The news has already swept across the interwebs a few days back, but I only just now started looking into it.  So sprint has this device that will let you connect your iphone or iPad to the Sprint 4G network without jailbreaking your iphone. Yea, no jailbreak this time. 🙂  So how does it work?

Simple actually, you buy this little device, kind of like a USB mobile network dongle that all the networks sell, expect this has its own power supply and network system to let you access it like a wifi point. Cool eh?  So if you are in a city that support Sprint’s 4G network, you can access on your iphone.

The Win?  Lets say you live somewhere where there is not 3G coverage for AT&T (like over 70% of the country if Verizon is to be believed), or you live in San Francisco or New York *better known and cell purgatory.   IF.. and this is a big If, you have Sprint 4G in your area, you can basically ignore AT&T 3G or edge for that matter, and have monster speed all the time. Also, if you have issues even getting a cell connection, but CAN get sprint, then you could set your phone to use Skype or Google Voice. An even bigger Win?  Connect your iPad to this babby.  Yea!  now your talking.  So I can basically get at home wifi speeds on the iPad anywhere.  Nice. If they had a pay as you go place (which I could not find), or at least compete with AT&T’s iPad prices, I would think about this and perhaps not consider the iPad an ‘only at home’ device as I have been thinking about it.

But its not all Win as you would expect…

First, battery life. Keeping you iphone connected to this device on wifi could actually take your battery down a bit. I do not know how smart this system is for keep alive pings, but its something to test for.  Second you have to keep two devices charged and finally and the big finally.. This ain’t cheap!  We are talking another $60 a month for this service.  Now if $60 is not a big deal to you, then this could be a win.  In fact, if it supports more then one device, it would be a great little office tool for those in your office with iphones but poor or no 3G coverage.

Check out the video.. does not say anything, but eh, figured I would through it in here…