Sprint sold a total of 1.8 million iPhones during Q4 2011, with 40 percent of those going to new customers. Admittedly, 1.8 million is only about a quarter of the 7.6 million iPhones AT&T sold during the same period, and less than half the 4.2 million moved by Verizon, but considering Sprint’s 55 million customers ranks as the the third largest U.S. wireless carrier, and this is the first official quarter that Sprint had the iPhone to sell, it still indicates a fairly solid adoption by their subscribe base.

“Our strong fourth quarter performance illustrates the power of matching iconic devices like the iPhone with our simple, unlimited plans and industry-leading customer experience,” said Dan Hesse, Sprint CEO. “During the past year, Sprint added more than 5 million net new customers and grew wireless service revenue by more than 5 percent, including 17 percent for the Sprint platform. This momentum gives us confidence as we execute our Network Vision upgrade and 4G LTE roll-out.”

Although the company recorded a $1.3 billion net loss for the quarter, they’re focusing on added subscriber value and overall unit sales this time around. And with those added smartphone sales, new customers are subsequently coming in by the masses according to their earnings report — mostly thanks to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, and their position as the last U.S. carrier to offer unlimited data contracts.

It looks like that $20 billion bet Sprint made with Apple is slowly starting to pay off.

Source: Sprint

Apple has finally caught up with the huge demand for the iPhone 4S. For the first time since its iPhone 4S launch way back< in October/a>, all models of the iPhone 4S are now shown as in stock.

No matter which model you go for, 16GB, 32GB or 64GB or which carrier you choose from AT&T, Verizon or Sprint, they are all in stock. Even the unlocked and contract free models too.

Source: Apple Store via Macrumors

Sprint has released an iPhone app for their customers called Sprint Mobile Zone. With this app, users can access their Sprint accounts, check out promotions, and read Sprint news. Non-account holders may also use the app to check your power consumption and running resources and find Apple and Sprint stores.

Sprint Zone offers Sprint customers immediate access to their account online, Sprint News and promotions and in addition, it offers the following for both Sprint and non-Sprint customers:

• Simple device management (power controls, resources etc.)
• Apple and Sprint store Locator*
• Help functions, including access to a care representative

Sprint Mobile Zone is available on the iPhone for free.

• Free for iPhone – App Store link

Have an app you’d love to see featured on iMore? Email us at iosapps@imore.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

That, above, is a Sprint iPhone 4S. Physically, it’s the exact same iPhone 4S you can get on Verizon. Or AT&T. Or Rogers, O2, KDDI, Vodacom, or any other carrier that sells the iPhone 4S anywhere in the world. Apple makes one iPhone 4S (okay, technically six, when you include the storage variations and colors). But this one runs on Sprint. There’s no user-facing software difference – it’s an iPhone 4S inside and out.

So here we are, three months after the biggest network load freight train in history smacked into Sprint’s network. CEO Dan Hesse was begging for it. Literally, he really wanted the iPhone. After the long-term sales disappointment that was the Palm Pre (rest in peace, shiny webOS pebble) and the failure of the Android-powered HTC Evo 4G to really take the market by storm, Sprint found themselves really needing the iPhone, and publicly proclaiming such.

With three months of more-and-more users switching to the iPhone on Sprint (including myself, I know at least seven webOS, BlackBerry, and Android users on Sprint that picked up a Sprint iPhone), it’s time to check in and see just how well the pin drop network is holding up. And the answer is… quite well.

Unlimited data and Apple’s no bloatware policy make for calm, clean experience.	Sprint’s network isn’t as fast as AT&T or as expansive as Verizon.
The iPhone 4S is the best smartphone on Sprint. The iPhone 4S on Sprint is for people who want to be on Sprint. And as I want to be on Sprint, it’s the iPhone for me.

I’ve been on Sprint since 2004, and in seven years I’ve owned five-and-a-half phones on America’s perpetually third-place cellular carrier. The last phone-and-a-half before the iPhone (a Palm Pre and a hacked-together Sprint Pre 2 (there’s the half phone)) were on Sprint’s EVDO Rev. A 3G network, the same network used by the iPhone 4S. And the experience has been largely the same as far as that network is concerned.

Coverage

The iPhone on Sprint does just as well as any other Sprint smartphone as far as coverage is concerned – I can’t say I’ve noticed it picking up a signal any better in fringe-coverage areas than my trust old Pre did, nor has it performed more poorly. Pretty much right on the mark wherever my Pre failed the iPhone fails as well. That said, those failures were pretty rare. Sprint’s done a commendable job of expanding its network footprint, and nine times out of ten, if Sprint isn’t available, you can roam onto Verizon 3G without hiccup. As a caveat: I live in Ohio, and the Midwest is “Sprint Country” – the Ohio/Indiana/Illinois/Michigan area is one of Sprint’s strongest (along with Sprint home state Kansas).

Sprint 3G coverage: Orange is good

Call quality

Call quality is adequate, in that callers will be able to understand what you’re saying and you’ll be able to understand them. It’s not for broadcasting concertos to a remote audience, and as CDMA calls are routed over Sprint’s 1xRTT (2G) network, it never will be.

International roaming

Well, there’s one hiccup – the Sprint iPhone is carrier-locked internationally. Sort of. You can purchase an expensive international data pack and Micro SIM through Sprint for your international travels, or if your Sprint customer service rep is feeling particularly nice, they can unlock the iPhone’s SIM slot so you can just buy a prepaid card for your trip overseas.

Data speed

Speed-wise, the iPhone does seem to manage the Sprint network better than my previous Sprint smartphones, albeit marginally so. Does the iPhone get a stronger signal than other Sprint smartphones or is it just better at optimizing what it pumps through the datapipes? Hard to say, but the user experience is that it does its thing faster. The speeds are roughly comparable to Verizon’s 3G service (though roaming onto Verizon isn’t that speedy). Download speeds over 3G rarely cracked over 1.5mpbs, which is right around average for a Sprint smartphone. Yes, that’s rather pathetic compared to the HSPA+ service available on GSM carriers, which itself performs as-well-as if not better than Sprint’s ill-fated WiMAX network. There’s a reason Sprint’s going full steam ahead with LTE.

Bloatware free

The Sprint iPhone doesn’t hold an edge over AT&T or Verizon when it comes to speed or network coverage, respectively, and thanks to Apple’s no bloatware policy, it doesn’t bring any of Sprint’s gratis services like Sprint TV, Sprint Navigation, Sprint Music, or Sprint Anything Else. That’s a good thing, in that the phone isn’t loaded down with unwanted and undeletable apps like so many Android devices, but it’s also a bad thing in that these apps are not available in the App Store either. Will Sprint make them available for Sprint iPhone users? Only time will tell, but it’s been three months already and they’re not there.

Unlimited data

Sprint has one signature advantage over AT&T and Verizon. It’s something that the other carriers, with all their coverage and speeds can’t match. Or rather, something they won’t match. It’s unlimited data. Not “unlimited but really 5GB”, not “unlimited but throttled.” Just plain unlimited. With your Sprint iPhone you can download as much as you want. Well, as long as you’re doing it on the phone – like the other carriers, tethering requires an addition; $30-a-month tethering/hotspot plan and is limited to 5GB in a month. To be honest, 99% of users would struggle to break 2GB of use in a month, let alone 5GB.

Sprint’s advertising for the iPhone has focused almost exclusively on this unlimited aspect, because really that and the plan pricing are Sprint’s only true selling points. Every carrier at this point offers some form of unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling (a feature first implemented by Sprint), and with the exception of business and grandparents, most of your calling is going to be done to landlines. So who is the Sprint iPhone for? Sprint and Sprint customers. Just as customers didn’t flee en masse to Verizon or AT&T for the iPhone, they aren’t going to switch to Sprint for the iPhone.

Should you buy your iPhone 4S on Sprint?

It all comes down to our perpetual advise for smartphone buyers: pick your carrier first. Coverage where you live/work/play and how much you’re willing to pay for that service, by far the most expensive part of purchasing a phone on contract, should be the first decisions you make. It doesn’t matter if the iPhone or whatever other phone you’re looking for isn’t on the best carrier for your situation if you can’t use it. With the iPhone now on Sprint, AT&T, and Verizon, that makes the decision even easier.

• With AT&T you get spotty but improving coverage but fantastic speeds so long as you stick close to urban centers.
• With Verizon you get a generally reliable network with fantastic coverage and so-so speeds that you’ll pay out the nose for and still have to deal with Big Red’s meddling ways.
• With Sprint you get good coverage, underdog status, so-so speeds, unlimited usage, and cheaper prices.

Conclusion

There you have it – the iPhone 4S on Sprint. Sprint’s smartphone selection hasn’t been great recently, with the Samsung Galaxy S II, Epic 4G Touch (yes, the name has a comma) serving as the closest competition to the iPhone 4S. We might be a bit biased here, but it’s safe to say the iPhone 4S is the best smartphone on Sprint. It’s certainly going to be a sales king for the Overland Park, Kanasa-based network. The iPhone 4S on Sprint is for people who want to be on Sprint. And as I want to be on Sprint, it’s the iPhone for me.

After Dow Jones misconstrued some comments by Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, Sprint has come out with an official statement saying they do not throttle regular subscribers under their unlimited data plans.

Reports that Sprint throttles the top one percent of data users are false. Here are the facts:

• Sprint does not throttle any postpaid phone data users for on-network or off-network usage. Sprint is the only national carrier offering smartphone users truly unlimited data with no throttling, metering or overages while on the Sprint network.

• Sprint does have terms and conditions which prohibit certain types of data use that may impair other customers’ usage or harm or interfere with the network. At yesterday’s investor conference, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse was referring to Sprint’s right to terminate service of data abusers who violate Sprint’s terms and conditions. Customers who abuse our network by violating the terms and conditions will be contacted by Sprint in an effort to have the customer change their usage to comply with their subscriber agreement. Customers who do not change their usage and remain in violation of the terms and conditions may be subject to actions reserved by Sprint, including but not limited to termination. Consistent with our advertising, engaging in such uses will not result in throttling for customers on unlimited data-included plans for phones.

So, there you have it. Sprint doesn’t throttle regular paying subscribers under their unlimited plan, including those with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. They do, however, throttle the top 1 percent of heavy data users under their roaming agreements with carrier partners (such as Verizon).

Source: Sprint

Hot off the Dow Jones Newsire comes a report that, according to their CEO Dan Hesse, Sprint is throttling the top 1 percent of data users, including their new iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S subscribers.

“For those that want to abuse it, we can knock them off,” Hesse said at an investor conference Thursday. He said Sprint pares back data use for about 1% of users, a practice known as throttling.

Sprint was initially gung-ho about offering unlimited data to iPhone subscribers, so what’s the deal? If they’re throttling data users, then their “Truly Unlimited” network isn’t actually unlimited at all. It sounds as if Sprint may be falling in line with all the other major U.S. carriers — or at least publicly taking steps to get there.

Anyone care to take a guess at how long it’ll be before Sprint rids their “unlimited” data plans altogether?

[UPDATE]: It looks like Dow Jones misconstrued what Hesse actually said. The throttling is only related to roaming data, not their regular unlimited data offerings. Although, Sprint has a lot of roaming partners, including Verizon, so this still applies to a measurable number of heavy-data subscribers. So much for Dow Jones’ spot-on journalism…

Source: Dow Jones Newswire

Google has updated their Google Voice app for the iPhone, including complete integration with Sprint to allow calls to be sent directly to the 3rd party app rather than the stock Phone app. Here’s the complete update log:

• Multi-recipient texting, with contact autocomplete.
• Sprint integration support: sends all calls to the native dialer when the phone is integrated with Sprint
• Multi-line text entry field with character count.
• 1-touch Copy/Paste in dialpad

This is rather big news, and somewhat surprising that Sprint would allow this to happen. Given the nature of most carriers these days, letting subscribers bypass their network completely is a good indication that Sprint has their ears open and are actually listening to the requests of their user-base.

Google Voice is available in the App Store for free and compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch.

• Free – App Store Link

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

AT&T still offers the fastest data speeds, with HSPA 14.4. Verizon claims the best network coverage. Sprint is the only major carrier still offering unlimited data to new iPhone owners. C-Spire is the only small carrier to pick up the iPhone 4S to date. T-Mobile… you have to work for it and it’s EDGE only, but that means you must really love them to stick with them!

But now that you have a choice, TiPb Nation, we’d like to know who you chose and why? Was it speed? Was it coverage? Was it data? Was it customer service? And did you switch from a different carrier to get iPhone 4S on your current carrier? As always, vote in the poll up top and give me the details in the comments below!

Sprint has released its first commercial for the iPhone 4S titled “Unlimited iPhone”. The ad is all about the Sprint unlimited data plan that comes with an iPhone 4S on its network.

With over half a million apps, there’s no limit to what the iPhone can do. So why would anyone want to limit the iPhone? We don’t. Only Sprint offers truly unlimited data for the iPhone.

With AT&T touting their HSPA 14.4 data speeds and Verizon the coverage of their network, Sprint is smart to play the unlimited data card.

Source: YouTube

According to a leaked internal Sprint memo, all Sprint iPhone 4S handsets sold starting today will have their SIM card slots locked to Sprint. It has never been fully clear how Sprint was shipping its iPhone 4S models but it now looks like they were originally shipping them with unlocked SIMS.

According to the memo, the SIM locking will be done during the iPhone’s activation process and it will be done invisibly. The customer will not see any notification of it happening.

What does this mean for any new Sprint iPhone 4S users? Well you will lose the ability to use a local SIM card if you travel out of the U.S. You will now have to have a roaming agreement in place with Sprint and pay the much higher call and data charges. One bit of good news, today’s decision does not impact current iPhone 4S Sprint users; we assume that this means their SIM card slots remain unlocked.

Source: SprintFeed

According to a report by Fierce Wireless, U.S. Cellular apparently turned down the opportunity to carry Apple’s new iPhone 4S:

U.S. Cellular turned down Apple’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone because it did not make sense for the company economically, CEO Mary Dillon said on the company’s third-quarter earnings conference call. Dillon said that the carrier had the opportunity to sell the iPhone but that Apple’s “terms were unacceptable from a risk and profitability standpoint.”

Dillon mentioned that U.S. Cellular may be open to carrying the iPhone a little further down the road. It’s possible that these “unacceptable terms” could have been similar to the Sprint deal that required a hefty four year investment to get into the iPhone game.

Meanwhile, the three big U.S. carriers that do have the iPhone 4S are booming following huge initial sales.

Canaccord Genuity’s Mike Walkley this morning raised his already fairly high estimate for this quarter’s sales by Apple (AAPL) of its iPhone from 27 million units to 29 million units, after his “checks” last month suggested the iPhone 4S was the top seller at AT&T (T), Sprint-Nextel (S), and Verizon Communications (VZ).

C-Spire Wireless, a much smaller regional carrier with around 875,000 subscribers, was able to pick up the iPhone 4S just fine by working within Apple’s terms.

So what gives, U.S. Wireless?

Source: FierceWireless, Barron’s

Speaking during an earnings call on Wednesday, Sprint CEO, Dan Hesse, not only claimed that iPhone 4S has exceeded all of their expectations, but that iPhones on the Sprint network used much less network resources than users of other smartphone platforms. This is one of the main reasons that Sprint decided to add the iPhone to its portfolio of handsets.

“There is a misperception that our launch of the iPhone will increase the load on Sprint’s 3G network and require us to spend more 3G capital,” Hesse said. “The reverse is true. iPhone users are expected to use significantly less 3G than the typical user of a dual-mode 3G, 4G device. Even adjusting for more total new customers being added to the network, we believe they will put less load on our 3G network than they would have if we did not carry the iPhone.”

A lot of chatter suggests that the iPhone is a very data efficient device and that is why Sprint expects to see this reduction in data consumption. While I wouldn’t necessarily argue with that point, it is much more likely to be Apple’s management of data. Most, if not all data intensive tasks on the iPhone have to be performed over Wi-Fi rather than 3G. Android does not have any of these restrictions; so it would follow that it could potentially consume much more mobile data than the iPhone.

Source: All Things D

Matthew Panzarino of The Next Web reports that Sprint knows about, and is working on, the slow data speeds frustrating many iPhone 4S

Now it seems that an internal email has been sent to Sprint representatives, informing them that Apple and Sprint are working together on a “confirmed nationwide issue” dealing with the slow data rates many users are experiencing. There was no information about what the cause of the issues are or what the expected resolution date might be.

Since the CDMA iPhone 4S is limited to EV-DO rev A speeds, they’re going to potentially be much slower than an HSPA 14.4 AT&T iPhone 4S, but they should be equal to the similarly networked Verizon iPhone 4S.

Check out the link below for the details and, if you’re on Sprint, let us know how your data is performing.

Source: The Next Web

iDB conducted a few speed tests on the new iPhone 4S comparing data performance across AT&T, Verizon and the newcomer, Sprint.

It looks like AT&T and Verizon are just about neck and neck despite the iPhone 4S supporting AT&T’s HSPA+ network, with Sprint falling pretty far behind. Keep in mind the comparisons aren’t exactly scientific, so your mileage may vary. It also appears that data coverage isn’t optimal in the area they shot the video given the speedtest.net results, but this gives you a pretty good idea of how the iPhone 4S performs under the different networks.

Check out the full video below and let us know what speeds your seeing on your new iPhone 4S!

Source: iDB

For Sprint, the launch of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S on their network brought record sales in just half a day. Fared Adib, Sprint Product Chief, issued the following statement:

Sprint today reported its best ever day of sales in retail, web and telesales for a device family in Sprint history with the launch of iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. We reached this milestone at approximately noon CT/1pm ET. The response to this device by current and new customers has surpassed our expectations and validates our customers’ desire for a truly unlimited data pricing plan.

With new and existing customers invited to purchase an iPhone and Sprint offering unlimited data plans starting at just $79.99, it’s not exactly a hard sell for those looking to get into an iOS equipped device.

Sprint and Verizon will offer the iPhone 4S with an unlocked micro-SIM card slot according to information given to Macworld. The iPhone 4S is the first iPhone that can be classed as a world phone which means it has a GSM and CDMA radio. This is particularly useful if travelling overseas where CDMA networks are few and far between.

In simple terms, this means that users of Sprint or Verizon who buy an iPhone 4S and travel overseas will have the ability to install a local micro-SIM card in their phone; to use on GSM networks. AT&T will still offer the iPhone 4S with a locked micro-SIM card slot; which means users can roam on overseas GSM networks but do so via AT&T agreements with local carriers. This leads to a huge increase in call and data charges with this method.

If you use Sprint or Verizon and travel overseas, having an unlocked phone could save you a considerable amount of money. The downside however is that your number will be different when using a local micro-SIM card. Sprint’s iPhone 4S will be unlocked from day one but Verizon will do it on request after 60 days; as long as your account is in good standing.

Source: Macworld

We're up, ready and raring to go at CTIA Enterprise & Applications here in San Diego. First up is the Day 1 keynote, with the CEOs of Sprint, Verizon and AT&T. Just as when they got together for us in March, this should prove to be a barn burner.

Join us after the break for the liveblog. Things get going at 9:30 a.m. Pacific, 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

iPhone 4S is the first iPhone to have both Verizon and Sprint CDMA versions available alongside the AT&T GSM version. CDMA is famous for its rock solid reliability and call quality and now that iPhone 4S is a world phone, it can even roam on international GSM network. However, CDMA brings with it some downsides as well, including lack of simultaneous voice and data over 3G, subtle quirks to SMS, and greatly reduced conference call options.

None of these are unique to iPhone 4S on Verizon or Sprint, but they’re something to keep in mind if you’re thinking of switching to one of those networks now that they have iPhone 4S.

So here’s the deal.

There are some great advantages to CDMA. It tends to need less towers to cover greater areas so CDMA networks typically have better reception in more places. This also means they tend to sound better, more often for voice calls. If you use your iPhone as a phone — who knew? — and that’s the most important thing to you, or if Verizon or Sprint provide the only reliable coverage in your area, than case closed.

If cost is a factor, well we’ve already put together that breakdown for you.

• AT&T vs. Verizon vs. Sprint: Which iPhone 4S should you choose?

But if you want to know what you’re getting into when it comes to the data and conference calling tradeoffs, there are several things to consider.

Note: We’ll be using a lot of tech terms, so see our wireless networking guide for more on what all these acronyms mean.

Slower 3G data

iPhone 4S on AT&T and other GSM networks supports 14.4 Mbps HSPA+ download speeds. Depending on where you live, you may never get anywhere near that speed in the real world, but the potential is there.

By contrast, while CDMA-2000 give Verizon and Sprint great voice, their EV-DO rev A 3G data speeds are theoretically limited to about 3.1 Mbps.

No simultaneous voice and data

Verizon and Sprint’s EV-DO Rev. A network does not support simultaneous voice and data the way HSPA and HSPA+ does for AT&T (and other GSM carriers).

That means if a call comes in while you’re using 3G data — surfing the web, Skyping, sharing your connection via personal hotspot — you can either ignore the call and continue using 3G data, or answer the call and effectively put your 3G data connection on “pause”. If you’re on a call you won’t receive email or push notifications and if you try to surf the web or download an app you’ll be informed you’re not connected to the 3G network. Once the call ends, 3G data reconnects and you can start using the internet again.

If you’re on Wi-Fi as opposed to 3G data you can make calls and use data without a problem. It’s only 3G data that cuts out during calls.

Verizon and Sprint have chosen not to roll out EV-DO Rev. B, which does support simultaneous data in favor of more quickly deploying a 4G LTE network (currently a hybrid CDMA-voice with LTE-data network, in the future a Voice over LTE network) and WiMax with LTE to follow, respectively. There are some phones that support Voice over Rev A (VoRA) aka SVDO which will allow for simultaneous voice and data on CDMA/EV-DO phones, but not the Verizon or Sprint iPhone. (See The Cell Phone Junky for more on the technology.)

SMS/Text splitting

SMS/Text messages are limited to 160 characters. On many phones, if a message exceeds 160 characters, the OS will be able to put it back together and still show it as a single message to both the sender and receiver.

On CDMA networks this doesn’t always seem to work as well as on GSM and once an SMS hits 160 characters, any additional text is split off into a second message, after 320, a third message, etc. The same content is still delivered, it’s just not presented as nicely. (In some cases the message parts might even appear out of order which is even more annoying.)

Again, some users claim to seldom if ever experience this problem in the real world, others say it happens often enough to annoy them.

Limited conference calling

Verizon and Sprint’s CDMA networks only supports “3 way calling” so you can only enter into a conference call with up to 2 other people (3 including yourself) at the same time. It doesn’t matter if iPhone can handle more, CSMA networks and hence the Verizon and Sprint iPhone is limited to 3-way calling.

Likewise, handling conference calls is also more challenging on the CDMA iPhones since you can’t take one party “private” or hang up on one caller while keeping the other active. You can only hang up on all of them at once.

Apple provides the following diagram in their knowledge base:

The network

So yes, overall there are a lot of limitations to the way CDMA handles voice. However, if Verizon or Sprint has great coverage in your area, you’re on Wi-Fi when you want to talk and surf, split SMS/Text messages rarely happen or don’t bother you, and agile conference calling isn’t a must-have business feature for your iPhone, you may not care.

Otherwise it’s a compromise. Decide what’s most important to you and which carrier best provides it. If anything is a deal-breaker, then that makes your choice much simpler.

For more information and help check out our iPhone 4S Forum.

With Verizon leading the charge, and AT&T following on, Sprint has just elaborated on their own plans to launch an LTE (Long Term Evolution) 4G network beginning next year.

Sprint plans to launch 4G LTE on its 1900 MHz spectrum by midyear 2012 and complete the network build-out by the end of 2013. By the end of 2013, Sprint’s 4G coverage footprint is expected to cover more than 250 million people.

LTE is often considered true 4G (or at least truer until we get full voice-over-LTE), with theoretical downloads speeds of 50 Mbps or more. Given the availability of proper chipsets that allow for both thin devices and long battery life, Apple is rumored to be considering an LTE iPhone for 2012 as well.

Source: Sprint

Once you’ve decided you should get an iPhone 4S, in the US the question becomes — AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint, which carrier should you choose? Back in January we compared the AT&T iPhone to the Verizon iPhone, and if you’re already tied to one carrier and don’t want to pay early termination fees, the decision may be easy; if not, the information can be daunting and overwhelming. TiPb is here to help!

To see a breakdown of prices and features, follow along after the break!

The best way to compare prices, is with a chart. So here you go:

Unlimited data on Sprint

One thing to point out is that Sprint’s prices include unlimited messaging and data and that AT&T and Verizon do not offer any unlimited data plan to new users (if you’ve previously had unlimited data, you may be grandfathered in and can ignore this). Unlimited data is a huge advantage that Sprint has over the other two carriers.

The coverage question

However, how much you get on paper for your money should not be the sole determining factor towards your decision. What good is unlimited data if you are frequently in places that don’t have good reception. TiPb always recommends that you do further research on the carriers specifically in your area. Ask your friends, family, and co-workers which carriers they have and how pleased they are with their service.

Pricing plans

Sprint is cheaper than AT&T and Verizon, but it’s only about 4.8% cheaper than AT&T and about 9.1% cheaper than Verizon. It adds up, sure, but quality of service has some value as well, and it’s up to you to determine how much that value is to you.

Please don’t think I’m bashing Sprint, because I’m not. There are plenty of areas where Sprint blows AT&T away when it comes to reliable service, and there are also many places where all three carriers are equally just as good (or bad). The point I’m making is that you have to take many things into consideration when choosing a carrier.

CDMA/EV-DO vs. GSM/HSPA+

Another concern is simultaneous voice and data, a feature that is not compatible with Verizon’s and Sprint’s CDMA networks. You will need to be connected to Wi-Fi in order to access both voice and data at the same time with Verizon and Sprint. CDMA also has worse conference calling and other limitations.

Lastly, the Verizon and Sprint iPhone 4S will be no faster than the Verizon and Sprint iPhone 4 — both use the same EV-DO data radio. However, the AT&T/GSM iPhone 4S will theoretically be up to twice as fast as the iPhone 4, supporting HSPA+ 14.4 mbps downloads. (Actually speeds in the real world can and will vary.)

For a complete rundown see:

• Verizon and Sprint iPhone 4S and the limitations of CDMA

Making the choice

We never claimed that choosing a carrier would be an easy decision, but we hope having the information in one place may help. If you have any questions, please ask us in the comments below or check out our Carrier Forums for help:

• AT&T Forum
• Verizon Forum
• Sprint and T-Mobile Forum

Sprint has started allowing customers to pre-order the 8GB iPhone 4 in either black or white flavors for $99.99. Sprint will also begin pre-orders for the new iPhone 4S starting tomorrow, likely at 12:01am PDT.

According to the description on Sprint’s website, pre-orders will be available “while supplies last” and will ship to customers by the 14th or 15th of October. Customers planning to pre-order may want to head over to their website to secure their order in case supplies run dry.

Sprint will still offer iPhone customers unlimited data with plans starting at $69.99, and this may have some impact on new iPhone users trying to decide on a carrier, given the likes of AT&T and Verizon no longer offer unlimited data plans.

Will you be pre-ordering your next iPhone from Sprint?

Source: Sprint

Phone Scoop was able to confirm that Sprint, as rumored, will be offering iPhone customers unlimited data plans starting at $69.99.

Sprint today confirmed to Phone Scoop via telephone that the Apple iPhone 4S will have access to all the same voice and data plans (at the same rates) that Sprint’s current smartphones do — including unlimited 3G data and the 5GB mobile hotspot cap.

Both AT&T and Verizon have switched to tiered pricing and no longer offer unlimited data plans for new customers (unless you’ve been grandfathered in, you’re out of luck). With Sprint taking on a $20 billion gamble with the iPhone, something like this to help differentiate themselves from the competition could really go a long way in securing new subscribers.

The iPhone 4S is scheduled to be released on Sprint, AT&T and Verizon on October 14th in the US, with pre-orders starting this Friday. Will this news have any impact on which carrier you’ll go with?

Source: Phone Scoop

During Apple’s Let’s talk iPhone event, Apple announced that the new iPhone 4S will be available on not just AT&T and Verizon, but Sprint as well!

This is huge news as there have been many Sprint users wanting an iPhone. Not to mention, Sprint has been a major carrier of Android phones, so what does this mean for Android?

Who’s excited for a Sprint iPhone? Anyone?

Just like our good friends over at The Cell Phone Junkie have been saying pretty much all along, the Wall Street Journal‘s own people familiar with those briefed on the sources are now chiming in with WiMax- and LTE- (Long Term Evolution) busting reports of their own.

[The next generation iPhone] won’t operate on long-term evolution or WiMAX fourth-generation networks.

Which has always made sense, given the proper chipset for lower-powered LTE won’t be ready until 2012 and WiMax has no real footprint outside of Sprint.

Still, iPhone 5/iPhone 4S should support HSPA+, which AT&T, Rogers, et. al will still call 4G anyway… But that will leave Verizon — and Sprint, if they get the next generation iPhone today as expected — stuck on the slower, more limited EVDO Rev A for another year. Would that weigh into your carrier choice at all?

Source: Wall Street Journal

Today is the days folks! In order to pass some time before the next generation iPhone is unveiled you might as well join in on the forum conversation. And let’s be blunt — if you’re not already in the TiPb Forums you’re missing out on the best darn discussion in iPhone and iPad today, so head on over and register now!

• Whatever the next generation iPhone is going to be called – discuss it here.

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• Perhaps the biggest rumor as of right now is that Sprint will have exclusivity to the iPhone 5. While we here at TiPb find this highly doubtful, you can share your thoughts here.

See you in the forums!

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sprint has landed a huge $20 billion deal with Apple to purchase roughly 30 million iPhone units over the next four years.

Mr. Hesse told the board the carrier would have to agree to purchase at least 30.5 million iPhones over the next four years—a commitment of $20 billion at current rates—whether or not it could find people to buy them, according to people familiar with the matter. In order to keep the price people pay for the phone low and competitive with rivals, Sprint would be subsidizing the cost of each phone to the tune of about $500, which would take a long time to recoup even at the high monthly fees iPhone users pay.

Sprint is calling this an “all-in” gamble as they’re essentially betting the farm on the iPhone to keep them competitive with Verizon and AT&T. But this seems to us like a very high risk gamble for Sprint to take.

BGR also claims they have word from an “incredibly solid source” that Sprint has landed an exclusive deal on the iPhone 5 with support for 4G WiMax out of the gate, with AT&T and Verizon only getting the device later next year.

I have been told that Sprint will be getting the iPhone 5 — yes the real iPhone 5, not the iPhone 4S — as an exclusive. And it will be a WiMAX device. AT&T and Verizon would launch the iPhone 4S and get the iPhone 5 sometime in the first quarter of next year as an LTE device. Globally, the iPhone 5 might be available as a 4G HSPA+ device.

Wouldn’t it be far more likely, however, for Sprint to get a budget iPhone 4 and offer it at a far cheaper contract than AT&T or Verizon?

Source: WSJ, BGR

Seems a little premature since Apple hasn’t even released a gold master (GM) seed of iOS 5 yet, but if this TiPb tip is accurate, Sprint seems to think it’s the right time to add iOS 5 to their CelleBrite data transfer machines.

Interesting.

Apple and Sprint may have already completed work on a Sprint compatible iPad. 9to5Mac claims that the Sprint iteration of the iPad will join the rest of the current iPad line-up (GSM models and Verizon) before the holiday season. Given we’ve also heard confirmations of Sprint getting the iPhone 5, it would only make sense they’d eventually carry the iPad as well.

Sprint is the only carrier in the United States that still offers truly unlimited data plans. This may be a big draw for data hungry consumers that aren’t currently happy with their tier happy carriers. 9to5Mac didn’t seem to be able to confirm whether or not the Sprint variation of the iPad will support their 4G WiMAX network. The fact that Apple has made a separate version to run on Sprint instead of using the existing Verizon CDMA model may have something to do with 4G but at this point it’s still unclear.

If Sprint ends up carrying the iPhone 5 and/or iPad this Fall, would you switch to have truly unlimited data again?

9to5Mac

Bloomberg is backing up the Wall Street Journal‘s story about Sprint getting iPhone 5 this October, but adds that Sprint will be offering an unlimited data plan to go with it.

Sprint Nextel Corp. (S) will offer Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s iPhone next month with unlimited data service plans to distinguish itself from rivals AT&T Inc. (T) and Verizon Wireless, according to people familiar with the matter.

Both AT&T and Verizon offered unlimited data plans for iPhone at launch, but have since switched to tiered pricing (though some users remain “grandfathered in” to the older, unlimited plans). Whether Sprint means to keep offering unlimited data going forward, or like Verizon will use the appeal of unlimited data as way to encourage adoption before switching to tiers is unknown.

Being #3 and being so late to the iPhone game comes with some advantages — to customers. Were you contemplating making the switch, and does unlimited EVDO rev-A data on Sprint entice you?

UPDATE: SprintFeed let us know they’ve discovered an internal memo blacking out holidays between September 30 and October 15, with fits right into the launch window TiPb previously heard about.

[Bloomberg, SprintFeed]

If the US Government and the Department of Justice weren’t enough, now the AT&T and T-Mobile US merger has to go up against… Sprint. Yes, adding some measure of insult to potential anti-trust injury, Medium Sized Yellow has sued to prevent Big Blue and Small Magenta from combining to form… slightly bigger Blue with just a blush of rose. (And yes, this is me taking the news far, far less seriously than Sprint intended.)

“Sprint opposes AT&T’s proposed takeover of T-Mobile,” said Susan Z. Haller, vice president-Litigation, Sprint. “With today’s legal action, we are continuing that advocacy on behalf of consumers and competition, and expect to contribute our expertise and resources in proving that the proposed transaction is illegal.”

Sprint’s lawsuit focuses on the competitive and consumer harms which would result from a takeover of T-Mobile by AT&T. The proposed takeover would:

• Harm retail consumers and corporate customers by causing higher prices and less innovation.
• Entrench the duopoly control of AT&T and Verizon, the two “Ma Bell” descendants, of the almost one-quarter of a trillion dollar wireless market. As a result of the transaction, AT&T and Verizon would control more than three-quarters of that market and 90 percent of the profits.
• Harm Sprint and the other independent wireless carriers. If the transaction were to be allowed, a combined AT&T and T-Mobile would have the ability to use its control over backhaul, roaming and spectrum, and its increased market position to exclude competitors, raise their costs, restrict their access to handsets, damage their businesses and ultimately to lessen competition.

While it does feel like slapping a parking ticket on a guy already facing Federal court, you gotta admire Sprint’s moxie. And if all 4 US carriers score iPhone 5‘s this fall, competition might never be fiercer.

[Sprint]

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• If the next iPhone does indeed land on Sprint will you leave your current carrier to make the switch?

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• iPhone 5 design

• Will the iPhone actually land on Sprint?

• Who will introduce the next generation iPhone?

See you in the forums!

No huge surprise here, beyond seeing it in writing, but a leaked memo shows employees are being instructed not to speculate about the rumors of iPhone 5 launching on the Sprint network.

Action Required: Do not Speculate about Sprint Getting the iPhone.

No doubt, with rumors swirling, local customer service reps are getting bombarded with questions (and we’re getting bombarded with “tips” from Sprint customers, who heard something from a rep, who likely read it on the blogs…), and that can only hurt sales of the devices Sprint actually has on the shelves now.

What would be a surprise is if T-Mobile US doesn’t soon follow suit.

[SprintFeed, thanks Mark!]

Let’s be blunt — if you’re not in the TiPb Forums you’re missing out on the best darn discussion in iPhone and iPad today, so head on over and register now!

• iOS 5 beta 6 bug report
• iOS 5 SMS design
• Sprint iPhone coming?
• AT&T LTE iPhone in the near future?
• Jailbreaking and unlocking forum

See you in the forums!

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sprint Nextel will get iPhone 5 mid-October, the same time TiPb reported AT&T and Verizon would be getting Apple’s next generation handset.

Landing the iPhone is a big win for Sprint, whose results have suffered without being able to sell the iconic device. This February, Verizon Wireless began selling the iPhone 4, while AT&T has relied on versions of the Apple device to drive sales since 2007.

In all likelihood, this will be the same CDMA/GSM dual-mode world phone destind for Verizon’s network. While the WSJ seems shocked and surprised at iPhone 5 coming in October, TiPb readers have known for a while now that Apple has been considering October 7, possibly October 14 as launch dates.

However, with Yukari Iwatani Kane and her excellent track-record contributing to their article, it’s excellent confirmation and Sprint customers should have a lot to look forward to this fall.

Anyone going to line up for Sprint this time instead of AT&T or Verizon?

[WSJ]

Shing Yin, a Citadel Securities analyst, thinks a Sprint iPhone deal may not be that far off, perhaps as soon as this year, which would likely mean a CDMA iPhone 5. After Verizon finally shipped the iPhone 4, we found out T-Mobile might be getting one, either on their own or as part of the ongoing T-Mobile and AT&T merger. That leaves Sprint sitting alone in the corner.

Interestingly enough, after Verizon ends unlimited data on July 7, 2011, Sprint will be the only carrier to still offer unlimited data. Yin things that may appeal to Apple.

With lower prices on plans, a Sprint iPhone could offer an attractive proposition for more price-conscious users (a demographic that we think is increasingly important to Apple following the rise of Android)…

I think it’s only a matter of time before Sprint picks up the iPhone. I’m not convinced they’ll receive the next hardware iteration at the same time as Verizon and AT&T but I could see a launch later in the year or early next year, the same way Verizon got the iPhone 4 roughly 8 months after AT&T.

Like with AT&T, eventually everyone on Verizon who wants an iPhone, even an iPhone 5, will have one, and selling into Sprint’s user base is the next logical step for expansion in the US.

Barron’s

With rumors of iPhone 5 potentially adding a third US carrier, would you rather that carrier be T-Mobile or Sprint?

T-Mobile is GSM like AT&T but would require different, AWS bands for 3G. They also offer “4G” over HSPA+, which iPhone 5 just might support. However, AT&T is trying to buy them, so they might get the iPhone that way sooner or later. Sprint is CDMA like Verizon but would need access to their network. They also offer “4G” over Wimax, which Apple will probably never support because LTE will be a much bigger, more global technology. (See our wireless networking glossary for what all those letters mean.)

If you could have only one for iPhone 5, T-Mobile or Sprint, which would it be?

9to5Mac reports that the next iPhone — rumored to be released in September — has hit final testing stages, with variations of ‘N93′ and ‘N94′ models suggesting a possible release on Sprint or T-Mobile.

The next generation iPhone has reached the final testing stage (aka “AP” stage [Thanks, Chronic!]) and is now being carried around by high level Apple and carrier executives [...] While snooping around the iOS 5.0 SDK we located references to “N94″ and “N93.”

Verizon previously let slip that the next iPhone will be a world phone, supporting GSM+CDMA on a single chip and thus cutting out the requirement of Apple producing separate devices for the two carriers. With N93 and N94 variations in play, this further indicates T-Mobile as a likely candidate for carrying the next iPhone which is rumored to be an iPhone 4 packed with the new A5 chip.

In addition, they were told Apple and Verizon are still in negotiations to bring FaceTime over 3G while the next iPhone will keep the same 5MP camera sensor, most-likely due to production delays with Sony.

If true, is that a deal breaker for anyone? And if Apple adds a US carrier, would you rather it be T-Mobile or Sprint?

[9to5Mac]

Apple has put up a job post requesting a carrier technician familiar with the Sprint network, which has led many to believe they may be prepping to include Sprint in their ammunition chest of US carriers that support the iPhone.

Apple in a newly discovered job posting effectively gave away plans to make a Sprint iPhone. A position for a “carrier engineer” is being offered that would work out of Kansas City, Missouri, just a short distance from Sprint’s Overland Park, Kansas headquarters. The recruit would be responsible for getting technical certification of devices in an area where Sprint is the only company with a major office.

This goes along with recent rumors of the iPhone 5 possibly including Sprint and T-Mobile as supported carriers, and also backs up Verizon’s claims that the next iPhone will be a world phone supporting both CDMA and GSM networks.

You may recall Apple was seeking CDMA engineers in a similar job posting late last year, which eventually led to the Verizon iPhone being released on the network shortly after.

Do you think we’ll be seeing the iPhone on Sprint anytime soon? Let us know in the comments!

[Stop it, AT&T via Electronista]

Forbes reports that Jefferies & Co analyst Peter Misek has proudly entered our iPhone 5 release pool , adding his voice to the many others that claim Apple will be releasing the iPhone 5 in September. Sort of. Misek states Apple will be going with ‘iPhone 4S’ as the name, following in the footsteps of the 3G to 3GS upgrade, and will not support LTE because the Qualcomm chipset isn’t ready just yet. He also believes Sprint and T-Mobile will be onboard at launch.

According to our industry checks, the device should be called iPhone 4S and include minor cosmetic changes, better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support [...] As for LTE, he says the Qualcomm LTE chipset Apple would have used “is currently not achieving yields sufficient for inclusion in the iPhone 5.”

But he also says that “industry checks indicate Apple will likely announce Sprint, T-Mobile, and China Mobile as new carriers.”

Adding China Mobile would further propel Apple’s presence in the Chinese smartphone market. Rumors of the ‘iPhone 4S’ name picked up last month when some developers were reportedly receiving beefed up iPhone 4 units for testing purposes.

Expectations that the next iPhone will be released in September have been mounting, but Apple could always have a surprise up their sleeve at WWDC in June.

What are your thoughts?

[Forbes]

Are you switching to the Verizon iPhone and if so what smartphone or feature phone are you switching from? We know some AT&T iPhone users are making the big switch as are some Verizon BlackBerry and Android/Droid users but also a lot of feature phone users might be making the smartphone plunge for the first time. (Bye bye flip phone!)

Let us know where you’re coming from in the poll above and tell us your story in the comment below!

During the Verizon iPhone announcement today Apple COO Tim Cook revealed that their deal was multi-year but NOT exclusive. So that means there’s no contractual reason we couldn’t see a Sprint iPhone (or even T-Mobile?) but is there the will to get it done?

Do you want an iPhone on Sprint?

If you still haven’t purchased an iPad for yourself or a loved on for this holiday season Best Buy is making it a little bit more enticing by offering iPad buyers a free Mi-Fi from your choice of AT&T, Sprint or Verizon. Of course you will have to sign up for a 2 year commitment for the data to use with the Mi-Fi from either of the three companies but if you wanted data anyways why not get the free Mi-Fi to start it off with!

If you remember Verizon has been selling the iPad + Mi-Fi bundle since October and the 16GB iPad with Mi-Fi starts at $629.99 from them. From Best Buy you will get the same package for $499. No matter what retailer you go through for a bundle like this having a data contract is standard so with the holiday season it seems like a great idea to hit up Best Buy for your bundle and save yourself $130 which you could then use on iPad accessories over at the TiPb Accessory Store! [Cheap plug!]

If you end up getting this bundle let us know how it works out for you in our comments section.

[ 9To5 Mac ]

We have all heard the rumors of the iPhone going to Verizon in early 2011 but today we are hearing word from Analyst Shaw Wu with Kaufman Bros., that Verizon is not only interested in obtaining Apple’s widely popular iPhone but they may be willing to pay a price to keep it out of the hands of Sprint and T-Mobile.

We are hearing that (Verizon) does not want iPhone, the hottest selling smartphone, available on T-Mobile USA and/or Sprint and may be willing to pay for exclusivity to itself and AT&T,” Wu wrote. “For these reasons, (Verizon) could be more willing to give in to Apple’s terms.

Wu also told investors that Google’s Android operating system has begun to lose some of its luster with Verizon and gaining a device like the iPhone could greatly increase subscribers on their network.

If true it seems as if it just creates the same situation we are in now in the U.S. except we will have one other option. What do you think about Verizon possibly being willing to pay to keep the iPhone off of the Sprint and T-Mobile networks?

[ AppleInsider ]

The ZTE Peel is launching on Sprint’s Now Network on November 14th, priced at $79.99 and comes with a 1GB data allotment for $30 per month. The Peel allows your iPod touch to connect to Sprint’s data network via WiFi. BGR reports:

On Friday, we told you about a rumor we were hearing surrounding the release-date and pricing for Sprint’s ZTE Peel; the iPod touch case that provides 3G internet access. Today, we’ve got cold hard evidence to confirm our previous scoop.

Something curious we noticed was how little data you’d actually be getting for $30 — at just 1GB with $.05 per megabyte overage charges — because when you figure in that you can have up to 2 connected devices and VoIP ability, you’ll most likely find that limit being exceeded very quickly if you aren’t monitoring your usage. At least it’s month-to-month.

Something else we thought funny was that this doesn’t support the latest 4th generation iPod Touch. Curious, indeed.

Any readers planning on shelling out that kind of cash just to ensure your iPod Touch has a constant connection? Let us know in the comments below!

[BGR]

Credit Suisse has run a survey asking, if AT&T lost iPhone exclusivity, would users switch to another carrier like Verizon. 23% said they would go to Verizon while 3% would go to Sprint and 2% to T-Mobile.

When TiPb ran a Verizon-only switching poll, 34% of our readers said they’d make the switch in a heartbeat, while 20% said they were AT&T for life, and the said it would depend on the plans and rates.

We’ll only know for certain when and if iPhone goes non-exclusive in the US, but that’s got to happen at some point, right? The only question is whether or not it happens before a white iPhone 4 ships, or the Beatles hit iTunes…

[Business Insider]

Digitimes is once again baiting links with CDMA (read Verizon) rumors, this time hot on the heels of the all new iPhone 4:

Pegatron [Technology] will also start shipping a CDMA version of the iPhone 4 to Apple in the fourth quarter and is currently using its plants in Shanghai, China to produce the products, the sources noted. The company is also working on gaining orders for MacBooks and iPads from Apple, added the sources.

This comes just in advance of June 24 Taiwan Stock Exchange listing, so forgive me if I take it with a huge grain of salt.

Again, there’s certainly a CMDA iPhone 4 in the Cupertino labs, but AT&T exclusivity has to run out and Verizon has to give up control to Apple and make the deal — which means it could happen at any time, or in a long time. And again, we expect it — and will believe it — only when Apple announces it. Same goes for iPhone 4 on Sprint, or Chinese CDMA.

Have to ask the question, though — if a Verizon iPhone 4 does land in 2010, who’ll be less happy, people with poor service who just re-upped with AT&T or people who gave up on iPhone and just bought Droid 2/Droid X?

We now return you to your regularly scheduled GSM/UTMS day…

[Digitimes]

Phil Nickinson over at Android Central has just posted a full review of the Sprint HTC Evo 4G, which he’s billing as the baddest Android on the planet. Big screen, front facing video call camera, brand new OS in the pipeline, it’s not hard to see that this will be Sprint’s answer to the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G (unless and until they’re able to offer the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G on Sprint — just sayin’).

It’s at the top of the Android smartphone pile, for the moment. That’s not to say that phones like the HTC Incredible and Nexus One (and very possibly the Samsung Galaxy S) aren’t right up there. But the screen size, 4G data and promise of an upgrade to Android 2.2 make the Sprint Evo 4G the phone to beat, and it may well hold that title through the end of 2010.

Check out the galleries, the videos, and all the words holding them together and then come back and let us know what you think about the Sprint HTC Evo 4G — is it the right handset, on the right network, at the right time, to give the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G a run for your money?

From the Forums is a great way to see all of the hot topics in our iPhone and iPad forums. In order to create a new thread of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is a simple process that will only take a few minutes out of your day, so if you have not already already done so, head on over and register now!

• TiPb’s curious — how do you use the iPhone for your job? Participate in this thread for your chance to win a iTunes gift card!

• So the latest carrier rumor is that iPhone will be available on the Sprint network, what are your thoughts on this?

• iPhone HD/iPhone 4G pricing… let us know what you think the price points will be!

• Want to discuss all of the latest jailbreak apps that’s available? Found a new app you’d like to share? This is the place to do it – Jailbreak Apps, Games, and Themes.

See you in the forums!

With the iPhone HD/iPhone 4G just around the corner and all the talk about AT&T finally losing exclusivity, it only stands to reason rumors of Sprint getting the device would also start to grow louder.

Just like with Verizon and even T-Mobile’s funky GSM bands, we’re sure Apple could technologically do it, but whether or not they could come to financial terms — and more important when is less predictable. Sprint isn’t doing as well as Verizon or AT&T, however, so they might be far more open to the type of control Apple would insist upon to get the deal done.

If it does happen, count us among those who think a WWDC 2010 announcement is less likely, with AT&T getting a short period of exclusivity with Apple’s 4th generation iPhone, and other US carriers coming online in the fall, red, yellow, and perhaps even magenta all.

And if not, hey, Sprint’s still got that commercial to tide them over.

[MacRumors]

Sprint is making the case for an iPad 4G — literally, in leather with pockets for both an iPad Wi-Fi and an Overdrive (think MiFi but with WiMax speed).

The 4G Case has a pocket to house an Overdrive3G/4G Mobile Hotspot, so you can simultaneously connect your iPad™ and four more Wi-Fi enabled devices at 4G speeds anywhere within 4G coverage areas. Meaning now you can use your iPad™ for everything it was built for, and then some.

You can hook up to 5 devices to the Overdrive, and Sprint’s already suggested your iPhone be one of them. That leaves room for an iPod touch… and we guess your friends’ iPhone and iPad as well!

Any takers?

[Electronista via TUAW]

While Apple will almost certainly release a 4th generation iPhone this June or July, it won’t be an iPhone 4G because 4G LTE networks in the US won’t be up and running in significant enough quantities until 2011 or 2012 but Sprint is slowly rolling out a competing 4G WiMax network and has just announced a competing uber-phone to go with it — the Android 2.1 powered, Sense UI shellacked HTC EVO 4G.

Our buddy Phil Nickinson from Android Central is on the ground at CTIA 2010 and bringing us back the full Sprint EVO 4G video and hands on, but suffice it to say, once again HTC is just showing off. The specs are obscene. Total. Gadget. Porn.

First and foremost, the thing is a beast. A 4.3-inch LED touchscreen — same as the HD2 — and the same 1GHz Snapdragon processor. A gigabyte of ROM and 512 of RAM round out what’s under the hood.

Like taking pictures? There’s an 8-megapixel camera and dual flashes — for sheer candle power — to take care of that. Wanna record moving pictures in 720p? No sweat. Plus, there’s a basic 1.3MP camera on the front of the phone — pretty much a first for a U.S. carrier-sanctioned device. Now you just have to have apps that support it.

Of course, if you record in HD, you might as well have HD playback, right? And for that, there’s a mini-HDMI port, so you can go straight from the Evo 4G to an HD television. There’s a cute little kickstand, too, which makes the Evo 4G great for watching movies.

Now Steve Jobs is rumored to have said the iPhone G4 (not iPhone 4G!) will be an A+ upgrade, but what does that mean? Will the lack of 4G networking hurt them? We doubt it. Will less-than-EVO specs?

Apple has repeatedly said they believe software — not hardware — is their key advantage, so will they even try to match specs with HTC or are they hoping iPhone 4.0 (with its rumored multitasking) will be enough to stay ahead of even beefier handsets?

We know Apple has to bring it in 2010, but the bar for that bring might just have been raised again. Take a gander at the new king of iPhone competition (for this month at least) and let us know what you think!

Sprint now joins Verizon in taking jabs at AT&T’s network and the iPhone, offering an “iPhone 4G” in their latest TV spot via their Overdrive WiMax hotspot (think 4G MiFi).

Sprint claims the best solution to AT&T’s supposedly slow 3G speed is not the next generation of iPhone (which won’t be called the iPhone 4G due to LTE networks not being deployed for a year or two yet), but rather your current iPhone connected via WiFi to their beefed up 4G WiMax network.

So, with Verizon targeting the iPad via MiFi and now Sprint going after the iPhone via WiMax (when they could be focusing on their own devices like the Droid and the Palm Pre) are they hoping to prop up the modem business by surrendering device mindshare to Apple?

Thing is, last we checked AT&T has the fastest 3G data speeds available on any US carrier and that’s good enough for us. But for those unfortunate souls out there with less than desirable AT&T service is this something that you would ever be interested in? And if you’re already tethering your iPhone to a Sprint Overdrive, what kind of speeds are you getting?

Watch the ad after the break!

[Via BGR]

YouTube link

From the Forums is a great way to see what all of the current hot topics are on the TiPb forums. In order to create any new threads of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is a simple process that will only take a few minutes out of your day, so if you have not already already done so, head on over and register now!

• Yes, more iPad talk here. Does anyone really believe we will see iPhone sales slump because of the release of this new Apple creation? Let us know what you think!
• The iPad may not be for you but that doesn’t mean others will not have a ton of practical uses for the device. What are some practical uses for iPad for you?
• Every iPhone needs some accessories, so why not visit our forum dedicated to everything iPhone accessory related: All iPhone Accessories
• The iPhone on Sprint, highly unlikely we will see that happen anytime in the near future but stranger things have occurred. Do you think we will ever see that day a iPhone is on the Sprint network?

See you on the forums!

Can you run an iPhone without an AT&T voice or data contract, and could a Verizon (or Sprint) MiFi be used instead (insert iPhone on Verizon! humor here). That’s what TiPb reader Angie wants to know:

Can you use an iPhone with wifi? like I have Verizon MiFi and cannot afford the AT&T data cost for the iPhone.

TiPb answers after the break!

For those unfamiliar, MiFi is an EVDO modem and WiFi router all-in-one. So, you can use it to connect to Verizon or Sprint’s 3G network, and share that connection with several WiFi enabled devices. For geeks, they’re pretty much little pocket-sized miracles.

So, you could run all the basic iPhone internet functions by connecting to your MiFi over WiFi, including surfing the web, checking email, downloading music and video from iTunes, and of course getting and using App Store apps. About the only thing you wouldn’t be able to use is the Phone and SMS/MMS. However, VoIP apps like Skype could mitigate the phone part — our good friend Matt Miller from NokiaExperts.com has been Skype’ing away on his N900 via MiFi and enjoying it. Likewise, IM or faux-SMS apps, of which there are tons and tons in the App Store, could make messaging livable as well. WebApps like Google Voice if that’s how you roll, can get around SMS as well.

It won’t be perfect — you’ll have to set up your MiFi and wait for your iPhone to connect, and incoming calls would be a hassle since VoIP won’t run in the background on a stock iPhone, but it’s the closest anyone can come to an iPhone on Verizon, or iPhone on Sprint these days.

Now, if you Jailbreak your iPhone, then GV Mobile (Google Voice), Backgrounder-enabled Skype, and many other options become available.

If anyone else has tried running their iPhone off of a Mifi on Verizon and/or Sprint, please add a comment below and let Angie know how it worked for you.

Is AT&T to blame for the poor iPhone experience in cities like San Francisco and New York, where calls drop, data fails, and bars depict signal strength with no real connection behind them? And if so, what can they do about it — build more network infrastructure, create tiered pricing, or maybe just give up on exclusivity?

Dan Lyons, writing under his nom-de-guerre Fake Steve Jobs recently posted a curse-filled parody, describing an entirely fictional, frighteningly plausible conversation between his character and an equally fake AT&T CEO, Randall Stephenson. It’s climax:

And now here we are. Right here in your own backyard, an American company creates a brilliant phone, and that company hands it to you, and gives you an exclusive deal to carry it — and all you guys can do is complain about how much people want to use it. You, Randall Stephenson, and your lazy stupid company — you are the problem. You are what’s wrong with this country.

I stopped, then. There was nothing on the line. Silence. I said, Randall? He goes, Yeah, I’m here. I said, Does any of that make sense? He says, Yeah, but we’re still not going to do it. See, when you run the numbers what you find is that we’re actually better off running a shitty network than making the investment to build a good one. It’s just numbers, Steve. You can’t charge enough to get a return on the investment.

AT&T has made billions in profit off of its user base (and off the iPhone!) and many of those users think it would behoove AT&T to take a large portion of those profits and re-invest them in expanding and improving their network. AT&T claims they’re doing just that, especially in high iPhone-density cities like San Francisco (now getting the 850Mhz band) and Dallas (upgrade to 7.2Mb HSPA). And as Fake Steve so deliciously skewered, AT&T Mobile CEO, Ralph de la Vaga has unfathomably discussed stopping users from using their devices under the “unlimited” data plans AT&T markets to them.

But is the problem really AT&T?

The New York Times recently ran an article claiming AT&T had a great network despite consumer dissatisfaction… a great network for every other phone other than the iPhone. Of course, few other data-centric phones are as numerous as the iPhone, and none are as easy to use, or have as many users using as many data-centric features. Not to mention other carriers, such as Rogers in Canada and GSM networks across Europe don’t seem to report the sheer number of problems AT&T users do. (We also remember with horror what happened when CrackBerry.com‘s Kevin took his just-release Rogers BlackBerry Bold to New York.) Perhaps it’s the unique combination of AT&T’s specific network setup and Apple’s iPhone radios.

Either way, the perception problem is entirely AT&Ts at the moment and even with new customer-facing strategies like “Mark the Spot“, an app that lets iPhone users report problem areas, it’s not likely to change any time soon.

So let’s say AT&T does invest billions in infrastructure — more fast 3G HSPA bars in more places. It’s the right and logical things to do, and the thing Fake Steve absolutely nails AT&T for being too greedy to go about doing. The end result of that could be higher user satisfaction — and where do that lead?

Many suffer poor AT&T service just to own an iPhone. If they didn’t have to suffer any more, if AT&T’s network was considered as vast and solid as Verizon’s, how many more might jump on it? Could even a greatly enhanced and expanded AT&T handle 10 million more people getting iPhones and using even more data, requiring billions more to keep up, and who knows how much to actually get ahead of demand?

AT&T’s stick to go along with their network expansion carrot is, of course, capped data and tiered pricing. 3% of users “watching video” (or unofficially tethering, perhaps), using 40% of network resources. (And again, AT&T sold their bill of goods as “unlimited” so it’s hard to sympathize). But even capping, throttling, and/or tiering those 3%-ers won’t stop the millions of other hitting AT&T’s towers over and over again like high volume machine-gun fire. It’s not tenable. (Unless they’re willing to accept their destiny and become “dumb pipes“, then we’ll talk).

So that leaves moving the iPhone out of AT&T exclusivity and onto other US networks. It’s happened in the UK and Canada.

AT&T acknowledges it will happen eventually. The date is unknown to anyone outside the contract-signers, but exclusivity is generally pegged to end in 2010 — perhaps the end of 2010.

It won’t be an easy transition — T-Mobile uses a different frequency for their 3G bands and Verzion and Sprint use an entirely different radio technology. (Yes, even if Apple sold the iPhone 3GS unlocked, for use on any carrier, the only US carrier that whose 3G network is compatible right now is AT&T). That means, even with Verizon being interested, Apple would have to add T-Mobile’s bands, perhaps switch to an entirely new, GSM/CDMA hybrid radio so that it can reach America’s three other networks. A non-trivial solution to say the least, but perhaps a necessary one now.

If volumes keeps growing, even Verizon couldn’t handle the iPhone by itself either. Just like new highways ease traffic congestion, letting the iPhone speed along several carriers might just make it better for everyone involved — including AT&T.

If anyone can do it, Apple can. If not, Google might just be waiting in the wings…

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse was put on Charlie Rose’s hot seat and asked the pointed question: “Is the Palm Pre making a dent into the iPhone market?”

Hesse’s response?

Aaah… 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.

Gizmodo figured they’d remind Hesse that it was, in fact, the same category and that Apple needs competition (the consumer needs competition). Engadget thinks it was a duly respectful and tactful acknowledgement of the iPhone’s success.

We think it’s nice to hear a wireless CEO who’s not so bombastic and, frankly, disconnected as most of them seem to be, as evident by Hesse’s answers on Android, Nextel, the price of touchscreen handsets, and battery life as an impediment to smartphone growth.

It’s official — the HTC Hero, currently the most drool-inducing handset the Android platform has to offer, hits Sprint October 11. Sibling site AndroidCentral has all the details, and PreCentral.net has the concern that Spring might be loving the Palm Pre just a tad less when the droid everyone’s looking for hits the Now (and then) Network.

So how competitive will the Sense UI on Sprint at $179.99 be with the iPhone 3GS on AT&T at $199? (We’ll leave the iPhone 3G at $99 off the table for now). As functionality gets closer and closer, Android apps picks up, and ease of use improves, it will likely be the network that’s the deciding factor — who gets more bars in the most places they need to be. [Note: the video above shows the Sense UI, but the form factor above is the original Hero, not Sprint' chinless version]

Oh, oh…

Jokes aside, we’ve seen Nokia N900 upping their UI game, and Microsoft Windows Mobile 6.5 distressingly still not, should Apple be most worried about the increasingly competitive Google and its increasing army of droideka?

Or is this really — and mostly — just a problem for Palm right? Apple’s enemy’s enemy’s carrier enemy is… what now?

Confession: we secretly hope the Palm Pre does very well. Not because we want one ourselves — we’re pretty happy with the iPhone round here — but because we want Apple and AT&T to think we want one so they continue to drive up innovation and drive down costs respectively. Competition is, was, and will forever be a Good Thing.

Case in point: we’ve heard rumors about Apple pressuring AT&T to lower data rates and/or offer lower price points for capped service. Wall Street Journal takes these rumors and shows why competitive pressure may be at the root of them with a little side-by-side comparison to the impending Palm Pre/Sprint rates. Neatly summarized:

So essentially, iPhone users have to pay $150 a month to match what Sprint will offer Pre users for $100

Hey, if Palm can get Apple to get AT&T to knock 33% off the monthly bill, more power to them (and money to us!)

[Thanks to the Reptile for the tip and @CRA1G for melting our hearts -- a little!]

Ouch. Seems Samsung and Sprint tried to bring an Instinct to an iPhone fight. At least that’s how venerable Wall Street Journal columnist and “D” All Things Digital tech yoda Walt Mossberg made it sound in his iClonic “review” (to be fair, the still unreleased iPhone 3G gets more attention — and love — than the unfortunately release-timed Instinct).

How does Mossberg sum up his feelings, some several paragraphs and umpteen iPhone mentions, references, and comparisons down?

If you’re a devoted Sprint customer, or want to avoid AT&T, the Instinct is an OK choice. But it’s no iPhone.

Read

Not evil twin to Phone Different Week in Review, not an invasion by Fake Steve, This Week in Smart Phone Schadenfreude brings you all the feel-better news you need about the smartphone world outside Apple’s current media dominator. (Who knew there was such a world? We were just as surprised! Inelegant, interface challenged, keyboardy, crashy, single-touchy place — best not to linger…). Join us as we mock review the big news from last week at our sister sites. Everybody loves sibling rivalry!

WinMob on ur Blackberryz

No, Crackberrians, no need to have an OS attack. Ballmer isn’t threatening to unleash his BSOD’d “platform” on the Javaware that passes to power your little e-mail monster (yet). Our bad. Maybe we should have titled this “WMExperts on the Blackberry Bold”, or maybe just “Hawt or Not?” instead?

Anyway, seems WMExperts.com had this to title about the first-to-market iClone job from RIM:

Alright, the BlackBerry 9000 is Hawt

Think of It as an iPhone With a Broken Touchscreen

Blackberryz in ur iTunez

Sadly, this title is accurate. First RIM announces a $150 million development fund for “all mobile platforms” (read “iPhone”, since pretty much every other platform has had development going for years now and should already be a huge success, right?). Then, flabbergast-ingly enough, RIM — incapable of, you know, actually engineering their own way to effortlessly sync media to the Blackberry even with $150 million to throw at it — has decided to use Apple’s. So far there are no reports of RIM actually licensing iTunes connectivity from Apple, like… say… Apple just licensed Exchange ActiveSync connectivity from Microsoft.

Oksy, so let’s get this straight. First, RIM says they’ll give to the iPhone whether Apple likes it — or needs it — or not, and now they’ll take. Fiendishly clever, Lazaridis. Or it would be if you were a 12 year old 133t Hax0r in your parents’ basement, and not the CEO of the (technically) dominant smartphone maker in the world.

Hey RIM, how’d you like it if Ballmer monkey-boy danced his way into your NOC?

Epic kludge.

State of the WinMob — A Microsoft Mulligan?

Microsoft pundit and Apple-baiter extraordinaire, Paul Thurrott gave an(other) impromptu State of Windows Mobile speech on last week’s Windows Weekly:

You know, Windows Mobile is horrible. [...] It’s horrible. Horrible. [...] Don’t even get me started, we don’t have time. I… I… Windows Mobile is a disaster. [...]

[Is Windows 6.1 better?] Better than what? Yeah, it’s better than 5. But so what? This thing has the latest, 6.1 or whatever, the phone I’m using now. God, what a… it’s terrible. It’s terrible. They should be ashamed of themselves. They’ve had this thing… I don’t.. God, it’s embarrassing.

And, you know, I stuck around and I had the motorola Q for along time which I stuck with because of the high speed network and the fact that I could tether it to my laptop and use it as a high speed modem for my laptop. That’s great. I miss that. I’m going to tell you, though, the Windows Mobile stuff.. geez… It’s like going back.. Oh, god, it makes Windows 95 look futuristic by comparison.

[Is it challenging getting an OS onto mobiles?] Okay, Apple did something pretty impressive.

[The iPhone doesn't have cut and paste.] I hear ya, I’m just saying, you know, from a usability standpoint — night and day. [...] This thing is a piece of crap. They should completely start over. It’s horrible. It’s a complete waste of time. They should just pretend this never happened. This is.. it’s… it is the mulligan. They should just start over. Nobody uses the thing anyway. It’s just ridiculous.

[Treo 700w, HTC, and people love Sprint handsets...] I wouldn’t say love. Remember what they love about these devices are the form factors. The keyboards and, you know… You’re not going to find too many people who… I… I shouldn’t say that because, of course… [...]

You know what, look, I hear from Apple guys obviously. At least that I get. I mean, I could have my arguments with these people but at least Apple makes high quality stuff so we can arg–we can nitpick over whatever we want.

If someone is actually going to come to me and explain that Windows Mobile is not, in fact, a piece of crap, I’m sorry, I don’t entertain lunacy. This… This thing is ridiculous.

No, it’s terrible. No, it’s not even like a debate, it’s terrible. There’s no — you know what I’m saying — we can debate things. We can’t debate this.

[...] It’s terrible.

There’s nothing there. And this from a man who likes the Zune…

Yowza.

Palm’s 800th Verse — Same as the First!

Okay, even we have to admit it: the upcoming 800w is the Palm device we always wanted…

Back in 2005 when it should have shipped.

It takes until now to get WiFi? Now? Really? And still not on Palm OS “Granite”, but on Windows Mobile 6.1, which even HTC is desperately trying to hide like a Remond-headed stepchild?

Treocentral.com has the first “spy” pics, but honestly, who can tell if that’s even an 800w and not a 680 or even a 600 with a clever case and antenna mod?

And word to the “shadowmite”, how about obscuring the serial number on the proto and, hey, your reflection on the screen, so, you know, Colligan doesn’t have the hounds unleashed next time he spots you sneaking into the antiquities wing of Palm HQ, b’okay?

Definitions of Nova

nova |ˈnōvə|
noun ( pl. -vae |-vē; -ˌvī| or -vas ) Astronomy
a star showing a sudden large increase in brightness and then slowly returning to its original state over a few months.

Do they pick these code names just so these columns write themselves? Seriously. Nothing says next generation, second coming, return to dominance like something that explodes, kills all life, only to end up an infinitely sucking mass of dark matter.

On the other hand, since it won’t ship until first half 2009 at the earliest — by which time iPhone 3.0 will be on its way, and maybe a new, non-iClony Blackberry revolution (we dare to dream!) as well — perhaps Colligan and Co. really are code name picking geniuses?

And In No Other News…

We already covered how Sprint is spending wasting $150 million advertising dollars just to make the brand new Samsung Instinct pale in copy-catastrophe next to the last gen iPhone, but in an effort to be more helpful than hurtful, here’s some advice:

Just spend the money giving the devices away to your few remaining customers. You’ll move far more units than if you try and sell them, and maybe even engender a few more months of gratitude usage.

Wow, being nice really is its own reward…

Either Gizmodo is pulling a CES-TV-Blackout caliber gag, or Sprint has done lost their iCloning minds:

Starting May 9th, Sprint will begin a massive, $100 million marketing campaign aimed straight at the iPhone’s nether regions. Stacking its 3G Instinct against the iPhone, Sprint hopes to show that EVDO and GPS make their product way better than anything coming out of Cupertino.

Wha-wha-wha-what?!

What will $100 million buy the Samsung Instinct? Ads. Ads that compare them spec-for-spec with last year’s iPhone…

Daring Fireball’s John Gruber sums it up well:

[I]t boggles the mind that Sprint is hanging a $100 million dollar advertising campaign on two features — GPS and EVDO networking — that the iPhone is widely-rumored to be picking up in its next-generation hardware. Worse, side-by-side, even in commercials commissioned by Sprint, the Instinct looks like crap next to an iPhone — the screen is way smaller and way less bright. What’s clear is that Sprint is run by MBA-trained executives who see everything as a general “business” problem. In their minds, the same things apply to selling phones as toothpaste. How about this idea: Take $100 million and use it to design a better phone?

What do you think?