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BlackBerry De-Tour: A Tour With Wi-Fi for SprintBlackBerry De-Tour: A Tour With Wi-Fi for Sprint

"Sprint is embracing Wi-Fi in all its major devices going forward."

Michael Finneran

July 13, 2009

1 Min Read
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"Sprint is embracing Wi-Fi in all its major devices going forward."

In a rather interesting turn of events, Sprint Nextel announced they will release an updated version of the BlackBerry Tour next year that will feature Wi-Fi capability. In a blog last week I decried Verizon's decision to launch a non-Wi-Fi version of the Tour. The device, you will recall, is a CDMA/EVDO Rev A smartphone that also supports operation on GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and UMTS/HSPA, so it will operate worldwide. Like Verizon, Sprint will be launching the device July 12 for $199.99.According to Jeff Clemow, Sprint's director of business product marketing, "Sprint is embracing Wi-Fi in all its major devices going forward." Sprint's recently announced Palm Pre, the first device to support Palm's new WebOS, also has a Wi-Fi capability (802.11b/g). Thus far none of the Wi-Fi capable smartphones support the higher-speed 802.11n radio link, and given the power requirements, things will likely stay that way for a while.

This is a rather gutsy move for Sprint as it could very well hamper sales of the device, since consumers might simply wait for the better model they know will be coming later. According to Mr. Clemow, Sprint decided to launch the non-Wi-Fi version so as not to fall behind the curve. "Speed to market...outweighed the desire to wait," he said.

Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Brenda Boyd Raney said, "In terms of the BlackBerry Tour, I won't speak to that specific device but we are certainly working with RIM to be able to offer Wi-Fi on future BlackBerry smartphones".

I wonder how hard they're working."Sprint is embracing Wi-Fi in all its major devices going forward."

About the Author

Michael Finneran

Michael F. Finneran, is Principal at dBrn Associates, Inc., a full-service advisory firm specializing in wireless and mobility. With over 40-years experience in networking, Mr. Finneran has become a recognized expert in the field and has assisted clients in a wide range of project assignments spanning service selection, product research, policy development, purchase analysis, and security/technology assessment. The practice addresses both an industry analyst role with vendors as well as serving as a consultant to end users, a combination that provides an in-depth perspective on the industry.

His expertise spans the full range of wireless technologies including Wi-Fi, 3G/4G/5G Cellular and IoT network services as well as fixed wireless, satellite, RFID and Land Mobile Radio (LMR)/first responder communications. Along with a deep understanding of the technical challenges, he also assists clients with the business aspects of mobility including mobile security, policy and vendor comparisons. Michael has provided assistance to carriers, equipment manufacturers, investment firms, and end users in a variety of industry and government verticals. He recently led the technical evaluation for one of the largest cellular contracts in the U.S.

As a byproduct of his consulting assignments, Michael has become a fixture within the industry. He has appeared at hundreds of trade shows and industry conferences, and helps plan the Mobility sessions at Enterprise Connect. Since his first piece in 1980, he has published over 1,000 articles in NoJitter, BCStrategies, InformationWeek, Computerworld, Channel Partners and Business Communications Review, the print predecessor to No Jitter.

Mr. Finneran has conducted over 2,000 seminars on networking topics in the U.S. and around the world, and was an Adjunct Professor in the Graduate Telecommunications Program at Pace University. Along with his technical credentials, Michael holds a Masters Degree in Management from the J. L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University.