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AT&T on Tuesday launched the Genus, a long-awaited combination satellite/terrestrial cell phone that combines a Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone with a satellite phone. The $799 Genus will only be available to business and government customers. According to AT&T's press release, the satellite function will offer backup connectivity for users who go out into the wilderness or who work in disaster areas where the cell-phone network may be down. The phone requires a special service plan on top of the standard AT&T smartphone plan, and satellite calls are charged per minute, per message, or per megabyte. Back in 2009, AT&T said the calls would cost $24.99 per month plus 65 cents per voice minute, 40 cents per text message, and $5 per megabyte of data. I've been following the Genus since 2008, when it first appeared as a concept product from Elektrobit. In October 2009, I got a hands-on with the device. Its most impressive aspect is its utter normalcy: it's a slim, business-ready smartphone that just happens to be able to kick into a satellite mode when you find an AT&T dead zone. Read more about satellite phone rentals
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