Is AT&T better off without iPhone exclusivity? It’s a question that many have been thinking about since the announcement this morning. As a result, AT&T is going to have to compete on a greater level with Verizon by offering consumers a diversified and strong line of smartphones.

Is AT&T in a position to do this? Absolutely, by unveiling three Android-powered devices at CES alongside a slew of network upgrades, it appears as if this dream will become a reality.

The most highly anticipated device is without-a-doubt the Motorola Atrix, a 4-in. smartphone sporting Android 2.2, also known as Froyo. Under the hood it boasts a dual core processor that allows it to run as efficiently as a low-end computer. Will it be able to compete with the iPhone within AT&T’s lineup? Let’s have a look at the technical specifications and find out.

Motorola Atrix Specs

(AT&T)

– A dual-core processor capable of opening web pages twice as fast as most other smartphones, rendering games faster and displaying HD video on big-screen TVs
– A full 1 GB of RAM for twice the RAM of most smartphones to deliver effortless multi-tasking, such as watching a movie while receiving and responding to email
– The world’s first qHD display for a smartphone, offering high resolution and 24-bit color, making it easier to read indoors and outdoors
– Front- and rear-facing cameras and the ability to record in HD
– Convenient biometric fingerprint reader for easily unlocking your phone while providing extra security
– Up to 48GB of storage (16GB internal and optional 32GB MicroSD card) – enough to store thousands of songs, photos and movies
– 2.4GHz and 5GHz 802.11n support, enabling as much as 50 percent faster download and upload speeds in WiFi mode compared to most other smartphones
– Optional AT&T Mobile Hotspot service for connecting up to five additional Wi-Fi-enabled devices
– Under 11 mm thin with an extra large 1930 mAh battery for extended standby and talk time
– Two microphones for noise-reduction technology so your calls will be heard loud and clear in even the noisiest environments – Supports HD video capture and replay for most multimedia standards

Apple iPhone 4 Specs

(AT&T, Verizon)

– Just 9.3mm thick
– 25% thinner than the iPhone 3GS
– Front-facing camera for video calling
– 960 x 640 pixels on 3.5 inch display
– Uses same A4 chip as in iPad
– 7 hours 3G talk, 10 hours video, 300 hours standby
– Features iOS 4.2 – 5-megapixel camera with LED flash

If we can see anything from the specs above, it’s that the iPhone is falling behind in almost every category that is important to maintaining robust, modern hardware on a mobile handset. Its processor is significantly slower, its display is smaller, its battery is smaller; everything on the iPhone is smaller.

Conversely, the Atrix will remain relevant for some time considering the fact that it  has twice as much RAM as many smartphones and a dual-core processor. One major downside of the Android-powered handset is MOTOBLUR, Motorola’s clunky skin that they put on top of Google’s mobile operating system. This feature will certainly wear down the battery and slow down the processing speed, but the inclusion of a 4-inch touchscreen alongside a smorgasbord of other features will allow the Atrix to compete with the best of ’em.

What do you think? Is Apple falling behind? Will Motorola be able to help AT&T cope with losing exclusivity rights to the iPhone? Let us know in the comments below.

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Motorola Atrix Hands On Video
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