For years, being a Sprint customer was a miserable existence. We had the worst phones. We didn’t have bluetooth. We had ridiculously expensive service plans. Most of the phones It is with a little trepidation that I proclaim, those days are over!
It is true that I will never have an iPhone on the Sprint network, but I very well may have an iPhone killer by the end of the year.
First, Sprint announced an initiative to roll out WiMax in 2007. (For those who don’t know, WiMax is REAL wireless broadband. Think WiFi with cellular coverage maps.) Then, Blackberry announced a deal with Intel that will lead to WiMax Blackberry phones. Since Sprint is the only mobile provider working on WiMax you can be assured they will be carrying these Blackberries.
The most recent Blackberry to be released on Sprint’s network is the 8830. Unlike the 8830 on Verizon’s network, the Sprint version does not cripple the internal GPS; you get turn-by-turn directions out of the box without any additional cost. I am taking this as an indication that Sprint no longer wants to limit the capabilities of their users. It bodes well for things to come in the future.
Now, Sprint has partnered up with Google for a WiMax web. While the next Blackberry browser will be better able to handle the non-mobile web, Google pages designed for use over WiMax on small screens should produce a great experience.
So, let’s see, a keyboard, fast internet, faster navigation, GPS, expandable storage, etc. That pretty much puts to bed any desire I had remaining for an iPhone.
[HT: Techmeme via twitter!]
