ABBA NETWORK

AT&T has confirmed a report that it will offer iPhones without a two-year contract starting next week.

The Associated Press quoted an AT&T representative Thursday confirming plans to sell no-contract iPhones for $599 or $699 starting next Thursday, as first reported Wednesday by the Boy Genius Report. There’s a catch, however; those phones will still be locked to AT&T’s network.

A regular AT&T iPhone account will be required to operate the phone, although theoretically you could activate the phone one day, cancel your account the next, and only be out activation fees and a month’s worth of service, rather than two years worth of service. But then you’d be reduced to using your expensive iPhone over just Wi-Fi networks unless you’re willing to unlock it for other networks.

An Apple representative did not immediately return a call seeking comment on whether a similar offer would be in place at Apple’s retail stores, which the AP was also unable to confirm.

Those who fondly remember Samsung’s older ultra-slim candybars like the U100 and X820 will be happy to know that the company hasn’t abandoned that design ethic completely in favor of beefier iPhone lookalikes. On Friday, the company’s U.K. arm showed off its new Lucido, another thin candybar that dons aluminum accents and an OLED display.

The name translates to “sleek” in Italian, which is appropriate given its 11.8mm-thick profile and dark, brushed-metal accents on the face. Unlike previous models like the U800, the apparent predecessor to the Lucido, it will adopt OLED technology for its 2.2-inch display, which typically delivers superior brightness and contrast.