Recently, the FCC approved the phone and naturally brought to light some new details. Besides the outline picture of the device in question, it’s also revealed that the Galaxy S passed with AT&T’s specific 3G bands. I can already hear the mumbling and grumbling coming from all of you: I’m just as skeptical.

AT&T has the annoying habit of putting what I like to call “the chastity belt of technology” on their phones. We saw it with the Motorola Backflip and we’re soon to see it with the Dell Aero. I wouldn’t call this a “crippling” of devices but Android certainly doesn’t feel like Android when AT&T is treating it like Apple treats the iPhone. The only thing to do now is await more details and to see if the Galaxy S will get the same gutting “features” of its Android rivals.

Does this suppress any of your excitement for the Galaxy S? Or will you be happy to finally get a phone on AT&T with hardware that can hold its own against other phones? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below!

Motorola Backflip

AT&T, the exclusive provider of the iPhone in the U.S., is going to provide its first Android Phone from Motorola. 

The Motorola Backflip will be added next month to the variety of phones AT&T sells online and in its stores. Offering the Android phone side-by-side with the latest iPhone, which is double the price, will provide customers an opportunity to immediately compare the smartphones.

The Backflip was introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. The handset has a 3.1-inch touchscreen and a full QWERTY keypad on the back of the device. The keypad can be used when the phone is opened flat, but is inactive when the device is closed. When the keypad is tilted backwards at an angle, the Backflip can be used as a digital photo frame, video viewer or bedside alarm clock. 

Other features include a 5 megapixel camera for shooting still photos and videos. The home screen offers widgets that provide easy access to updates, messages, photos and contacts on social networks, such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. The mini-apps also simplify posting to the sites.

AT&T plans to sell the Backflip for $100, after a $100 mail-in rebate and a two-year service contract. Pricing for the iPhone 3GS starts at $200 with a two-year service contract. AT&T plans to offer Backflip starting March 7.

The Backflip runs on AT&T 3G broadband network and also includes built-in Wi-Fi support. The phone also includes access to the online Android Marketplace, which offers 20,000 applications.

Without unveiling the handsets in any detail, AT&T has teased a little info to eager consumers stating the Motorola effort will be a “smartphone, powered by MOTOBLUR, with a unique form factor”, while the Dell handset is said to be the company’s first and the HTC model is just described as a “smartphone”.

We already know that Dell’s Mini 3 has been confirmed for launch on the AT&T network during the first half of 2010, so there’s no mystery there.

With AT&T stating the Motorola effort will offer a “unique form factor” as well as MOTOBLUR, the new Backflip has got to be in the running as the most likely candidate.

Things are a little more open as far as HTC is concerned. There have been a few leaked handsets from HTC of late, but the HTC Legend and the HTC Incredible are both rumoured to be headed to Verizon, which might mean the HTC Bravo could be a possibility.

In addition to the handset info, AT&T has also announced a new software development kit, as well as the news that it will offer its customers access to all major OS app stores from Nokia’s Ovi to Microsoft to BREW.

Google may be gearing up to increase the availability of the Nexus One Android phone.

New filings with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission indicate that a new version of the device that will run on AT&T’s network may be in the works. Currently, the Nexus One works on T-Mobile’s network. People who buy the unlocked version for US$530 can use the phone on AT&T’s network for voice calls and slower data connections, but they cannot use 3G.

The FCC filings show that HTC has built a phone that runs on AT&T’s network, meaning it would support 3G. The documents do not name the phone as the Nexus One, but the identification number is one digit off from the current version of the Nexus One.

An AT&T spokesman declined to confirm that the documents show the Nexus One will become available for AT&T.

Google did not reply to e-mailed questions.

Engadget first spotted the FCC documents.

Google may also be looking at other ways to increase distribution of the phones. Currently, Google exclusively sells the phone through its online store. However, last week a detailed page promoting the Nexus One appeared on Wal-Mart’s wireless sales Web site. Google said it had no plans to sell the phone anywhere but its own site, and Wal-Mart said the page had been posted in error. It has since been removed.