Will the New iPhone Personal Hotspot Capabilities Make a Viable Business Tool?
It’s official. The Apple iPhone is coming to Verizon. What changes can we expect? Well, outside of a new wireless network that is widely believed to be far more reliable that AT&T’s, and some minor cosmetic changes, it will pretty much the same smartphone you know and love. However, there is a new exclusive Verizon feature that the telecommunications provider calls Personal Hotspots. This feature has the potential to give the iPhone much more juice is a business tool.
What are Personal HotSpots?
Personal Hotspots is essentially a feature that transforms your iPhone into an internet hub. It allows you to create a centralized hotspot and share the connection over WiFi with up to five devices. These devices could be laptops or other mobile phones with WiFi capabilities. This is a luxury that is currently not offered on the AT&T version. Although AT&T does let you tether, it limits you to one device via a Bluetooth or USB connection. The main draw to the Verizon iPhone as it relates to business use is that WiFi is far more convenient, and Personal Hotspots in particular is the ability it offers to connect more devices.
Enabling Personal Hotspots
Built directly into the settings of the iPhone’s new operating system the iOS 4.2.5, the Personal Hotspots feature is easy to activate. Simply tap the “Personal Hotspots” icon, and you will be taken to a menu that allows you to personalize your settings from various options. While it is the central component of the feature, using a Wi-Fi connection is not mandatory as you can also choose from Bluetooth and USB. If Wi-Fi is your choice, you can designate a password for security purposes if you prefer, and confirm your selection on the next screen. Once you tap “Turn on WiFi”, all you have to do is choose “iPhone” from the networking settings of your laptop or whatever device you want to connect, and you’re good to go.
Personal Hotspots Adoption
The Personal Hotspots feature will potentially be quite useful for business users who run out and snatch up the new Verizon iPhone, but what up those who are stuck with the AT&T version? That all remains to be seen. There is currently no word from Apple or AT&T on whether the existing OS will receive an upgrade. Perhaps the real question is whether or not it is worth making the switch from AT&T to Verizon. It was recently announced that Verizon would be charging an additional $20 per month to use the feature, which could be a disadvantage for those on a budget.
Business users who feel as if the price is too steep will likely continue to rely on iPhone jailbreak apps such as MyWii, which pretty much has the capabilities as Personal Hotspots, yet for a one-time fee. It will be interesting to see the rate at which the feature is adopted.
About the Author:
Fletcher is a best practices activist and advocate for a leading Web and permission-based email marketing services.
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