AT&T has detailed its plans for 4G as well as a number of new devices that will be available on the mobile broadband network by the middle of 2011.

Speaking at CES in Las Vegas, the president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets, Ralph de la Vega, said the company will have at least 20 devices on the market by the end of the year that can utilize 4G speeds (both HSPA+ and LTE, with the former already deployed to “virtually 100% of network” and the latter due for completion in 2013).

Those devices include three Android ()-based smartphones: the Motorola Atrix 4G, HTC Inspire 4G and Samsung Infuse 4G (which is billed as the thinnest Android smartphone to date). The company also says two 4G-enabled tablets will hit the market in 2011, as well as modems and hotspot devices.

There was no explicit mention of a 4G iPhone, but de la Vega did include Apple as a manufacturer that plans to offer 4G devices on AT&T’s network. Whether that means a new iPhone, iPad or some unforeseen device, that’s good news for AT&T, as recent reports indicate a Verizon iPhone is imminent. That said, the latest indications are that such a device may not yet be 4G capable if and when it hits.

AT&T, which bills its mobile broadband network as the fastest, is the last of the big four U.S. carriers to announce its 4G plans. Sprint debuted its first device – the HTC EVO – last June, while Verizon and T-Mobile have recently launched their own faster networks.

The second generation of the Google Phone, better known as the Nexus S, officially went on sale today in Best Buy stores across the United States. Is its presence in a major retail chain enough to avoid the sad fate of its predecessor, the Nexus One?

Last week, Google officially announced the Nexus S, a “pure” Google phone running Android 2.3, a.k.a. Gingerbread. In addition to a 1 GHz Cortex A8 processor, 16GB of flash memory and front- and rear-facing cameras, it also boasts a 4-inch Super AMOLED screen and design based on the Samsung Galaxy S.

Today, Google officially launched the device and reiterated its price and availability. Starting now, the Android phone will be sold in Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores online and in physical, U.S.-based stores. You can acquire one with a two-year T-Mobile service plan for $199 or buy one without contract for $529.99.

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The Evolutionary Steps of the Nexus

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The Nexus One was just as much a response to the power of the wireless carriers as it was a response to Apple’s iPhone. The phone was only available through an online store operated by Google rather than through retail stores.

The result of that experiment was utter failure. After lackluster sales, Google shut down the web store. The device never even made it to the Verizon network before it was killed.

Google has since realized that people like to hold their phones in their hands before buying them. Apple’s popular retail stores have been instrumental to the success of the iPhone, so Google has turned to Best Buy for distribution of the Nexus S

Still, the device is held back by its availability on T-Mobile only. AT&T and Verizon have larger networks and greater reach. And with the vast proliferation of high-end Android devices such as the HTC Evo and the Galaxy S, the Nexus S isn’t necessarily the must-have Android phone on the market.

Perhaps success for Google isn’t measured by pure sales but by the influence of its device on the market. The device will serve as a “clean” testing and development device for thousands of app programmers. It also sets a high bar for the quality of an Android device, thanks to its fast processor and the use of Gingerbread.

It’s not certain what Google is trying to accomplish with the Nexus S and future Nexus devices, but we’re certain it will fare better than its predecessor. While it will likely never reach the proliferation of the iPhone, it may prove to be a powerful weapon in Google’s war with Apple.