It’ll be a little while before AT&T’s LTE rollout is in full swing — but if you’re the kind of individual that enjoys some margin of future-proofing, you’ll want to take a close look at the just-announced USBConnect Adrenaline modem for AT&T, an LG-sourced unit that becomes the carrier’s very first device to tout LTE upgradeability in 2011. In the meantime, you get HSPA, a microSD slot with support for up to 32GB, and GPS; it runs $49.99 on contract. Next up, Sierra Wireless’ USBConnect Shockwave is AT&T’s first HSPA+ modem, meaning it’ll work nicely on AT&T’s upcoming HSPA+ upgrade — an upgrade that’ll have a more immediate impact in some areas than LTE will; this one goes for a nice, fat zilch on contract. Finally, the Huawei USBConnect 900 is AT&T’s first Huawei device (notice a lot of firsts here?), and it’ll be “compatible” with AT&T’s prepaid DataConnect Pass plans of $15, $30, and $50 for 100MB, 300MB and 1GB, respectively. Look for the Adrenaline and 900 in stores on October 17; the Shockwave hasn’t been dated just yet. Follow the break for AT&T’s full press release.
Remember that cute-as-a-button 3G / 4G dual-mode WWAN stick that Clearwire outed a few days back? That little guy just made its way over to the Sprint side of things, giving folks yet another option when it comes time to pull the trigger on a device to get you onto the WiMAX superhighway. The Sierra Wireless-built 250U is available now through Business Direct and Business Solutions Partners followed by full channel availability by mid-July, with this bugger being the first in Sprint’s arsenal to offer native dual-mode support in OS X as well as twin antenna ports. Naturally, Windows machines are also compatible, and the minuscule design sure makes it more attractive than those prone-to-snapping alternatives. It’s available for precisely nothing so long as you sign a two-year data plan.
Lookin’ for yet another avenue to hop on the 4G superhighway? Fret not, as Clearwire has just doled out a trio of new products intended to help you do just that. Prior to today, you had only a smattering of options to actually tap into Clear’s WiMAX network, but the Clear Spot 4G (WiMAX only), Clear Spot 4G+ (dual-mode with 3G / 4G support) and Clear 4G+ Mobile USB stick have all arrived to give choosy moms more choices. The prior two are simply mobile broadband hotspots (think MiFi, but for 4G), with the 4G+ offering support for Sprint’s 3G network if you happen to leave one of those few WiMAX zones already lit. The USB stick is particularly interesting, as it’s the first dual-mode device hawked by Clear that’s fully compatible with Apple OS X. The Clear Spot 4G will be made by InfoMark and available to purchase for $99.99 next month; those who hate committing can also lease one for $4.99 per month. The Sierra Wireless-built Spot 4G+ (a rebadged Overdrive; shown left) demands a hefty premium for that 3G support, with an MSRP of $224.99 (or least for $5.99 per month) and a similar July ship date. The 4G+ Mobile USB stick (shown right) will support OS X 10.5.x and 10.6.x (along with Windows, of course), and can be snapped up today for $114.99 or leased monthly for $5.99. Head on past the break if you’re thirsty for more.
Talk about being flexible. Sierra Wireless‘ newest 7.2Mbps-capable AirCard (the 890, if you’re curious) obviously isn’t content with fitting into just one slot. Rather than forcing users to choose between compatibility with PCMCIA (PC Card) or ExpressCard, this particular WWAN card actually fits into both… but not at the same time, naturally. It’s the first DataConnect card on AT&T’s network to boast a 2-in-1 form factor, and moreover, it touts integrated GPS functionality for use with location-based services. ‘Course, you won’t be using one of these with your shiny new 15-inch MacBook Pro (smart move on that SD-for-ExpressCard swap, Steve-o), but everyone else can procure one starting May 5th for $49.99 after mail-in rebate and a new two-year DataConnect contract of at least $35 a month.
Your existing iPhone (yeah, even the original) can surf the information superhighway at 4G speeds. Today. Who knew, right? Sprint’s Overdrive — which creates a WiFi hotspot that enables nearby devices to cruise on Clear’s 4G (or 3G, if you’re not in a 4G locale) network — can theoretically enable any WiFi-capable phone to surf on WiMAX, but Sprint’s taking a pretty bold approach by actually touting the feature in a new spot. Befuddled? Hop on past the break and mash play. Too bad this is about as close the iPhone will ever get to Sprint’s shelves…
If you were worried that packing WiMAX into a MiFi-like device would end up bloating it by a thousand percent, we’re very happy to report that you’d be wrong. The Overdrive’s only marginally bigger than a MiFi and takes on a diamond-cut square shape (as opposed to the MiFi’s rectangle) while adding a monochrome LCD up front that can be triggered on by touching (but not pressing) the power button. Other than that, you’ve got a micro-USB port, a microSD slot… and, well, that’s about it. For something designed to slide into your pocket, we’d have it no other way.
We saw the Sprint Overdrive 3G / 4G mobile hotspot leak out last week, and now it’s official — Sprint just announced it here at CES. It’s pretty much what you’d expect: the Sierra Wireless-built box connects to Sprint’s WiMAX network and shares that connection with up to five devices over WiFi — and if the 4G connection drops, it’ll seamlessly switch to EVDO. You’re looking at $99 after a $50 rebate with a two year $59/mo service agreement when it goes on sale January 10 at Best Buy and Sprint stores. Looks like the MiFi just got shown up, eh?
