AT&T launches branded tablet to leverage entertainment offerings

AT&T introduced an entertainment-focused tablet in an effort to leverage its expansion into digital media and advertising.

AT&T Primetime, as the slate is branded, will be available starting on Friday for $10 a month on a 20-month installment plan or $30 a month with a two-year contract. The 10-inch tablet “is loaded with entertainment and productivity features” including full HD resolution and “TV Mode,” the carrier said, offering one-touch access to apps including DirecTV. Customers with AT&T’s unlimited data plan can add Primetime to their package for an additional $20 a month.

“Whether you’re at home or on the go, AT&T Primetime tablet offers an entertainment-first experience at a very affordable price,” said Kevin Peterson, senior vice president of device network services marketing for AT&T, in a press release. “Not only is this tablet priced competitively, but it is also packed with some of the latest and greatest audio and video features designed to deliver premium entertainment that is just one touch away.”

Primetime also features dual Bluetooth media streams and dual front-facing speakers with Dolby Audio. The tablet also supports Android for Work and Enterprise Mobility Management services.

AT&T didn’t disclose the manufacturer of the Primetime, although perhaps the most likely candidate is ZTE, which makes the carrier-branded Trek HD 2.  

The new tablet underscores AT&T’s high-stakes gamble to expand beyond its core telecom business into the much broader world of digital media, marketing bundled services as it looks to generate cross-platform advertising revenues. The company is closing in on an $85 billion acquisition of Time Warner that would give AT&T ownership of Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO and Turner networks such as CNN, TBS and TNT.