ZTE Peel for Sprint outed by FCC, another 3G-equipped iPod touch case

What is it about the word peel that screams "throw on the back of an iPod touch and grant it the power of mobile internet?" We spotted Yosion's Apple Peel 520 just this morning bound for Chinese markets, and now the FCC has unveiled ZTE's own Peel 3G router. Although the user manual and external photos don't explicitly state it, one look at the (slightly enhanced) image above removes all doubt that this is made to fit snugly around a certain finger-friendly iDevice with a headset jack on the bottom right. Additionally, the user manual's setup screens are all sketched out in what appears to be a more mobile Safari-friendly size. The Qualcomm-powered CDMA2000 case is brandishing Sprint logos on the front and back, which frankly wouldn't be the first (or even second) time the carrier's targeted the Apple faithful. Only this time, there's no WiMAX -- bummer. Crafty, wacky, zany? We're sure Mr. Hesse is chortling, but perhaps he can catch a breath or two and disseminate out some proper release details post-haste.

ZTE's Peel 3G-equipped iPod case for Sprint in FCC

[Thanks, The Kaiser]

[DaHarder Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:19PM]

Well... At least it looks nice from that angle - I Guess?

[DaHarder Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:23PM]

@DaHarder

Wouldn't it be sweet is this is just the kind of thing to bring Sprint back to serious profitability.

After all there are probably an awful lot of iPod Touch users out there that that are also Sprint subscribers.

[liftedngifted1 Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:25PM]

@DaHarder Then you just add Skype, and Text Plus and your set...

[Mike10010100 Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:25PM]

@DaHarder

Same here! I have an iPod Touch 64 gig, and to be able to get it together with sprint would be interesting. I have mixed feelings about it though. Does it have a built-in microphone/speaker? Or is this just meant to replace a mifi-type defice?

[motorpuppy Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:27PM]

@DaHarder That. Would. Be. Me. And I live in 3G-land.

[SolidSnake Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:29PM]

@DaHarder
This is pretty sick.

[MBN Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:33PM]

@DaHarder It looks a bit better than the MiFi I have velcroed to the back of my iPod touch currently.

[sussigkeitbar Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:35PM]

@DaHarder totally me :)

[rutter9 Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:39PM]

@DaHarder

This is an amazing idea!

[victor Posted Jul 28th 2010 5:07PM]

@rutter9 It's like having an iphone with a good data connection.

[PeterDLai Posted Jul 28th 2010 5:31PM]

@DaHarder Sprint, please make this work with SERO. I will love you long time. Thank you.

[j2daake Posted Jul 28th 2010 5:50PM]

@DaHarder I think you mean iGuess *badumtsss*.

[EvanSei Posted Jul 28th 2010 6:23PM]

@liftedngifted1
or better yet google voice and a bluetooth headset :)

[That guy 2 Posted Jul 28th 2010 7:24PM]

@liftedngifted1 Yes textplus! That is so much better than textfree! Skype I guess so, but you need to pay, I have a free app, but it required me to link it with my phone number (flip phone that I never use) you can pay for it to not need to link it, and there's no ads

[WillyVWade Posted Jul 28th 2010 7:31PM]

@Mike10010100

It's just a MiFi (the Chinease one did turn you iPod in to an actual phone)

[yoko1324 Posted Jul 28th 2010 11:19PM]

@DaHarder ahaha - It's a "peel" for an Apple-LOL! You can also "peel" it off, so keep your eyes "peeled" for this one! Ahahaha

[Kangal Posted Jul 29th 2010 3:57AM]

WOW Engadget made a phone!

/healthy sarcasm

[ohnoes Posted Jul 29th 2010 8:34AM]

@PeterDLai

Me too, but it's not gonna happen.

[Juggernaut408 Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:22PM]

I'm sure APPLE just LOVES this idea. Plus! There is a high resolution ipod touch coming out this fall why bother?

[Wiggy Fuzz Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:24PM]

@Juggernaut408

chances are, somebody will design an ipod touch 4 phone case that won't drop calls when death gripped.

low blow, i know... but just saying.

[DaHarder Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:25PM]

@Juggernaut408

Because this device already works with the millions of iPod Touch's that currently exist.

[tad604 Posted Jul 28th 2010 5:40PM]

@Juggernaut408 What would be even better, if there was some sort of open actual standard. Then you could hook this up to any sort of pda device and then you could buy any "phone" for any carrier. You could switch carriers on a whim by switching "peels"

then there might actually be some consumer freedom in the cell phone/service market in the US.

dare to dream.

[vstican Posted Jul 28th 2010 5:57PM]

@tad604

yes but open and apple dont mix for things that take away from their revenue.

[rutter9 Posted Jul 28th 2010 6:15PM]

@vstican

Now that I think about it, why don't they make one for the ipad and get unlimited service then? :)

[tad604 Posted Jul 28th 2010 7:49PM]

@vstican I know... I could truly care less about the iPhon/iPad/iTouch though. I just want to see more freedom in the cellular market. I was thinking earlier that it would be nice if the cell modem part of a phone was interchangeable.

[iqbalj Posted Jul 28th 2010 8:00PM]

@rutter9
Brilliant idea!!!
If Sprint was serious about returning to profits, they should RUSH an iPad and an iPod Peel with 4G and UNLIMITED data.
I don't understand what is so f*cking hard about giving people what they want!!

[The Dark Knight Posted Jul 28th 2010 8:08PM]

@Wiggy Fuzz

What I really want to know is can you make calls on it? Testing apps are a dime a dozen these days but a calling app on the iPod would make this legendary.

[There Will Be Blood Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:23PM]

GREAT SCOTT!

[Plazmic Flame Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:24PM]

If they make a T-Mobile version of one of these peels, I'm sold.

[Narutogrey Posted Jul 28th 2010 5:17PM]

@Plazmic Flame There's a GSM version. I'm not sure if it'll work for 3G on T-mobile yet, but voice is a go.

[E30 Kid Posted Jul 28th 2010 5:56PM]

@Plazmic Flame
I want one for VZW.

[Ginormous Posted Jul 28th 2010 8:39PM]

@E30 Kid
im sure this would work with verizon as its CDMA.

[Firehazel Posted Jul 28th 2010 10:12PM]

@Ginormous But you just can't sue with with VZW so easily, you'd have to point everything (firmware) to their network first.

[Cam Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:24PM]

This+skype+textplus turns an iPod Touch into an iPhone? awesome.

[derricob Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:30PM]

This would be nice on my ipod 3G. And I have sprint

[Ben64 Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:32PM]

This could be very interesting.

[Deth Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:32PM]

Are these products just now comming out because it is now legal to jailbreak your ipod touch? Any clue if it will work with the first get touch?

[BobStewart Posted Jul 28th 2010 5:03PM]

@Deth you don't need to jailbreak to use this. It has nothing to do with that at all

[tad604 Posted Jul 28th 2010 5:54PM]

@Deth what makes you think it's legal to jail break an ipod touch?

The exceptions set forth are pretty explicit and mention phones nothing about media players.

[vicsvenge Posted Jul 28th 2010 6:16PM]

@tad604 "software modifications that liberate iPhones and other handsets to run applications from sources other than those approved by the phone maker"

Other handsets probably implies any mobile computing device... even those not explicitly phones. Either way I think it's fairly obvious that the interpretation of this was meant to include all mobile devices.

[Lundmark Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:33PM]

Why?

[DaHarder Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:36PM]

@Lundmark

Because it's obvious that there are a wealth of potential customers that desire iPhone/Ipod Touch functionality but want nothing to do with AT&T.

I Say - Good on Sprint/Peel for recognizing this 'niche'.

[PorkchopFlavoredCupcake Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:37PM]

This makes me moist.

[Maxipad Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:37PM]

Interesting.

[DestrictoEnse Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:37PM]

Limited edition Engadget version?

[rutter9 Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:41PM]

@DestrictoEnse

Only $900

[Hydra Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:38PM]

Thats one way to get the iphone to other carriers, by making the ipod touch have phone abilites , hahaha genius. Now lets wait and see apple try to stop it with software patches

[willowtwf Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:40PM]

three cheers for Sprint
hip hip ....

[Vwampage Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:41PM]

@willowtwf
Hooray!

[MAS Posted Jul 28th 2010 4:44PM]

The article queries:
What is it about the word peel that screams "throw on the back of an iPod touch"

Maybe they just want an iPhone that works!