Sprint's iPad '4G case' features an Overdrive pocket, oodles of irony

Listen Sprint, we get it, you want the whole US drooling over an iDevice hitting the internet at 4G speeds. First you extolled the virtues of WiMAX in an ad featuring the iPhone, and now you're going so far as to give away a special "4G" iPad case for free with the purchase of an Overdrive from Best Buy -- and yes, to be sure, the tote features a special pouch for your new mobile hotspot. No word yet on if placing a 3G iPad in the case creates some singularity from which no nearby object can escape (or get reception, for that matter).

Update: Don't take the playful tone personally, we actually love the concept. More so, we just think Sprint is being funny here. We'll have some detailed test results of our time with Overdrive / iPad soon!

[Thanks, John]

[Toneglaso Posted Apr 16th 2010 11:42PM]

@geoffins From Wikipedia, deployed WiMax networks in Australia.
Australia

* Adam Internet operates a Fixed WiMAX network in the Metropolitan area of Adelaide, South Australia in the 5.0Ghz band. Speeds up to 12mbps are achievable.
* Agile Communications operates Fixed WiMAX networks in the Coorong, Yorke Peninsula, and Riverlands areas of South Australia, retailed by partner ISP Internode.
* Vividwireless operates a Mobile WiMAX network throughout Perth, Australia[1] in the 2.3Ghz band. Speeds of up to 30Mbps are currently achievable[2].

[TPhil9 Posted Apr 16th 2010 9:06PM]

I really want this, but not available in California??? Anyone know about this?

[Poolin1243 Posted Apr 16th 2010 9:29PM]

Just went to best buy and picked one up for free.. told the lady i had an ipad and overdrive, and wanted to buy the case.. she just gave me it... was very nice. The case i have doesn't have a flap..it has a zipper pocket for the ipad and then a velcro pocket on the front for the overdrive.. nice combo, and was FREE...better than 39.99 for ANY kind of iPad case... I'll take it.

[rgreen Posted Apr 16th 2010 10:48PM]

I have a MiFi. Can you buy the case?

[mikefromtexas Posted Apr 17th 2010 1:37AM]

@rgreen: no it looks like the case is only for customers who bought the Overdrive at Best Buy. If you bought your MiFI at Best Buy, they might be nice and give you one? Who knows, can't hurt to ask.

[mikefromtexas Posted Apr 17th 2010 1:36AM]

http://reviews.sprint.com/5611v2/248/overdrive-3g-4g-mobile-hotspot-by-sierra-wireless-reviews/reviews.htm

From the site: The Overdrive has a 4.9/5 rating on Sprint's site and 97% (37/38) of customers would recommend it to a friend.


That's a pretty dang good endorsement, IMHO. I've not gotten the pleasure of trying Sprint's 4G service, but if it comes to my neck of the woods, I'd definitely give it a shot.

One point: an iPad 3G woudln't be required, you could just get the cheaper model and use the Overdrive to supply the wi-fi.

[eBookReader Posted Apr 17th 2010 2:22AM]

Well... I really would like to give Sprint 4G a try,
but... the city I live (San Jose) is not even got listed
in the "coming soon" list. :-(

[webstarcool Posted Apr 17th 2010 3:08AM]

Hate to tell ya. Sprints network is NOT 4G whatever they tell you. Neither CDMA2000 or WiMAX is and neither of them will give you speeds close to that in reality. What Sprint did was to roll out a 4G marketing machine. Well done for repeating the message so many times that people start believing you.

[Toshiba Posted Apr 17th 2010 4:44AM]

LOVE IT! Let the little guy stick it to the big guy.

[politicalslug Posted Apr 17th 2010 4:32PM]

Uh... This is Engadget. That means most of you have iPhones, and most of you with iPhones ought to know how to Jailbreak them. There's a program called "MiWi" available on both Cydia and Rock, and has been for over a year now. It turns your iPhone into a WiFi router allowing multiple laptops, iPod touches, iPads, PS3s, etc. to connect through your iPhone's 3G network. This isn't something new.

I'd expect these comments on the New York Times website, but certainly not here. You sound like the same kind of people who believe Jailbreaking an iPhone will cause it to explode in your pocket. If that's the case, you're all on the wrong website.

And to the person writing this article: you should know better, and you should be extolling the virtues of Jailbreaking and how none of these features are new.

[muzicman82 Posted Apr 17th 2010 8:30PM]

Browsing Engadget on Sprint 4G right now in Philly. It's fast. No, I'm not on an iPad and don't want to be either.

I can't express how satisfied I am with Sprint since I switched a few years ago.

Now if only I could get 4G a few miles south in Wilmington, DE and home in south Jersey, I'd in heaven.

[flst2000 Posted Apr 19th 2010 9:25AM]

Well I took the leap of faith and thought great idea and went to Best buy to pick this up. First off they did not have the case in stock as advertised but gave me a note to pick it up later (Fine)

Anyway I got the 3G/4G device and headed home to play.

The IPAD uses a lot more internet than you think. Since this little device tells you how much you have used it was very interesting. On 3G inside the house it was all right nothing to scream about and the 4G was spotty tried in several locations and sometimes I would get connected and other time no dice it would fail over to the 3G.

Now remember you are capped at 5Gigs of data on 3G network usage and if you go over that then you will get charged. I even locked the device to 4G only that way it would never fail over to 3G. Again not very good coverage and yet on the map I show that I should have the 4G everywhere in my house.

Thought that the shielding from the house was the prob so went outside in the front and back yard and no different spotty at best. when I found the right spot man this thing screams but move an inch and wham no internet.

So my last test was to take the device to work as thats where I need it the most. So this morning booted up the device at my desk and nothing it sits there searching. I moved the device all around the room still nothing.

I took the device outside and yes got a 4G connection but moved a foot and wham again no internet and the device started search again. So I will be heading to Best buy to return the device.

Overall its a great idea but 4G is not ready for prime time, Also the IPAD is a internet hog and if you think that you could just use the 3G network on this device you will be paying a lot of money. In my test normal web surfing for 15min no video just web I used 7meg. Thats alot of data just a for a few websites.

I have an order for the 3G IPAD and I bet At&T will not be able to handle the network draw this device will cause.