T-Mobile Launches HotSpot @Home
T-Mobile has officially launched the long-anticipated HotSpot @Home service. The service allows the supported handsets to seamlessly switch between wi-fi and cellular networks to make and receive calls. Included in the HotSpot @Home package is a wi-fi router that is used to create a wireless network at your home, creating a "hotspot" where you can enjoy VOIP service that doesn’t use up your plan’s minutes. As you go about your day, if you end up at one of T-Mobile’s nearly 8000 hotspots nationwide, your cell phone will switch to using the wi-fi network offered there. The switch is meant to happen seamlessly, meaning even if you’re on a call while walking into a Starbucks, the call will not be dropped. Currently, only two phones work with the service, the Nokia 6086 and the Samsung T409—a, but I’m sure we’ll see more in the future as the service really takes off. Launching this service during the week of the iPhone hysteria seems odd, but then I saw Scoble’s post and understood. It’s not a $500 fancy phone with all the bells and whistles. It’s a basic phone that saves you money. Genius!
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I love the hotspot@home idea, but don’t praise the cheap phone idea. That was a stupid idea on the part of T-mobile. i want hotspot@home but I am not paying 50 bucks for a phone that looks like a phone I would have gotten free 7 years ago. They need to launch better phones ASAP. (partly because I fear if they don’t it won’t catch on as much as they hoped and I fear not being able to get it in the future - i am waiting for a better phone to come out). They are missing the entire 20-something market who wants good service and good phones.
This is a good phone with lots of features. The hotspot idea works well and I am very pleased with the whole process.