Sprint

Video courtesy of HTC

I’ve been giving some thought to retiring my Motorola Droid and its associated Verizon Wireless account. The HTC EVO 3D that will be available through Sprint in the U.S. may push me over the edge on that decision.

HTC EVO 3D

It features a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon processor running Android OS 2.3 (Gingerbread), dual 5 megapixel cameras to capture 3D photographs and a glasses-free lenticular display to view 3D images. It also provides a mobile hotspot feature that lets up to 8 WiFi devices share the EVO 3D’s 3G/4G wireless data connectivity. Sprint’s network in my area provides good coverage and has been very stable.

You can see a brief, and perhaps a bit over-dramatic, visualization of the EVO 3D in the HTC provided video embedded above.

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Earlier today Todd wrote about the new Sprint Nexus S, which is a CDMA version of the T-Mobile GSM Samsung Nexus S currently being sold by Google and Best Buy. The announcement is significant in that it provides both CDMA and GSM versions of Google’s flagship phone. In light of AT&T’s intent to acquire T-Mobile, it appears Sprint is now going to be Google’s prime mobile operator partner.

Google’s apparent new partnership with Sprint goes beyond just the sale of the Nexus S because Sprint is also replacing their current voice mail service with Google Voice. Sprint customers will be able to have their current mobile number be their Google Voice number, which allows calls to that number to ring on multiple phones, such as landline home and work phones. Sprint customers will also be able to make and receive phone calls on their PC using the Gmail voice calling feature that is integrated with Google Voice. Outbound calls will display the Sprint number in Caller ID, and text messages can be sent from Gmail voice calling and will show the Sprint phone number.

Neither Google or Sprint have provided a date for when the new service will be available. Sprint customers can sign-up to receive an e-mail notification for when the service is available. It is also not known when the Sprint Nexus S will be available, but I expect that it will have the Sprint integration built-in, so look for the Nexus S launch to mark the availability date of the Sprint Google Voice service.

Google’s reference platform phones (the Nexus One earlier and the Nexus S available now) have not been available from either of the U.S. CDMA carriers, Sprint or Verizon. And, despite this announcement from Google, it still isn’t available.

Introducing Nexus S 4G for Sprint

Google states that the Nexus S 4G (WiMax) for Sprint will be available this spring. Spring arrived this past Sunday (Mar. 20). So, it could make its retail appearance any day. The big news, of course, is the agreement between Sprint and Google to use Google Voice for all voicemail service (on any phone). Frank McPherson will have more to say about this later today.

As for the Nexus S itself, the only differences between the versions for T-Mobile and Sprint should be three radios for voice, 3G, and 4G.

Sprint’s Overdrive (manufacturered by Sierra Wireless) was the first 3G/4G to WiFi mobile hotspot product. It uses Clear’s WiMAX network to provide 4G access. Sprint announced the follow-up to the Overdrive will be available on March 20 (this coming Sunday).

Overdrive Pro 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot by Sierra Wireless, Exclusively from Sprint, Delivers 4G Speeds to Millions of Wi-Fi Enabled Devices

The Overdrive Pro has a large display than the original Overdrive. It can provide access to Sprint’s 3G and 4G networks to up to 8 WiFi devices. The previous model could support up to 5 connected WiFi devices. The Overdrive Pro starts and shuts down faster than the Overdrive. The Overdrive Pro will cost $49.99 after a $50 mail-in rebate and agreeing to a two-year contract.

Yesterday I reported on AT&T and Verizon free text message and voice call service for their U.S. customers making calls to Japan to contact people affected by last week’s mega-earthquake and the devastating tsunami that followed it.

AT&T & Verizon Offer Free Calls & Texting to Japan: Verizon Makes it Easy. AT&T Makes it Hard. Why AT&T?

Let’s add information about calls to Japan on Sprint’s and T-Mobile’s network to complete the roundup of the big four U.S. national wireless carriers.

Sprint: Sprint Offers Fee Waivers and Credits for Wireless Calls and Texts To and From Japan

Sprint is waiving and/or crediting calls to Japan retroactively to March 11 and will continue to provide free calling and texting until April 10. They also provide some good advice in stating: During times of emergency, it has been shown that text messages may go through when calling capabilities aren’t available and may help free up networks for critical communication between first responders, other emergency personnel and aid workers.

T-Mobile: T-Mobile USA Waives Call Charges to Japan and Wi-Fi Calling and Text Messaging Charges to and From Japan

T-Mobile is also waiving fees for post-paid customeres retroactively to March 11. Their free calling period ends March 31. This applies to both voice calls and text messages.

To summarize: Sprint’s and Verizon’s free calling and texting period to Japan is March 11 throught April 10. AT&T and T-Mobile’s free calling and texting period is from March 11 to March 31. Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon are simply waiving charges. AT&T requires you to call to ask for a wavier after you receive your bill.

It is good to see that all of the big four mobile carriers are trying to do the right thing. It would be nice if AT&T joined the other three in simply waiving the charges instead of making customers who may be under great stress to remember to call them for the waiver.

Here’s a “headscratcher” news item from Bloomberg Businessweek:

Sprint, Deutsche Telekom Said to Discuss T-Mobile USA Merger

Sprint apparently has a thing for merging with firms that use uncompatible networks. Remember their purchase of Nextel back in 2005? The two networks are still not merged. If you walk into a Sprint store, the Sprint CDMA phones are on onside of the floor and the Nextel iDEN are on the other. Sprint stock performance has not been stellar since the merger (see the chart to the left).

The article reports that A tie-up would allow Bonn-based Deutsche Telekom, Europe’s largest phone company, to keep a stake in one of its biggest markets while making it easier to finance investments for a faster next-generation network. But, which network are they talking about? The merged company would have 7 network protocols to deal with: There’s CDMA, iDEN, and GSM on the voice side and EVDO, WiMAX, UMTS and HSPA+ on the data side.

However, with both firms reportedly losing customers to AT&T and Verizon, their merger talks are understandable though the actual technology merger would be a mess.

You can get an iPad 3G which can use AT&T’s 3G network for wireless data. You can also buy a WiFi-only iPad with a Verizon MiFi that can only be used with an iPad. Neither plan requires a contract. Now, there’s a third option:

Best Buy bundling free Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T MiFis with iPads, contract required (9to5Mac.com)

The MiFi (3G to WiFi router) hardware is free. However, a two-year contract is required from one of the carriers (Verizon, Sprint, AT&T). Unlike Verizon’s own plan, the MiFi is not locked to the iPad. This offer is good until January 2, 2011.

Now that the majority of U.S. mobile providers have new, faster, and what they are calling 4G data networks, consumers have choices they can make about which service to use. Of course, the first criteria for picking any wireless service is its availability and reliability in the area where you intend to use the service. Today none of the provider’s 3G data service is available in the entire United States, so it may be a while before the 4G services appear in all areas of the country.

If you live in one of the markets where all of the providers have good coverage, you can then compare features and prices to select a service. Engadget has created a nice table that compares the data services from Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile. The table shows you the claimed max speeds of each network and in how many markets the services are available, along with features like whether there is speed throttling or mobile hotspots (Mifi) and phones available that can use the service. You might want to bookmark the Engadet article to keep as a reference as the marketing of each provider’s service ramps up.

We see, hear, and read a lot about how reliable mobile networks are (AT&T Wireless gets most of this attention). PC World’s annual survey all kinds of things-digital includes a focus on smartphones and mobile carriers (in the U.S.). If you are interested in this, I strongly recommend taking a look at PC World’s survey results and interpretations.

2010 Reliability and Service Survey: Smartphone and Wireless Providers

Here’s quick summary of survey data that I found interesting:

- Best overall smartphone satisfaction: Motorola with Apple in a close second
- Easiest to use smartphone: Apple
- Least overall satisfaction: RIM
- Best carrier customer service: 4-way tie between AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile & Verizon
- Highest carrier satisfaction: Verizon Wireless with T-Mobile following behind
- Least carrier satisfaction: AT&T

Despite the fact that the iPad only works on AT&T’s 3G network and that only Verizon and AT&T are selling the iPad, Sprint CEO Dan Hess says that Sprint is benefiting from Apple’s success with the iPad. According to Hess, sales of Sprint’s Overdrive MiFi wireless access point has increased since Apple started selling the iPad. Apparently a lot of people are buying Sprint’s MiFi, which has the fastest Internet speeds thanks to Sprint’s 4G network, to provide Internet access to the WiFi-only version of the iPad.

Verizon recently started selling the iPad bundled with Verizon’s 3G MiFi and special data plans. Sprint is proving that it doesn’t need to enter into a deal with Apple to benefit from iPad sales presumably because the Overdrive MiFi is better than the ones from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile. Sprint actually was one of the first mobile carriers to jump on the iPad bandwagon when they provided free iPad cases to people who bought the Overdrive at Best Buy back in April. The cases had a special pocket to hold the Overdrive where you could just leave the device and access the Internet on the iPad.