Sprint Confirms Wi-Fi BlackBerry Tour, Required Wi-Fi from All PDAs
By Simon Sage on Friday, July 10th, 2009 at 10:45 AM PST In BlackBerry, Sprint, Wi-Fi
A Wi-Fi-enabled Verizon (NYSE: VZ) BlackBerry (NSDQ: RIMM) Tour code-named Atlas was rumoured awhile back, and now has received an official nod from Jeff Clemow, Sprint (NYSE: S)’s director of business product marketing. Although CDMA ‘berries have been hurting for the feature since RIM first started supporting it in the 8820, it’s not just BlackBerry getting Wi-Fi – it’s apparently a new requirement for manufacturers who want to get on their network.
“Sprint is embracing WiFi in all its major devices going forward … It is now a requirement for all our PDA equipment suppliers to include WiFi,” Clemow said, pointing to the new Palm (NSDQ: PALM) Pre, which sports WiFi, as evidence of the carrier’s new position. “Several quarters ago we made a conscious decision to require all of our PDA suppliers to support WiFi.”
Personally, Wi-Fi is a clincher when it comes to the Tour, as it surely is for many other discriminating smartphone shoppers – if you’re holding out for the Atlas, though, you’ll have to wait until 2010 before Sprint offers it.
[via FierceWireless]
I am really excited about Sprint PCS requiring that all future smart phone producers that want to be on the Sprint Network will need to enable Wifi! This is great information! I will be switching to Sprint as soon as my current Verizon contract is up in December! Go Sprint! I’m glad I’m deciding to give your network another chance!
[...] A Wi-Fi-enabled Verizon BlackBerry Tour code-named Atlas was rumoured awhile back, and now has received an official nod from Jeff Clemow, Sprint?s director of business product marketing Sprint Confirms Wi-Fi BlackBerry Tour, Required Wi-Fi from All PDAs [...]