quad-camera array at the rear and a 13MP front-facing camera. The rear camera array consists of a 48MP primary camera, an 8MP ultra-wide camera, a 2MP  macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor.

The Fusion 5G will go on sale starting January 7, 2022 for $220, or $6 a month, with no trade-in. AT&T adds that customers who use the Fusion 5G with the carrier’s unlimited plans will get access to 5G at no extra charge.

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