Sprint recently announced a long-waited Android-based WiMAX Smartphone : HTC EVO 4G aka HTC Supersonic in CTIA 2010, around the last week of March.
HTC EVO 4G apparently was planned to take advantage of 4G WiMAX network in U.S. especially for HD video streaming on its super large 4.3-inch 480×800 multitouch screen . HTC EVO 4G equipped with HDMI output so you can also view 720p HD video streaming on your full HDTV without loose crisp image quality.
Here is a YouTube Video showing how they connected the HTC EVO to a huge LCD TV Screen.
According to Engadget, June 13, 2010 is the likeliest launch date for the Sprint EVO 4G. Other details leaked was the extra cost to connect to the WiMAX network, which might be between $10 and $20. It helps for those not located in a 4G area. Engadget also stated that the extra fee is for the hot spot only, and not just the 4G access. Though these are just rumors, but it’s more likely that there will be an extra cost for using this phone as both a WiMAX connection and as a portable hot spot.
Back in February we ordered our first very own 4G+ CLEAR Mobile Modem to play with. One of the benefits of being in the business is being able to justify all the toys. The next business day later, a small brown box arrived via next day FedEx, on time as promised.
CLEAR is using the same U300 USB modem that Sprint offers, and has not (yet) released the U301 that Sprint has started offering. The CLEAR 4G+ Mobile Modem is NOT compatible with Mac operating systems at this time.
We went online to activate (remember, we’re already an existing active CLEAR customer ourselves) and waited for it to change the browser over to htpp://home.clear.com to let us view CLEAR’s terms and conditions. Naturally since we were already a current customer, it skipped that first page and went direct to our account, saying we were good to go.
Now normally this means you get instant 4G access, and then 2 hours the 3G access gets automatically authorized by Sprint’s computer system. Two hours later, you ought to be good to go. Key word “ought”.
CLEAR Connection Manager says (on the 3G tab) 3G Initialization Started… then 3G Initialization Failed… then Log on using 4G to accept the terms and conditions first…
We first went online to the chat tech support, but they were no help. One agent even told us that it was because we were “still in a 4G network area, so it won’t work until you go outside the 4G range.” We knew that had to be 100% pure hogwash, but we drove NW 20 miles out past Helotes on Hwy 16 until we lost all 4G signal and then some. We were now in an area that we had previously used our Sprint 3G card with 1.3mbps download speed! Same error message received.
We’ve received the CLEAR Wimax Internet March / April Spring Special Deals, and there have been some significant changes to the pricing structure, just as we had “warned” you about earlier.
There are no more “PICK1″, “PICK2″ or “PICK3″ plans. Instead you have “Get 1“, “Get 2“, etc. And instead of saying “Home” and “Mobile“, we now have “Home” and “On-the-Go” Internet services. The CLEAR combo 4G/3G USB card for your laptop is now the “CLEAR USB 4G+” modem. If you wanted the old PICK3 plan that let you have a Home Modem and 2 USB modems, sorry, not available any more.
One of the big improvements, in our opinion, is the ablity to substitute a CLEAR USB 4G+ modem in place of a CLEAR USB 4G (only) modem, by adding $15/month to the service plan, and then leasing or purchasing the appropriate modem. The Home modem remains in 4G mode only.
We went out of town last week, flying thru Houston to St. Louis on the way out, St. Louis thru Dallas back to San Antonio on the way back. No signals in St. Louis yet, but we’ve been told from various sources that CLEAR is getting their infrastructure planned for that city to implement later in 2010.
Obviously Houston is already on the calendar for activation in about another month or two, But Dallas was already activated.
CLEAR WiMAX Speed Test from Inside Southwest Airlines 737 Jet
So, when we passed thru Dallas on the way back home, and we were sitting in the Southwest Airlines 737 Jet at the gate waiting to load new passengers, we cranked up the laptop and checked out CLEAR’s signal from inside the airplane.
We got an amazing 8.39 mbps download speed while sitting inside the airplane! Wow!
Obviously if you travel a lot outside the CLEAR coverage areas, you want to get the combination 3G/4G modem for your laptop, not the less expensive 4G modem. CLEAR offers a combo 3G/4G USB modem card that runs on the CLEAR WiMAX network in 4G mode, and then it drops down to 3G on the Sprint PCS network (with a 5gb usage cap). Pricing is competitive with similar offerings from Sprint (cause they use the same network) and the new offering from Time Warner (also using CLEAR’s network).
CLEAR offers the option to buy the combo card, or lease it for a few bucks per month. In our opinion, you are better off leasing the card under contract than you are to buy it out right.
Contact us at 210-771-7075 or lee@wimaxsatx.com for more information about this item or any other service that CLEAR offers. Don’t forget, we also offer on-site service, free demonstrations on-site, and computer services (anti-virus, anti-spyware, PC troublehooting, etc.).
We constantly get the question “Should I switch to CLEAR?” But the answer isn’t as simple as you may think. The easy answer is “Of course!” The better answer is “Let’s look at your needs, and see what you are doing now for Internet, then let’s find the best solution for you.”
If you are looking for strictly mobile Internet access, and you stay primarily in the areas covered by CLEAR, then the answer is “YES” without any further question.
If you travel a lot outside the coverage area, you will want to invest in the more expensive combo 3G/4G modem and plan, so that you always have (or will have most of the time) Internet access of some sort. When inside CLEAR’s coverage area, you get the 4G higher speed and no limits / cap on usage. When outside CLEAR’s coverage area, it will change over automatically to SPRINT’s PCS Data Coverage which is slower, and has a 5gb/month download limit. If you exceed that limit, they charge you $10/gb. Ouch!
If you stay at home, don’t need mobile Internet, then let’s look at what you have now. If you are on DSL, you will probably benefit by switching to CLEAR. If you are on Road Runner Cable, other than Turbo, you “might” benefit by switching. If you are on RR Cable Turbo, and you get more than 10mbps download speeds (using www.speedtest.net) then you are likely not a candidate for switching.
Confused? Don’t be! Call the experts at WiMAX SATX for a free home visit / evaluation and we’ll work with you to find the best deal! Call us at 210-771-7075 or email us at lee@wimaxsatx.com
Okay, we’ve been asked to directly compare CLEAR’s combo card offering with SPRINT’s combo card offering, and here is what were able to come up with. We’re an actual customer of both services (Sprint PCS phones & 3G card, CLEAR 4G).
Both offer the monthly rate of about $70/month. Sprint is a penny cheaper, or are they? Our Sprint bill tends to have extra “regulatory recovery fees” in addition to sales tax. Our CLEAR bill only has sales tax.
Both have usage caps on the 3G side of 5gb/month, but if you are in the 4G network area, that usage is unlimted and much, much, much faster anyway. Both cards run on exactly the same network of cell towers, no difference in quality of signal, etc., cause they are using the same cell sites.
Sprint has announced the launch of their USN U301, the carrier’s first dual-mode 3G/4G wireless USB modem.
The device works on the new Clear WiMax network and allows for customers to connect with Sprint’s 4G WiMax network or its 3G mobile broadband network while on the go. Prior to the launch of the U301, Sprint’s official WiMax lineup has consisted of only one single modem, the U300.
The U301 offers 3G and WiMax the same way the U300 did, but it is smaller and comes with Mac and Windows 7 support. It offers peak downloads of more than 10Mbps with the WiMax network and peak downloads of 3.1Mbps on Sprint’s 3G network. The device will also connect to EVDO Rev. 0 and 1xRTT networks when not in a WiMax coverage area.
Decided to do a test today in San Antonio, Texas, comparing CLEAR WiMax with Road Runner Turbo and with my Sprint PCS 3G USB modem.
I”m running Road Runner Cable Turbo Speed at home, so it wasn’t really a fair test. I already knew what the results would be. But the Voice over IP (telephone) box still works quite well even with the lower speed, and cruising the Net is still very pleasant at this speed.
Basic RR would likely be about the same as what I’m getting on CLEAR at the moment, and the RR speed shown is not my usual speed all the time. It can drop at times below 10mbps download speed, depending upon whom else is using RR in my immediate neighborhood.
If you are running AT&T DSL, however, this speed by CLEAR would likely have been the same or faster, as what you are likely getting right now from AT&T.
But when you stop and think about, that 4G wireless speed was using my laptop, and I could get that same speed out in the middle of a parking lot, at the Soccer Field, where ever, it gets to be downright amazing when you compare this with my SprintPCS USB 3G Modem Speed. (See results on left)
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We became an Authorized Retailer for Clear.com in October 2009. We were the 3rd to be activated in San Antonio on November 1st, and among the first hundred dealers to pass their stringent requirements and sign up for this great service. We've remained in the top 1/3 of all San Antonio area dealers in sales volume of sales since then.
We are NOT CLEAR employees, we are an independent dealer providing a value added service at CLEAR's posted prices and plans, plus offering extra service for Computer repairs and upgrades, DirecTV sales and installs, Home Stereo / cabling installation or repairs, etc. Ask and it shall be done if we can do it well.
We bring the CLEAR WiMAX equipment to you, perform free signal tests and demonstrate the service in full, prior to signing you up for any service. This on-site service is always free.
As a result of this extra care and attention we pay to our customers, we've only had 1 customer cancel his CLEAR service in this first 6 months of service in the San Antonio area, and he lived way out on the fringe of the coverage area to start with.
We are also accepting applications for sales folks who want to work on a 100% commission basis, selling CLEAR services for us in the San Antonio market, or elsewhere. We're willing to work out deals that nobody else will offer, if you are ready to make qualified sales.
We don't hide behind a faceless web site, unlike some of our competitors, so here's the contact info...
But when you stop and think about, that 4G wireless speed was using my laptop, and I could get that same speed out in the middle of a parking lot, at the Soccer Field, where ever, it gets to be downright amazing when you compare this with my SprintPCS USB 3G Modem Speed. (See results on left)