Verizon mentioned that it'd pick up "several Android-based devices" as part of its sweeping
tie-up with Google last week, and we know two of them -- a tweaked version of the HTC
Hero and the unannounced Motorola
Sholes / Tao / Droid -- but what else is in the pipe? Turns out that Verizon's
historically boring Open Development program -- designed to let anyone with a good attitude and some elbow grease gain the know-how to connect a device to Verizon's network -- is about to heat things up by spitting out an Android handset of its own in early 2010, according to
Unstrung. Oh, and the best part? It'll apparently feature WiFi tethering out of the box, a feature carriers are typically loath to support; of course, the whole point of "open development" is that Verizon theoretically shouldn't care what's being developed, so it'll be interesting to see whether the company throws any marketing weight and retail support behind the device or if it'll be left to fight for attention on its own.
[Via
PhoneArena]
posted Oct 13th 2009 2:21AM
JUST GIVE ME THE DROID/SHOLE/TAO PLZZZZ
So why is sprint blocking my mobile network sharing on Hero!
Verizon and open aren't two words you use in the same sentence.
Unless Verizon gets its sh*t together, it won't even be able to open another store
Verizon may be starting to realize that "open" has tremendous advantages:
1. Operator customization/testing/support requires resources ($/time/people). Open devices allow operators to focus their resources on high quality data connectivity, apps & services (REAL revenue).
2. Off-the-shelf devices cost less allowing them to reach lower in the food chain. More smartphones = more data contracts & more app & service sales/subscriptions.
3. Rapid device turnover. New devices generate upgrade fees, contract renewals, etc.
4. Time to market. Open devices can be immediately added to an operator's portfolio.
5. Customer satisfaction. Users get the devices they want & use them the way they want.
Good start Verizon, now just lower the ridiculous price of your service plans then maybe we'll talk.
This is Verizon we are talking about. You don't get anything for free. Once you turn on WI-FI tethering, that will be 30 dollar more a month.
But at least it'll work.
You don't go the a BMW store looking for KIA prices! Verizon hands down the best network There's a price to live nice!
None of this Wi-Fi stuff matters until Verizon allows consumers to sign up for smartphone contracts without being locked into the $30 a month data fee.
hmm... WiFi Tethering, which means that it uses the data plan to emit a WiFi signal (as a router) and share with other PCs. This would be pointless without getting the Data Plan since tethering nothing = nothing.
@Greg N >> "None of this Wi-Fi stuff matters until Verizon allows consumers to sign up for smartphone contracts without being locked into the $30 a month data fee."
On one hand, Verizon is getting $30 extra from every smartphone customer. On the other hand, that's kinda the point of a smartphone.
What good would a smart phone be if it didn't have data everywhere? Are you gonna duck into every coffee shop walking down the street to check your email?
My Blackberry would be a neutered texting phone if it didn't have a data plan.
If you don't want mobile data... why do you want a smartphone? How much of the Android goodness relies on a data connection? A LOT... GMail, calendar syncing, mobile web. So, you *don't* want any of that on an Android phone? What's the point?
You won't be able to find any other smartphone on any other carrier that doesn't have a data plan. You cannot criticize verizon for something that every other carrier does.
why buy a smartphone without data? seems stupid
Isn't Wi-Fi tethering pointless? If my laptop is within Wi-Fi range why would I tether to it?
It's for times when your laptop is out of wifi range. You turn your phone into a Wifi Access Point--3G -> Wifi, not Wifi -> USB
You should have the ability to buy a phone and use some of the more advanced features without being locked into a data plan- similar to the iPod Touch/iPhone.
My entire college campus is wireless. Unless I wanted to check my email in the car on the occasional trip out, why would I need a data plan at all? It's a waste of money.
The iPhone is locked into a data plan. You have proved my point.
Wifi tethering may be pointless to you... But those on the go, business people and people who can actually utilize a technology like this, it seems to me a very useful tool. I don't understand those who knock phone features. If you don't need the feature simply don't use it, or don't buy a phone that has it. I know, you're a critic. Good for you. But be a critic to those who care about your worthless and undeniably pointless points.
Here's to hoping this works!
Verizon talks a good game, but their execution blows.
Remember when they claimed that they were opening up their network to any "compatible" device? Yeah, that worked out well. I can't wait to see the clusterfuck they turn this into.
This is old news. We knew that the Hero and Tao were 2 of the phones coming to Verizon last week when the pictures came out. I'm excited, but I was excited last week when I found out. What's up, Engadget?
This post wasn't merely about Verizon having Android sets; it's about the possibility for tethering them. I think that's pretty exciting news.
Apparently you missed the paragraph below the picture.
HumbleDestroyer: I'm not sure I understand -- this post has nothing to do with the Hero or Tao.
Why are you up right now, Chris?
all things considered: Because there are newses to report.
Is that Eric in the left side?
Yes
Verizawhat?
Lol wtf?
big deal, i've had wifi tethering on my g1 for ages...
But a WiFi tethered connection with 2 bars of EDGE is not a lot of fun to use!
- Proud G1 owner but disappointed by T-Mobile's 3G footprint :(.
Hot products, nikie? Lol hold on guys we have time traveled to 1990!
Banhammer in 3... 2.... 1....
Yay! Now I can get rid of this Versa!
Data is data. Voice, video, music is still a bunch of bits in a stream. There should be just a flat rate for all data to and from a cell phone regardless of the use of the data once it reaches the phone or some other destination. If they could sell this tethering phone and have a flat, let's say $80 unlimited data plan (unlikioted text, voice, whatever), then they would not need contracts since people would stay based upon the price and service.
Nice, now all they need to do is get the Iphone and remove the 5GB monthly cap and were set...:).
@ Michael Scrip
The reason for wanting a smartphone w/o a required data plan is the ability to simply use it as a pda. Essentially, what most people would find that they really want is an iPod Touch that makes calls. that's the phone I want. I don't really need constant email or internet connectivity. I'd prefer to pay for it a la carte.
And don't say they have to require it to offset the price of the phone. Fine. then have a different price if you get it w/o the plan; it'd still be a better deal.
You THINK you want to pay for it ala carte. Until you actually get a bill for it. Verizon's casual data usage is $1.99 per MB. Watch a youtube video, say a five minute trailer for a new movie. Figure out how many MB that uses. Then multiply that bay $1.99. Then do that all month long. Compare that to a flat rate $30 data plan. Which would you prefer to pay? Want an electronic organizer? I think you can get those out of those toy machines with the moving crane. Its not about what you have on your device anymore. Its about connecting with information in "the cloud". That costs money. Using a PDA without internet connection would be like having a phone but instead of making phone calls all you do is use the voice recorder to talk to yourself. Kinda silly, isn't it?
still skeptical of course, but smartphone + tethering is what i need for my travel network, and the first network to offer it sans all the ridiculous added fees has my business. granted you have to get me into a 1ghz 800x480 android device at the same time...
Considering that their future LTE network must be open, it shouldn't come as surprise that they are shifting attitudes.
this is good news to me not b/c i want to switch to verizon, due to future need for traveling and current coverage, an unlocked gsm phone w/ att is the only choice for me... and i simply cant commit to a cdma network.. BUT this would surely up the competition with Sprint/T-Mo doing all they can and now I Verizon + Google. I cant wait to see the day when ATT finally get its head out from Apple's arse and start offering some real phones with a reasonable everything plan.
I am for one, very excited about this. It seems Verizon is finally coming back down to earth and finding out how happy those iPhone and other network's Android users are about their phones. I will be buying the Hero when it comes out, because luckily my contract for my Blackberry expires around the first of 2010. I just hope that it isn't "tweaked" too much and they have a couple of different colors than just plain old black - however given Verizon's past, I don't expect much on the color front.
crossing my robotic fingers for a Verizon HTC HD2 running Android...
You can already do this on WinMo phones with WMWifiRouter for free
It's just a publicity stunt for Verizon. Verizon never gets any of the good exclusive phones. Every time someone else does (AT&T-iPhone, T-Mobile-G1) Verizon says, "Oh, who cares. They suck. We're the best. We're the only honest ones. Believe everything we say. We're in talks with them right now. We'll have a (insert phone name here) on our network in a few months." Of course, they never do. They're just trying to steal the spot light.
Ooh, I think this is it! http://saygus.com/news-unstrung.php
Not only that, here's the device! http://saygus.com/theNav.php
Michael:
"If you don't want mobile data... why do you want a smartphone? How much of the Android goodness relies on a data connection? A LOT... GMail, calendar syncing, mobile web. So, you *don't* want any of that on an Android phone? What's the point?"
Two responses to that statement. First, I don't need many of those features on my android phone. I want a decent sized screen and a reasonable music player, the rest is just icing on the cake. I don't feel the need to check my email every 10 minutes or browse the internet during my commute, that's what my books are for. I like the Hero because I can customize the layout, the texting is reasonably nice for a touchscreen device, and it works well as a music player.
Second, I spend most of my week either at work, or at my home - both of which have wi-fi available. When my phone plan is only $35 why would I want to pay an extra $30 for a dataplan I would rarely if ever use.