Virgin Mobile Overdrive Pro 3G/4G review

[rkawakami]

Most people that know me know that I still have a "caveman" cell phone; i.e., just a simple phone that handles voice calls and texts. While my phone (Sony Ericsson W810i) does have a rudimentary web browser, I never use it. I've refused to buy into the smartphone universe (although I'm paying for my family's iPhone data plans). Recently, a change at work with the WiFi network access led me to look into mobile hotspot hardware. While I have some systems which can be upgraded with WWAN cards, I desired net access with several different devices (various Thinkpads, iPod Touch, iPad). Eventually, I realized that the only thing that would easily allow me to connect whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, was a MiFi device. I looked around at the various providers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint, Virgin Mobile) and the data plans they offered. I figured that I only needed a couple of GB per month and that it was mostly going to be at work or my parent's house (the bridge I set up hooking into Mountain View's free Google Wifi system was not working out too well). I settled on Virgin Mobile's Broadband2Go $35/month 3G/4G plan. It provides 2GB of data using their 3G network and "unlimited" data with the 4G (WiMAX) network. Well, actually, it's not really their network; they get access via Sprint's. It's also a month-to-month plan; no long term contract to deal with (that might come in handy later on; more on this below). Their unlimited 4G data plan does get speed-throttled when you exceed 10GB for the month. You're not supposed to use the net connection for continuous streaming according to a quick but incomplete scan I made of their EULA when I signed it .

Having checked Sprint's coverage maps and seeing that both 3G and 4G was "available" at both locations, I ordered the $78 Overdrive Pro. A few days later the unit arrived and it took me an hour or so to get it configured correctly and signed up for the data plan. My home is in the middle of a 4G dead zone so I could not verify that access but the 3G seemed to work okay. The first real-world use was the next day on a CalTrain ride up to San Francisco, a trip that my wife and I had scheduled a week before. I brought along my 4th generation Touch. I got good access on the 4G system most of the way. When that dropped off, the unit switched to 3G but I was still connected. In SF we walked from the train station up the Embarcadero to Pier 17, a distance of about 2 miles. I wasn't monitoring the Overdrive Pro all of the way, but whenever I checked my iPod, I had network access.

I've used the unit for the past week here at work. I'm getting a 10-20% 3G signal in my cubicle (about 20' from the windows). 4G coverage is non-existent at my desk. But in a workroom/lab further inside the building, I do get a steady, but weak, 4G signal. It's good enough to stream a radio station feed, something I wouldn't normally do with 3G as it would eat into my data allotment. I'm guessing that the Sprint cell tower is located on the opposite side of the building from my cube. Outside it's great. I realized the other day that I could probably FaceTime with the members of my family while driving in my car . I just ran a speed check using DSLReports.com and download speed was 140Kbps and upload was 100Kbps. Definitely not great, but it's better than nothing at all.

The unit itself is about 3" x 3" x 0.5". There's a power button below the small LCD. Press and hold to turn it on and off. When on, two quick presses brings up the first of six status screens (keeping double-pressing to cycle through the remaining menus). The main screen shows the signal strength, whether you're connected to the 3G or 4G system, the number of WiFi devices currently connected and the battery usage. Other screens will show the WiFi settings, if there are any alerts to deal with, the amount of 3G and 4G data that's been transmitted, the overall network status and if there's any software updates available. The battery seems to last about 6 hours of intermittent use. It does get a little warm when powered via the AC adapter, connecting to a MicroUSB socket. There's also two antenna jacks next to the USB port. My understanding is that you could mount the unit into a desk docking station and that it provided a slight boost to the WiMax signal. It's also my understanding that it didn't work very well as Sprint quickly withdrew that peripheral.

Sprint's 4G WiMax network is basically an obsolete system. As is typical for cell phone broadcast technology, it might only be around for a few more years before it (and LTE) gets replaced with something else. If that's the case, then I don't need to worry about any contract and I'll deal with that bridge when (if) it comes. It's also my understanding that since I signed up for the $35 plan, I'll be grandfathered in when this plan is withdrawn next week.

ref: http://www.virginmobileusa.com/marketin ... o-old.html ($5/$35/$55 unlimited 4G plans only available until Oct 31, 2013)
ref: http://www.virginmobileusa.com/mobile-b ... /overview/ ($5/$25/$55 plans w/o unlimited 4G)
ref: http://www.virginmobileusa.com/mobile-b ... 2-go/faqs/

EDIT (Jan 5, 2015): A few months ago Sprint announced that it will be shutting down their WiMAX service by November 2015. It's unknown at this time what, if any, plans are there to migrate to LTE when this happens. I guess the worst case is that the 3G will still work and I simply won't have access to a 4G (WiMAX) signal (and unlimited data) any more.

ref: http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/colu ... /19917605/
ref: http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/09/spri ... er-6-2015/

[Tõnis]

My cell phone is by many peoples' standards a "caveman phone." I'm on old school BlackBerry (Bold 9650 - Sprint). The browser is basic, and I only use it for checking a few forums and occasionally looking something up. On the other hand, the email over BlackBerry Internet Service is second to none. I have eight email accounts, and they all push instantly to my handset. Instant messengers (Google Talk and YIM), including BBM which has just gone cross-platform to android and ios, are also terrific. And let's not forget phone calls and basic SMS when we talk smartphones; calling should still be reliable and clear. On my ancient technology it is.

All that said, I think you'll enjoy your mifi device. It's wonderful to have internet on the go and not be limited to wifi hotspots. I had an active Sprint 3G Novatel U727 since 2007 which I just got rid of a few months ago. (Circumstances changed, and my usage for the past two years was way down, not even 1 GB/mo.) I was on Sprint's true unlimited plan which ran me about $80/mo with all the fees until about two years ago when I dropped it down to a 2 or 3 GB plan (forget which one, but it was about $35 before the taxes). Before I changed the plan, I was grandfathered in even after the 5GB data cap went into effect. As I understood it, Sprint wasn't charging overage fees for those who went over 5 GB on the grandfathered plans, but it did reserve the right to throttle speeds when a user did. I think people on new "unlimited" plans were getting charged for going over 5GB.

As for performance, it suited my needs completely. Though the 3G download speed was slow compared to home cable, it handled my daily skype, aim, yahoo, and msn audio and video calls with a loved one in Europe perfectly. I spent hours using it in my van every day. If my 3G device handled all that as well as it did, I think your 4G/LTE will be remarkably more versatile. Enjoy it!

Sprint Novatel U727 USB modem: http://www6.pcmag.com/media/images/1706 ... -modem.gif

[bill bolton]

Most people that know me know that I still have a "caveman" cell phone; i.e., just a simple phone that handles voice calls and texts.

Nokia still makes a quite nice one.

I just replaced my wife's Nokia 6233 (that cost several hundred dollars when new) which suffered a screen failure after about 6+ years of good service, with a new a Nokia C1 (which cost about $50) - she just doesn't want anything more than a basic mobile phone.

he C1 has pretty much the same look/feel/interface/settings as the 6233, so no retraining was necessary

Cheers,

Bill B.

[rkawakami]

Thanks for the info on the Nokia. Besides not wanting a smartphone and the associated data plan that goes with it, three other crucial features that any cell phone I buy must have is an FM radio, dedicated (not touchscreen) buttons and a quick way to re-dial. It appears from a quick glance at the Nokia site that several phones might fit that bill if if/when the W810i dies. However, with all of the stuff that I already have that supports it (charger, earbuds, cases, etc.), I'll more than likely try to find a used one on eBay and simply swap out the SIM card.

[Temetka]

I used to use a Motorla Razr for years until it died. Then I got my first smartphone, the Samsung Blackjack II. A windows Mobile phone. I loved it.

I am now rocking a Galaxy S3 that my work provided for me. I love it. Yes, it makes calls. But I also make a lot of use of the GPS for monitoring traffic using google maps. I also have an app that activates the LED flash for use as a flashlight. I think this is the single most used app on the phone. I also have the Nook app loaded for reading books. I have the whole internet in the palm of my hand and in a pinch I can pair it with my laptop to download something if the internet is down (or slow) at a client location. I'll use this phone until it dies. I really have no need for anything fancier, faster or whatever. If somehow a Note2 or Note3 fell into my hands, I wouldn't complain.

But let's be honest. My phone has a dual core CPU, 2GB of RAM, and an LTE radio which I have clocked at 24.75MB down and 12.24MB up. Yeah, that'll do just fine.

[rkawakami]

Well, I'm probably not going to get anywhere close to that but I just ran the same speed test from the parking lot at work (60% 4G signal) and I got 3.9Mbps down and 1.12Mpbs up. Not too bad. If only I lived in an area where Sprint's 4G signal reaches then I might consider dumping DSL, where it's about 1/3 the speed of this unit.

[Tõnis]

Hard to believe that's 4G. It looks about what my 3G signal used deliver.

[rkawakami]

I believe that WiMAX was Sprint's first attempt at "4G" technology. Much slower than current 4G systems and even some of today's 3G. That's why it's being phased out in favor of LTE. For the uses that I need it for, even Sprint's 3G system is okay for the $35/month I'm paying for it. Is there any other system that I should consider (other than the ones I mentioned at the top of this thread)? $35 is about my limit for mobile broadband (?) access.

[Tõnis]

I believe that WiMAX was Sprint's first attempt at "4G" technology. Much slower than current 4G systems and even some of today's 3G. That's why it's being phased out in favor of LTE. For the uses that I need it for, even Sprint's 3G system is okay for the $35/month I'm paying for it. Is there any other system that I should consider (other than the ones I mentioned at the top of this thread)? $35 is about my limit for mobile broadband (?) access.

I'm only familiar with Sprint, but that $35/mo plan that includes 2GB on 3G and unlimited LTE looks like the best value to me. My device was only 3G and worked surprisingly well with video calling, but I would think the more you're connected to LTE the better for performance and concerns over data usage. There was a time when I was doing 3-6 hours of video and audio calling per day over 3G. I would often even leave the audio calls open all night and would run anywhere from 5GB/mo on the low end to 10GB/mo on the high end. I doubt you'll be doing anything that absurd, so the 3G data limitation is probably not a factor. You can probably track it on Virgin's website, too. Do see what they mean by "unlimited." I had true unlimited, but most carriers including Sprint eventually went to "Unlimited" = 5GB/mo.

[twistero]

Ah, the Sony-Ericsson W810i. I've always been a Nokia fan (before a certain fruit company completely wiped out the non-touchscreen smartphone scene), but the W810i is one of the classic non-Nokia phones I wanted to own. It was one of the first phones to have an autofocus camera, and there were some truly amazing 3d games made for it thanks to SE's custom 3d APIs (like the original Galaxy on Fire).

Have you looked into FreedomPop and their offerings for mobile internet? They are also an MVNO using Sprint's CDMA/WiMax network like Virgin. After purchasing their hardware, you get 500MB data on WiMax (4G) per month for free. There's a small monthly fee to use CDMA (3G), and paid plans for more data. From what I read they are very aggressive in trying to upsell, but do deliver the free service as promised.

[Puppy]

You are still lucky. I live in strange country with almost no hispeed mobile Internet. The 3G/HSPA+ coverage is worse than 50% (T-Mobile) or even 26% (Vodafone). Most of areas have slow 2G GPRS/EDGE signal only including historic center of Prague (capital). The 3G network expansion has stopped somewhere in 2012 so the coverage will not improve. There are LTE spectrum auctions ongoing but it have been withdrawn because there is no new mobile operator that might improve the situation.

Existing oligopoly (T-Mobile, O2, Vodafone) would probably repeat what they did with 3G, they have bought the frequencies not to actually build the network but to block them for any possible competition. The scenario will very likely repeat with 4G/LTE as well.

The most funny thing is Vodafone has just announced a LTE service called "Turbo Internet" It is 3G/LTE service with maximum download speed 15 MBit/s that is slower than 3G/HSPA+ (21 MBit/s). It is hopeless ... There is no other EU country having such underdeveloped (and overpriced) mobile Internet services market.

[rkawakami]

Ah, the Sony-Ericsson W810i. <snip>

I've loved this phone since I switched over my cell from Sprint to AT&T. It does everything I need it to do and (so far) it hasn't broken the many times I've dropped it. About the only things I don't do on it are the aforementioned web access, playing games or using it as an MP3 player (despite it being a Walkman). It takes passable pictures, can transfer them via Bluetooth or IR, has several built-in 'apps' such as a calendar, alarm, calculator, stopwatch, timer. I just bought a used one from eBay for $23; should be here in a couple of days.

Have you looked into FreedomPop and their offerings for mobile internet? They are also an MVNO using Sprint's CDMA/WiMax network like Virgin. After purchasing their hardware, you get 500MB data on WiMax (4G) per month for free. There's a small monthly fee to use CDMA (3G), and paid plans for more data. From what I read they are very aggressive in trying to upsell, but do deliver the free service as promised.

Yes I did. I actually attempted their sign-up process but I bailed. It didn't start out too well when the first thing they asked for was an email address. I put in a dummy address (test@test.com) and was told it was in use already . From reading some reviews online, I came away with the impression that they weren't that user-friendly.