US Cellular Debuts Samsung Galaxy S Aviator With LTE

US Cellular has revealed its first LTE smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator, promising up to 10x the download speeds as 3G devices and a $99.99 promotional price. Pairing its 4G connectivity with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus touchscreen, the Galaxy S Aviator isn't likely to deliver any hardware surprises seeing as how used to Galaxy S II variants we are, but it's quite an improvement for US Cellular customers all the same.

Inside there's a 1GHz Hummingbird processor paired with 1.4GB of storage and a microSD card slot. In addition to LTE there's CDMA 800/1900MHz EVDO Rev.A, WiFi and Bluetooth. On the back is an 8-megapixel camera with an LED flash, while a 1.3-megapixel camera is up-front for video calls.

The 5oz, 5.11" x 2.66" x 0.46" smartphone will run for up to 13 days standby or up to 6.5 hours talktime on a single charge of the 1,800 mAh battery, US Cellular claims. OS is Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread, with the usual TouchWiz tweaks and modifications, and there's HDMI output too.

The regular price for the Samsung Galaxy S Aviator will be $199.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate and with a new, two-year agreement. However, certain areas with 4G LTE coverage will be able to get it for $99.99 for a limited period.