Filed under: iPhone
Sprint features iPhone in 4G ad
Sprint has released an ad that features the iPhone with its Overdrive 3G/4G Hotspot mobile router. The Overdrive allows you to use Sprint's 4G network with any WiFi capable device.
The ad features "Matt" and the appropriately-named iPhone-owner "Steve."
"My friend Steve's iPhone is cool, but it's limited to AT&T's 3G speeds," Matt says. "So I'm going to use the Overdrive 4G mobile hotspot to make it up to ten times faster. And while that's happening, I'm going to enjoy this tasty snack," at which point Matt pulls out an apple and takes a bite. Steve connects to the Sprint 4G WiFi network on his iPhone and quickly begins streaming a music video which leads him to exclaim, "Whoa. Done." The ad ends with Matt asking, "What can you do with 4G?" before the narrator chimes in, "Whatever you do, do it up to ten times faster than 3G with 4G from Sprint."
Sprint was one of the first to attack the iPhone but now, like most wireless providers, wants to be an official iPhone carrier. Last September Charlie Rose asked Sprint CEO Dan Hesse how the Pre was stacking up against the iPhone, to which he replied, "It's... it's doing well, but you can almost put the iPhone, to be fair, in a separate category. The Apple brand and that device have done so well, it's almost not... it's like comparing someone to Michael Jordan."
Well, if you can't beat the star, why not make some sweet accessories to go along with those Air Jordans?
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
NV said 10:38PM on 3-20-2010
So here is my question.. That means the 3G iPad is useless. Why would I pay extra for 3G iPad if I could buy a cheaper WIFI iPad and use sprints 4G network and enjoy much faster speeds..
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Simon Arch said 11:01PM on 3-20-2010
Because 4g isn't available everywhere, and Overdrive's monthly service charge is $60?
lysasnack said 12:54AM on 3-22-2010
can't believe this..
lysasnack said 12:55AM on 3-22-2010
Actually, If you'll check at other brands, the clear wimax gets steeper: http://bit.ly/wimax-moto-ripped
Brittain said 10:05AM on 3-26-2010
Well I dont know what network the ipad will be tied to, if any but I use one of sprints phones as a wi-fi router with my laptop all the time, it is blazing fast and I would never want to deal with ATT. Not only is sprint way less expensive, they have better coverage, and 4G. So yea... pretty much buy a regular iPad and keep a hotspot in your backpack or pocket or car or whatever. Then you can use that for your iPad your mac Pro, and your friends iPhone.
wbienek said 7:56PM on 3-20-2010
..When you start promoting other carriers phones, its like throwing in the white towel..!
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Bones3D said 9:10PM on 3-20-2010
Not sure I'd call this "throwing in the towel"... there are a lot of iPhones (and iPod Touches) out there, and the iPhone users aren't all fans of AT&T. This is a huge user base they're after, and that overdrive adapter is taking advantage of a huge loophole in the iPhone carrier agreement.
Any bets on how soon Apple tries to "fix" it, like they fixed palm's iTunes syncing "problem"?
darrell said 9:46PM on 3-20-2010
@Bones3D - don't know if there needs to be any "fixing." you can connect to a verizon mifi or any other device as a wifi hotspot. verizon might even cater to iPad users with their mifi.
Raghu said 8:03PM on 3-20-2010
I actually do that :) Granted I bought the Overdrive primarily for my PC. Now I can make Wifi based VOIP calls on my original iPhone using Fring... loving it!
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igepard said 11:13PM on 3-20-2010
@Raghu You can make fring calls on AT&T 3G Network already.
Raghu said 12:09PM on 3-21-2010
@igepard
I know... like I said, I have an *original* iPhone. No 3G for me.
Matt said 9:19PM on 3-20-2010
@Bones3D with all respect this is a different situation than Apple vs Palm on iTunes syncing. It's pretty clear Palm was breaking the rules by having the Pre identify itself to iTunes as an iPod. Those in charge of USB identifiers issue specific IDs to vendors like Apple and Palm and Palm decided to more or less hack iTunes by pretending to be an iPod. While not illegal, it was definitely against their agreement to use their vendor ID.
Anyway, this issue is simply creating a wifi hotspot to connect to your iPhone. What you're suggesting is that Apple would tweak the WiFi to only connect to certain hotspots? That would be ridiculous.
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ciaran said 10:19PM on 3-20-2010
Cool ad.
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ciaran said 10:22PM on 3-20-2010
Oh yeah, this thing costs 60 bucks a month for 5 GB/month. What a ripoff.
Compare to my $5/month on Tmo (non 3g).
Tech said 1:19PM on 3-25-2010
ciaran,
If you do your research the 5GB limit is on the 3G service, the 4G service includes UNL data usage with the Overdrive.
Dan Woods said 10:42PM on 3-20-2010
I consider the Palm Prē to be the nearest phone on the market to the iPhone.
Android and Symbian devices lack device and app consistency and reliability. Windows Mobile 6 phones have no upgrade path and WP7 devices haven't made it to market yet.
WebOS has a small footprint and is upgradable across device generations, with Plugin-based Apps, WebOS is not far from the spot occupied by PhoneOS 2.0
If only Palm had concentrated on improving the stability and performance of WebOS instead of investing real R&D dollars into reverse-engineering iTunes compatibility.
If only the Prē had been released in 3G in international markets.
Palm's WebOS might have been a success.
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Rego said 11:53PM on 3-20-2010
While the portable wifi technology is interesting; at $60 per month on probably a 2 year contract with a limited battery, it is not attractive to me for use with a 3G iPad which can be done on a non-contract, cancel at any time basis, for $15 or $30 per month and with no need to charge the 3G source, just the iPad itself.
It might be attractive to some people who need to to power multiple devices away from a fixed wifi source.
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mannymix said 12:03AM on 3-21-2010
Considering 4g is only in 15 cities, I'm pretty sure i'll stick with my 3G thanks
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Stars Fan said 1:05AM on 3-21-2010
I have an overdrive that my work provides me. While I'm inside the city of Dallas it's faster for me to tether my iPhone than it is to use the overdrive on Sprints 4G network.
The overdrive is a joke with it's short less than 3 hour battery life. It also gets extremely hot when it's been on for more than 30 minutes. Firmware updates have seemed to somewhat correct these issues but they have not been completely fixed.
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Raghu said 12:20PM on 3-21-2010
I am using mine in the Winston-Salem area mostly and also tried it in Chicago and Seattle. I actually get 4-6Mbs in all these places when stationary with around 100ms response times. This is faster than my home DSL.
The negative about WiMax as a 4G technology is that it was not really created to be a mobile technology, it is more of a "wired replacement", so trying to use it in a car while moving is frustrating... 3G speeds at most and constant disconnects. I could see where your tethering would be better on the move.