US number two operator AT&T yesterday provided further details on its plan to launch new smartphones from Dell and Palm. Initially announced in January, AT&T has now said the Palm Pre Plus (pictured) and Palm Pixi Plus will be available for US$149.99 and US$49.99, respectively, on a two-year contract. No availability date was set, with reports noting it will be in “the coming months.” In a statement AT&T noted that the smartphones will be “the only Palm webOS devices in the US to support simultaneous voice and data while running multiple applications at once.” AT&T’s support is a shot in the arm for Palm, which is struggling to prove itself in the fiercely competitive smartphone and OS market.

AT&T will also “soon” unveil a new Android-based smartphone from Dell. The Aero will be Dell’s first smartphone available in the US and feature a new user interface. Dell’s first smartphone was announced late last year and is currently only available in China and Brazil. The Aero forms part of AT&T’s strategy to launch five Android devices during the first half of this year. Touting the new devices, AT&T now claims to have twice as many smartphone customers as its competitors (largely due to its exclusive iPhone deal) and says it is the only US operator to offer devices representing all major mobile operating systems. Both the Palm and Dell devices support WiFi, as well as the operator’s HSPA technology.