US carrier tailors 3G jacket for iPod touch?

US wireless carrier Sprint is slated to offer a kind of handset sleeve that could provide 3G wireless access to an iPod Touch, the Apple iPhone that's not a phone. As noticed by Phone Scoop, Chinese manufacturer ZTE has submitted a Sprint-branded device to the Federal Communications Commission that can house a mini-tablet like …

[Blake St. Claire]

And I can light cigars with $100 notes too.

> But you may want to simply buy an iPhone and jailbreak it.

No, but thanks for playing.

1) If I use a Peel with a 64Gig iPod Touch, that has more capacity than any iPhone I can buy.

2) My iPod Touch is free. Do I need to explain how that works?

>That's now legal.

Well, it was always legal, but let's not let the facts get in the way.

But with my luck it will only work with the 2nd gen iPod Touch.

Apart from that, it's pure genius. I hope Sprint and T-Mobile merge and I can get one without having to switch carriers.

[Stu]

Surely this is just a...

...MiFi adapter wrapped up in a bulky iPod Touch case? Am I missing something?

<<<<<----- Need a question mark in an upside down warning triangle icon.

No fone calls, no SMS texts, 'cos apple wouldn't allow it anyway. Does it work only with Jailbroken phones, comes with some custom software to provide a phone/sms facility, if at all?

Guh?

[Adrian Coward]

@Stu

"...Does it work only with Jailbroken phones, comes with some custom software to provide a phone/sms facility, if at all?..."

As the article said, 'with a little help from Skype'.

[Alastair 7]

Well,

"MiFi adapter wrapped up in a bulky iPod Touch case? Am I missing something?"

Pretty much, except it isn't that bulky- especially when you factor in the fact that it has a battery in there. And it wraps around the iPod, so there's nothing extra to carry, as such. Also, if they're sensible they can really power down the wifi broadcast- it only has to reach a centimetre or so that way.

No phone calls? Skype- now multitasking enabled. No SMS texts? Skype again, or the myraid other over-the-web SMS apps on the App Store.

Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to be sticking with my Android phone, but this is a very interesting development.

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmm

Not bad, especially if it's cheap. The ipod touch is free via a back to school rebate at this time of year if you buy a mac computer. I got one last year but didn't have much use but something like this in the UK would interest me.

[Wpgwill]

Well...

Skype is available for SMS/Phone calls already, but it will cost you a monthly fee on top of what you pay for the jacket.

I would guess the battery life would be terrible though.

[Chad H.]

errrr...

It doesnt matter if you unlatch, unlock or Jailbreak your iPhone, it aint gunna work on Sprint's EvDo network without some magic gizmo.

[ratfox]

Will that really work?

Without an app that would be automatically disallowed by Apple?

[Matt.Smart]

There is no app.

I think the idea is that the whole thing acts like a MiFi - i.e., it generates a local wifi network which the iPod touch can connect to. There's therefore no need for an app.

[Matt.Smart]

troll spotting...

<insert pedentary comment about there being no such thing as an 'iTouch'/> ...thought I'd save you trolls the effort.

[Paul 172]

Does the ipod touch...

Have a microphone ?

[Blake St. Claire]

no microphone, no speaker(s) either

but if you buy this http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB770G/B?fnode=MTY1NDA3NA&mco=MTM3NDk2ODg then problem solved, or as you would say: sorted.