We had just gotten official word on the iPad 2 release for Verizon and now we hear from rival carrier AT&T. Not only have pricing plans for the iPad 2 been announced, but also pricing on the new hotspot option for the iPhone 4. Like their competitor Verizon, AT&T plans to start selling the iPad 2 in its retail stores at the same time the device goes on sale at Apple Stores starting right at 5 p.m. local time on Friday.
AT&T has confirmed that it will begin supporting the Personal Hotspot feature with the launch of iOS 4.3 on March 11. Users who have the $25 a month DataPro plan which allows for 2 GB of usage, plus the $20 a month tethering add-on will get the update automatically when the update pushes out on the 11th. Users with earlier versions of the iPhone will not be able to use the feature. Verizon's iPhone shipped with the feature, so AT&T has been quick to offer it as well.
Skype just announced at MWC 2011 that it has expanded its Skype Access coverage to over 500,000 hotspots. The Skype Access service was introduced back in January 2009 and provides pay-per-minute access to WiFi hotspots around the world. With this service, users can take advantage of Wi-Fi hotspots without having to pay by the day or by the hour, and can conveniently pay only as much as they use with their Skype Credit.
Sierra Wireless has announced a pair of new WiFi hotspots at MWC 2011 in Barcelona. The two new hotspots are the AirCard 753S and the 754S. Both of the devices are about the size of a deck of cards and are made to be lightweight for portability. The hotspots are easy to use and allow the user to connect in under a minute.
The competition between AT&T and Verizon over the iPhone has already lead to a benefit for users. Yesterday we reported on an accidental leak by David Pogue in a NYT review. He spilled that AT&T's iPhone would get tethering to match Verizon's on February 13. While AT&T hasn't addressed that rumor, they did confirm that WiFi tethering was in the future.
Altruism in the hotspot space? Certainly seems that way this morning, with carrier O2 announcing O2 WiFi, a public hotspot service that will offer free connectivity in venues across the UK no matter what cellphone or broadband provider you're using. There won't be national coverage to begin with, of course, but O2 is targeting "at least double" BT Openzone and The Cloud's premium hotspots combined by 2013.
More news begins to get confirmed as Verizon’s iPhone 4 release date inches closer. Earlier in the day Verizon Wireless’ Executive Director of Corporate Communications Brenda Raney confirmed that Verizon’s iPhone hotspot ability will cost customers an additional $20 on top of their monthly data plans.
Sprint’s push into 4G is very apparent for the 2011 calendar year. Their ultra-fast network is being utilized by devices such as the EVO and in 2011 we will see not only the EVO Shift 4G but also the new 3G/4G MiFi by Novatel Wireless.
European users of the iPhone and iPad have a new method of getting TV programs on the iPhone or iPad using a new hotspot from equinox. The TV hotspot is the first in Europe and delivers digital TV in DVB-T/DTT/TNT formats directly to the Apple devices using WiFi.
Verizon made headlines along with Apple earlier on today by announcing the iPad - together with a MiFi - would be arriving in the carrier’s stores on October 28th, but it's another of the operator's mobile hotspots that has landed on the SlashGear bench today. The Verizon FiveSpot is a battery powered modem capable, like other mobile hotspots we've seen, of sharing that one connection with a number of WiFi-connected clients, like notebooks, PMPs or, yes, Apple's iPad. First impressions and more after the cut.
Wireless hotspots are relatively commonplace these days, billed as straightforward ways to get all your WiFi devices online without paying a cellular modem subscription for each. The Clear iSpot, then, is an odd fish: while it's capable of supporting up to eight WiFi clients simultaneously, they're all meant to be Apple mobile devices like the iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. Have one of those and you can be enjoying 4G speeds for a bargain monthly fee; anything else and - officially - you're out of luck. Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.
We're big fans of portable 3G hotspots here at SlashGear, and Huawei's new E585 follows in the footprints of the Sprint Overdrive by adding a compact display to the pocket-sized WiFi router. Headed to UK network Three in early July 2010, the E585 can share a 3G connection with up to five WiFi clients - such as your iPad, for instance - with the monochrome OLED display showing network and battery status together with how much mobile data has been used.