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FreedomPop Offers $99 4G Hotspot Built Into iPhone Case

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,553
30,882



freedompop.png


With the launch of the new iPad, equipped with 4G LTE cellular data, it seems likely that the next iPhone will be similarly supplied. Until then, a new startup called FreedomPop is rolling out a new iPhone case/sled that includes a Wi-Fi hotspot powered by the Clearwire 4G network.

FreedomPop, being backed by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennstrom, is offering the $99 device with 500MB of free data use each month, and should ship by the end of the summer. All Things D reports that the company is hoping to act as an alternative to throttled data services provided by native carriers.
"The timing couldn't be better for our product," said FreedomPop VP of Product Mauricio Sastre in a statement. "Carriers are throttling data and increasing prices and users are desperate for affordable alternatives. As the mobile industry flexes its joint oligopolistic power, we want to ensure that we are keeping them honest."
Click to expand...
The FreedomPop 4G iPhone Sleeve can be preordered from the company's website.

Article Link: FreedomPop Offers $99 4G Hotspot Built Into iPhone Case
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/05/10/freedompop-offers-99-4g-hotspot-built-into-iphone-case/
macduke

macduke

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,142
19,682
So they're rallying against the “oligopolistic power” of the carriers? So where do they get their data stream? Do they magic it from the sky?

Also be wary of any new free services. Often when something is free, YOU are the product being sold. I haven't read up on this but those considering it would be well advised to do so. Look no further than Google or Facebook.
 
spillproof

spillproof

macrumors 68020
Jun 4, 2009
2,028
2
USA
This seems to good to be true. $100 one time payment for a device that can give me 500MB of 4G speeds every month for free and create personal hotspots for my wifi only devices?

Or am I missing something? Because if it is true, I'm all over it.
 
toronado455

toronado455

macrumors regular
Apr 2, 2009
212
15
spillproof said:
This seems to good to be true. $100 one time payment for a device that can give me 500MB of 4G speeds every month for free and create personal hotspots for my wifi only devices?

Or am I missing something? Because if it is true, I'm all over it.
Click to expand...

This is similar to what NetZero is doing with Clearwire. One time device payment for free access, but only a small amount of data. They are hoping that users will upgrade to a paid plan once they realize how inadequate the free account is.
 
A

ace198

macrumors regular
Oct 8, 2007
157
1
Is it 500 MBs or 1 GB? On the site it says "Get up to 1GB FREE broadband".
 
T

tasset

macrumors 6502a
May 22, 2007
572
200
I'm sure this is true. The problem I suspect is Clear's "4G" network performs like ass. That was my experience when using one of their hotspots awhile back. And I live in a supposed good coverage area. I was lucky to get 1-2Mb speeds. Alot of time it had trouble finding a tower.
 
schlitzz

schlitzz

macrumors regular
Jul 24, 2008
152
274
Bremerton, WA "Home of the Bremaloes!!"
tasset said:
I'm sure this is true. The problem I suspect is Clear's "4G" network performs like ass. That was my experience when using one of their hotspots awhile back. And I live in a supposed good coverage area. I was lucky to get 1-2Mb speeds. Alot of time it had trouble finding a tower.
Click to expand...

I had a terrible experience with their iSpot device and service. First off, their service as stated above sucks. But I had a bigger problem of billing, canceling, and still getting charged by those bozos months after I ended service. Hell, I paid for my device, and I still got slapped with the device rental fee. And then I got enrolled into a device plan for maintenance. They're goddamn frauds!!
 
R

reden

macrumors 6502a
Aug 30, 2006
716
824
"FreedomPop - Free Access for All". Not really, you're charging 100 dollars for it.
 
A

aajeev

macrumors regular
May 7, 2008
111
0
So is it 500Mb or 1Gb? Not that 500Mb isn't enough, but I sometimes will go slightly over 500Mb. I think it says 1Gb according to the website. I might go for this if I can get more review about the quality of the service and the service area. $100/year that comes down to about $8 a month vs. anything thats out there right now, I'll go for it...
 
A

ace198

macrumors regular
Oct 8, 2007
157
1
vics43 said:
Does this product offer connectivity for other devices (IE, my WiFi only iPad) via this iPhone Hot-Spot?
Click to expand...


"FreedomPop is rolling out a new iPhone case/sled that includes a Wi-Fi hotspot powered by the Clearwire 4G network."
 
G

gatearray

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2010
1,130
232
The video in this post presents itself as a third-party review. The announcer says he "thinks" this is not available to the public yet and he "feels privileged" to be checking it out. At the end of the video, he says it seems pretty cool and he "thinks" he is a fan...

This is the very same video posted as a demonstration on FreedomPop's own website for pre-orders.

It seems very strange to me that they wouldn't have their own promotional video for this amazing new product, and they are instead apparently relying on some random guy's video review of it, presented as unbiased testimonial.

Equally troubling is the fact that there was a hard cut in between showing he was connected to the FreedomPop Wi-Fi signal, and then showing the speed test. How do we know he was still on the FreedomPop Wi-Fi network? There is no reason he couldn't have immediately launched the speed test app from the phone without an edit in the video.

Caveat Emptor?
 
A

astral125

macrumors 6502
Jul 24, 2011
288
0
I tried to preorder one, but they said they aren't offering service in Phoenix. Looking at the map it looks like they are offering it everywhere else but here.
 
C

coolcash

macrumors newbie
Jul 26, 2010
2
0
Terms of Service...

Read their ToS. They will skim all your info, get access to all your social networking sites and other personal information.

Your information might be sent to 3rd parties for:

Email, telemarketing, SMS, etc.

http://www.freedompop.com/privacy.htm

Not a good deal at all for giving up all your information.
 
V

vics43

macrumors newbie
Jan 5, 2006
12
0
Vancouver
The Speed Test he ran was a big Turn-Off for me. I routinely get 25-30 Mps Down speeds with my LinkSys E200 Router at home on my iPhone4, and out in public WiFi I get 5-7 Mps. So why am I gonna pay $100 for this again?!
 
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