Sprint says ‘me too’; will include Wi-Fi on all future major devices
CDMA lovers rejoice — it looks like the last piece of the Wi-Fi puzzle has finally fallen into place. We know cost was one of the major barriers preventing Wi-Fi from finding its way to most CDMA handsets in the past as CDMA handsets are significantly more expensive for carriers compared to similar GSM models due to demand. Back in May we scooped the fact that all BlackBerry devices released by Verizon after the Tour would include Wi-Fi — the Storm 2, the Aries, etc. To add to that, we’ve now been told that earlier this year VZW apparently began including Wi-Fi in requirement docs sent to OEMs with regards to future smartphones. With this in mind, it makes sense that we’re now learning Sprint has done the same and is now “embracing Wi-Fi in all its major devices going forward” according to FierceWireless. The site even claims that Sprint “will offer a version of the BlackBerry Tour starting next year that will include WiFi.”
It makes perfect sense of course — Sprint can’t very well let Verizon hang Wi-Fi over its head. In the end as far as consumers are concerned, the bottom line is everyone wins and AT&T/T-Mobile have one less leg up on Verizon and Sprint in terms of handsets. Were Sprint and Verizon able to negotiate better pricing from OEMs? Have both companies decided to trim margins rather than continue dealing with Wi-Fi hungry subscribers? Whatever the case, both major CDMA carriers have come around and smartphone customers will have one less thing to complain about in the near future.
Thanks, Verizon Guy!
Excellent news!
Oh, and…. wifi tuh tuh tuh TOUR!!!
six – six – six months too late to matter for the Duh – Duh – Duh – Tour
whoaz!!! is that the TOUR?
hey,that pretty much closed down steven glansburg’s reason for existance.
well, whats more, that in the near future every carrier will have LTE (save sprints wimax) and i wonder what kind of competition will then be??
I’m all for wifi Tour…. I was thinking of getting the Tour this summer but I might as well wait for the wifi version.
Sweetness!
Looks like all the carriers think that wifi is necessary to maintain their margins after all.
Do any of the anti-wifi people still want to post that it is stupid to want wifi on a smartphone? Or is it hard to talk around the crow that you’re eating?
This is good news for people who like the Wifi.
Only one thing. I’m sure whichever carrier offers this is going to charge to use it–whether its a monthly charge, or whaterver.
Personally, the 3G rev A should be fine for me.
It’s about time.
Oh, and from the looks of it, hopefully this Sunday most of the wifi guys will hold off, and the rest of us will all bag a Tour lol.
Hey guess what? It’s July 10th 2009 and despite what may take place in the future your Tour still won’t have wifi and is still a repackaged version of the same crap RIM has been selling you for a couple years now. You can change the code name over and over but the OS still has the appeal of a graphing calulator.
Did RIM just shoot themselves in the foot because people may wait for one with wifi
i was playin with the tour today,
So very awesome..what a phone
I think I’ going into bestbuy next friday purchase the tour with the ipod touch as well to keep the kid in me happy.
AT&T and T-Mobile have a leg up because they have WiFi in their phones? Maybe AT&T does, but T-Mobile? If the phone has wifi its usually cause its on EDGE anyway and they NEED IT. Id hardly call that a “leg up” simply because their 3G network is tiny right now.
As for Sprint and Verizon, Sprint DOES have many Smartphones with wifi, where as Verizon does not. Id see Sprint just saying “we want more wifi cause if its going to be offered, why not make it mandated as well?” Where as Verizon is like.. “We arent getting new data customers, so maybe if we offer them wifi we can sell more phones” BOO YOU VERIZON Eww…
tour? yawn…same phone att has had (8900) for a few months now…
Maverick and Glansburg.
Two dumb dumbs that generate about 80% of the anti rim comments on these forums.
Don’t go away angry..just go away.
Mind you the way they feed off each others comments across all the rim news, I would be surprised if they were one and the same.
an VZW still SUCKS!
i just noticed ever since verizon said they would get pre like devices within 6 months sprint has always jumped up to take verizon’s shine
verizon announces tour- so does sprint on same day.
wifi- verizon demands it so does sprint now.
looks like sprint is the physco hoe from down the street
@RetroAndreas
I think they are lovers, who else could put up with each others crap?
^
Not that there is anything wrong with that
All I can say is,”It is about time.” Of course, after we get WiFi on our Blackberry devices from VZW we will then complain that it is only good for web surfing and downloading applications and that WiFi on TMO phones supports UMA. We all be clamoring for UMA from VZW and Sprint which they will be reluctant to do.
Is there a trade off for the the wifi? Will the tour still be rev a?
roger a do you know how to read verizon has like 5 different phones with wifi sprint might have 6 maybe. Sprints is a totally joke. I’ll get cricket before i’ll ever have sprint. I brought a sprint curve I couldnt even send a pic message a god damn shame.
i wonder why sprint axed wifi off the snap.. thats kind of big.. i kno people dont really use smartphone wm phones but the snap has some beefy specs to go head up with the tour.. and i think those gurus at xda have been getting wm pro on recent smartphone devices because of similar chipsets.. but wifi isnt somthin i use alot.. but it never killed anyone either im glad my tp has it