Sprint Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot hands on

By on Jan 7, 2010 at 1:52 PM
CES January 7, 2010

sprint-overdrive

We’re here live at Sprint’s 4G palace at CES and we’re giving the Overdrive by Sierra Wireless a test drive. Before we get on with this we review, one thing is clear about this new mobile hotspot: it is hot like fire. Currently we’re writing this post using the Overdrive and we’re seeing 4.6Mbps downlink and 560kbps uplink — plus WiMax in Las Vegas has crystal clear signal where we are. Hit the break for more of our thoughts on the Overdrive and check out the gallery!

The device itself is bigger than the MiFi, but it’s not very heavy. It’s sleek and super easy to use. As soon as you take it out of the box, it asks you if you want to connect to the 4G network and you’re prompted to click the power button to accept. Once you’re on, that’s it — you’re on. All you have to do is find the Overdrive on your Wi-Fi list and select it. The password is shown on the device screen in parentheses so people you’re sharing it with can easily hop on, too. Additionally, the Overdrive supports up to five simultaneous users, just like the MiFi, so there’s plenty to go around.

Overall, the new device is ridiculously easy to use and speeds are blazing fast. If you travel a lot or are always in areas with no Wi-Fi, you can’t go wrong with the Overdrive, especially with the WiMax speeds. Right now, WiMax is available in 27 markets and Sprint expects to launch in more markets including Boston, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. in 2010. Browse some great hands on shots in our gallery, and of course, you can hit us the 4G Resource Center if you’d like to find out more about Sprint’s WiMax offerings

Click on over to our Sprint Overdrive 3G/4G Mobile Hotspot hands on gallery!

Read more about the Sprint Overdrive in our 4G Resource Center

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39 Comments

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  • T

    Is someone from the Blue Man Group there holding it up? Are they using it as a musical instrument?

    • ChocoTaco

      JokeFAIL :P

      • T

        I’ll be here all week!

    • http://www.adapterdesign.com/ AdapterDesign

      I came in to ask if it was made of Unobtanium.

    • secretman

      Perhaps Dr. Manhattan, and the memories of his anatomy tormenting you?

  • sikkboy

    I thought WiMax was supposed to have something like 100mb’s per second? What’s the deal?

    • T

      capable of it, yes. 144 to be precise. Not there yet, not even close. Eventually supposed to be able to reach the gigabit mark along with LTE-Advanced…

  • Brad

    To me that number on the screen looks like a data amount transferred and connect timer. 4.30megabytes (capital “B” is bytes and not bits how you mention in article) connect for 7min 16sec.

    • http://www.webuyanyphone.com acf

      I think the 4.6 Mbps quoted was obtained from another source.

    • http://www.webuyanyphone.com acf

      like speedtest.net

  • MT

    If you think that VZW’s LTE is going to offer 100Meg speeds in the next 6 months or even the next 18 months you’re crazy. And remember spectrum is going to be a huge limiting factor for VZW and ATT in their (future) LTE deployments.

    • Mikee

      TeliaSonera hit 42.8Meg on their first deployment of LTE. Is 100Meg really that far away?

  • mikeoe

    Ahh Verizon fanboys….

    • Joe

      I say the same thing every day hahahahaha!

  • Philip

    Doesn’t T-mobile’s 7.2 upgrade already beat this “4g” implementation? Sure the technology may be capable of faster speeds later, but right now the way I understand it is that the mature 3g solutions are faster than the immature 4g solutions.

    • http://rugbychix.blogspot.com/ Rugbychix

      It really depends on the where you are and your phone. I have a N900 in Philly, which is probably the best combination for broadband speed in the country. Using speedtest.net on the phone (because the N900 can do that) At good times I break 5Mbs down and 1.25Mbs up.

      There is so much FUD about all the carriers 4G networks. There are different challenges for each. Verizon is going to spend a small fortune replacing hardware in every tower that wants to move to LTE. Plus there will be the added challenge that essentially every LTE equipped phone is going to be dual radio until CDMA is phased out (aka in a long time.) Sprint, T-Mo, and Death Star all their own problems…

  • http://www.twitter.com/iAmMrHD Mr. Hi-Definition

    Not bad. I wouldn’t be mad at all if I get this type of speed with Verizon LTE. I just want slightly faster upload speeds because I upload a good amount of media everyday. Not asking for much, just 1-2Mbps upload speeds and 5Mbps+ for download woudl be great.

  • JakeyBoy

    How exactly do you know that your signal is “crystal clear”….

  • Laz

    It’s to bad that Sprint will not have any 4G phones until 2011. Again VZW will have one up on Sprint…

    • Laz

      Today Clear said in an interview with Phone Scoop that it does not expect any WiMax-equipped smartphones to hit the market until the very end of 2010. Clear believes that 2011 will see more WiMax phones become available. Clear would not say what hardware or software vendors it is pursuing to bring a smartphone to market. It did indicate that any phone-type device that has mobile WiMax on board would use either a VoIP application or Sprint’s CDMA network for voice calls.

      from Clear

  • Miguel is worthless

    Oh damn.. i posted my point in the wrong topic.. i will repost it here since it still applies

    So we are all in agreeemnt Miguel provides pointless posts. Reading what he consider “proof that lte is superior” is like watching the Southpark youtube episode where everyone is claiming how much they are worth in “theoretical” dollars… You can not argue a technology that is non-existant against a technology that exists and the ieee hasen’t even ratified the final 802.16m standard.. they are building it currently off of 802.16e with enhancements to allow mobility… This is were the speed limitations come into effect… While LTE still hasen’t even been totally ratified to the point they can take it off the drawing board and implement it in a real world scenerio… Just let him go on with his bashing an “actual” technology by pinning it against a “theoretical” technology.. I guess this is how he convinces himself that his manhood is “theoretically” bigger then what “actually” exists

    • Miguel is worthless

      Crap i forgot the biggest point…
      4g technologies in mobile devices is WORTHLESS due to CPU/RAM restrictions in small applications. The only place that 4g technologies are currently superior is in the home replacement/mobile computing market (to fight current Cable/DSL providers and augment current wireless broadband services)… Why do you think Verizon and sprint already confirmed they will not be discontinuing their 1xRTT service (since they already have an incredibly large voice coverage) and will not be implementing voice over 4g?!?

      • Miguel is worthless

        To further drive the point home (god i am doing horrible with keeping everything in a single post) say the current goal is to:
        Stream a 1080p video onto your mobile phone (worthless due to teh decreased resolution size anyway) assuming a standard h.264 file formatted to a large display is around 4 gigs or so.. at 2 hour play time.. It would require a dedicated stream speed of roughly 560 kb/s …
        Please tell me how 4g will do this any better then the currently implemented 3g standards?!?
        Please tell me what 5 mbit (or 100 mbit or 10000000 mbit) in a wireless phone will actually achieve?!?

      • Null0byte

        It will achieve advancement in consumer-available tech as people and companies come up with new and creative content and services, and more powerful devices to take advantage of it all.

        In addition, with the majority of the world moving towards LTE (even those countries which currently have established WiMax networks may see the more traditional cellular networks migrate to LTE) in the future we may hopefully see more widespread and universal roaming than what is available today.

        With some phones beginning to come out with mini hdmi or other ways to show content on a bigger stream, it’s not all that difficult to see future possibilities. The data capacity will certainly be there, and the devices will be right alongside.

        It’s all about progress, development and advancement.

  • Miguel is worthless

    Can Miguel Alvarez be anymore of a Verizon idiottroll (how redundant.. a dumb troll.. i guess that must mean the bottom of the barrel troll)

  • miguel alvarez

    Im a toolbag!

  • Burgundy

    Miguel Alvarez = BackBeat….

    Dude, I thought you got banned like 8 months ago. Funny, the name has changed, but the propaganda and the snarky yet non-sensical delivery stayed the same. Have your fun for now, BG will figure ya out soon enough. ;) Just a question before you’re banned again… What exactly DO you have against Sprint??

  • CC Coleman

    Not a fan of Sprint Phone service and I am trapped in a plan with poor area coverage but…

    I picked one of these up because I need internet on the go when I travel. They also sold me on, “This does not run on the Sprint Phone Service – so it should be much better”. (Sierra Wireless?)

    So far I’ve noticed that the battery lasts about 45 mins and the device runs very hot. It charges fast from the plug but slow on the USB. Coverage is good and the internet speed is almost DSL. Easy to use and install.

    I hope I did not make a bad choice but time will tell. The battery charging on the USB is my only complaint so far. It just is slow and does not maintain power when hooked to the laptop and working on the internet.

    Any other owners with comments out there? Suggestions? Etc?

  • http://www.evdoinfo.com EVDO Tech

    There is a very detailed review of the Overdrive at:

    http://www.evdoinfo.com/overdrive

  • JakeyBoy

    When I think of crystal clear, I think of a bunch of men singing YMCA on their gaycation

  • JakeyBoy

    oh wait, that’s crystal queer…oops!

  • Joe

    And knowing Verizon, they will probably charge an extra $60 per month to use it lol

  • Joe

    Your mother really should have spit you into a napkin

  • Joe

    Yeah BGR, you better put up some Verizon banners because according to miguel alvarez they are the best… maybe that’ll attract more miguel alvarezs, just what everyone here wants. Christ, can we see some news on the Sprint front without this ass clown spamming every post?

  • Joe

    You pick up the pom poms every day you queen… you are found anti sprint cheerleading in every post about sprint for the sole purpose of being an idiot… nobody thinks you’re cool, nobody thinks you’re funny. Just grow up and stop acting like you are in 4th grade.

  • Miguel is worthless

    And yet sprint has aquired Boost/Virgin mobile and a majority of clearwire.. along with their previous purchase of the Nextel IDen network and sponsor the Sprint/Nextel Nascar cup.. What does verizon own to go against their “net revenue” and other subsidized companies that actually show increased profits that you dont want to actually disclose?

  • Miguel is worthless

    And another intellectually stimulating post by miguel the village idiot

  • miguel alvarez’ daddy

    Now that was funny!!!!!

  • miguel alvarez’ daddy

    I think miguel is gonna cry :-(

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