[BigBadWulf]

I can think of several reasons why Wi-Fi Hotspot has not been included.

1. Since many carriers still have a lot of customers on unlimited plans, it's of no interest to them having people streaming movies from Netflix via BlackBerry to their home entertainment center. Once it's all tiered, I bet they'd love it on there.

2. It would be an additional antenna along with software. The added cost could have caused it to be discarded at this time.

3. Testing may have proved the added antenna interfered with signal quality, thus they'd not include it till that was resolved.

4. RIM did it just to tick off the loyalists. Something kicked around every time they leave somebody's latest "must have" feature off.

It's certainly something I'd love to see offered, but nothing that would make me switch platforms. For me it's not near the top of my priority list. If it is for you, I guess it's time to go to the dark side.

5. Possibly RIM found the Hotspot a security risk, as a backdoor entry they haven't managed to close yet. That would be one heck of a reason to not include it.

[green_ember]

I'm guessing since all data highways lead to Rome...er, RIM, that Hotspot functionality on BB's would CRUSH the NOCs and they're just not ready for it...

[Detective M Downs]

Posted on Berryreview.


BlackBerry Curve 9360 Also Sporting Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot
by Ronen Halevy on Aug 5th, 2011Join the Conversation �

One of the features RIM has been very coy about in BlackBerry 7 has been the mobile Wi-Fi hotspot. We saw it pop up in documentation and even devices before but all the devices RIM has been showing off don’t have it featured. They also seem to be glossing over mentioning it on any of the devices they have announced. We are pretty sure that it is coming to the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and Torch 9810, 9850, and 9860 but RIM has not confirmed it as far

http://www.berryreview.com/

[DenverRalphy]

I'm guessing since all data highways lead to Rome...er, RIM, that Hotspot functionality on BB's would CRUSH the NOCs and they're just not ready for it...

I would speculate that it is related to traffic going through the NOC as well. But not an increased volume issue so much as it would be a tethered device not being compatible with it's NOC issue. Hence the reason for the bridge. I would guess that they'd need to develop a WiFi version of the bridge.

[GJW]

I just have a really hard time agreeing with the post that lack of wi-fi hotspot functionality is carrier driven. Rogers in Canada allows for that on android and iPhones, so clearly that's not the issue here. I would tend to agree with the poster who said that RIM is trying to keep the exclusive bridge functionality with the playbook. Having said that though, there are people, like myself who have, gasp, a blackberry and an iPad. Therefore, the lack of wi-fi hotspot functionality is a deal breaker when I'm looking at upgrading to their new phones or not.

As much as I was excited to see and hear about the new phones, I was more interested to see if the new software would allow for new features like this. Sadly, it looks more like an evolution of BB6.

Adding wi-fi hotspot would have just been another reason to stick with BB and now I'm not so sure.

BBMark - you and I are on the same page. I am having serious doubts about sticking with a BB given it limits me to ONLY the Playbook if I want a tablet that can leverage the 5gig data plan I'm already paying for for my phone (I'm on a grandfather'd t-mobile plan that doesn't charge extra for tethering!).

All of the leaked materials (including an leak of an internal t-mobile briefing doc) had wifi hotspot functionality as one of the major new features of these new handsets - and the info about the handsets was VERY accurate!

So RIM - unless you are interested in losing yet another 50,000 users in Q3, you better stop creating artificial barriers to your loyal customers getting what every other major handset OS supports just to try and prop up sales of your Playbook. If you want to sell more Playbooks - then GET MORE APPLICATIONS, and MORE USEFUL APPLICATIONS built for it! And deliver on your promise of Android application compatibility!

[Rootbrian]

BBMark - you and I are on the same page. I am having serious doubts about sticking with a BB given it limits me to ONLY the Playbook if I want a tablet that can leverage the 5gig data plan I'm already paying for for my phone (I'm on a grandfather'd t-mobile plan that doesn't charge extra for tethering!).

All of the leaked materials (including an leak of an internal t-mobile briefing doc) had wifi hotspot functionality as one of the major new features of these new handsets - and the info about the handsets was VERY accurate!

So RIM - unless you are interested in losing yet another 50,000 users in Q3, you better stop creating artificial barriers to your loyal customers getting what every other major handset OS supports just to try and prop up sales of your Playbook. If you want to sell more Playbooks - then GET MORE APPLICATIONS, and MORE USEFUL APPLICATIONS built for it! And deliver on your promise of Android application compatibility!

I doubt RIM removed those features. Maybe it was a typo all along.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[jimpilot]

A carrier can freely choose not to carry a device, or to limit a device's ability to perform a function on their network if they so choose. But what they can not do is dictate what features a manufacturer builds into their own products.

A carrier like VZW can custom order a device with specific feature sets all they wish if the manufacturer is willing to take their order. But it has absolutely nothing to do with whether a manufacturer decides to design and build certain device capabilities in their own products.

The question posed in this thread is why BB doesn't have WiFi tethering. The carriers do not mandate the decision. At best, the carriers can choose not to carry the product or custom order their own device.

I am not an expert on this, so if anyone is please feel free to correct anything that is not correct.

I have a program on my laptop that makes it into a wifi hotspot. It's called connectify and can be found for free here:

Connectify for Windows - Turn your Laptop or Smartphone into a Secure Wi-Fi Hotspot

There is no special hardware required, the software turns the wifi unit into a hotspot. So based on that I am assuming that wifi hotspot is a software add in, no special hardware required.

Based on that logic I would assume that any of the new devices can be hotspots if the carriers activate the software for it. If the phone doesn't have it, I have to assume the carrier made the decision not to have it in their software.

[kevinnugent]

There is no special hardware required, the software turns the wifi unit into a hotspot. So based on that I am assuming that wifi hotspot is a software add in, no special hardware required.

Based on that logic I would assume that any of the new devices can be hotspots if the carriers activate the software for it. If the phone doesn't have it, I have to assume the carrier made the decision not to have it in their software.

You are correct. Any wifi device can be made a personal hotspot. Begs the question then why RIM removed that part of the OS.

[jimpilot]

You are correct. Any wifi device can be made a personal hotspot. Begs the question then why RIM removed that part of the OS.

I don't think RIM would want to remove a feature that lack of seems to have so many folks so angry.

But I still wonder if the carriers are not taking a stand here. It seems the biggest users of Blackberrys are corporate customers.

We corporate customers mostly have myfi type hotspots or laptop plug ins, if the phone servered this function I could cancel the myfi. It's a lot more revenue than the fee they charge for the hotspot feature on Verizon.

Maybe someday we'll know for sure.

[jinxednuance]

So that's guaranteed there's no wifi hotspot on the 9900?

[kevinnugent]

It still doesn't explain why it appears to be missing on the non carrier handsets too.

Sometime RIM must have removed it, for unknown reasons. Maybe someone can ask RIM when they do an interview for the site.

[jimpilot]

http://forums.crackberry.com/blackbe...france-636017/

Looks like some demo units may have it

[jthep]

I really don't get why either RIM or the carriers wouldn't want WiFi hotspot features built into BB7 phones since its another cash cow for the carriers with people paying an extra $20-$25 a month!

I wouldn't pay for the feature, but many people would and it should be included as a phone feature and it should be up to the carriers what they will charge for it.

[rrrebo]

RIM does not allow ad hoc wifi connections on BB devices for security reasons. I wonder if that has anything to do with it. Maybe they are shaking out the kinks?

[sergesc]

The chipset does support it, and the feature is there. It is a MSM8655, the newer version of the QSD8650 which also supported the feature, my guess is RIM not enabling it for now?

We could take a wait and see position and wait for someone to exploit the feature perhaps, or wait for RIM to enable it? I simply can't believe they think that WiFi hotspot "is something users don't need/want", if so I'll be very pissed.

[BigBadWulf]

RIM does not allow ad hoc wifi connections on BB devices for security reasons. I wonder if that has anything to do with it. Maybe they are shaking out the kinks?

Exactly my thoughts, though we won't know till the dang thing is released, or a definitive answer is provided by RIM, and only RIM. I don't get what people don't get about security taking precedence over consumer wants/needs.

The chipset does support it, and the feature is there. It is a MSM8655, the newer version of the QSD8650 which also supported the feature, my guess is RIM not enabling it for now?

We could take a wait and see position and wait for someone to exploit the feature perhaps, or wait for RIM to enable it? I simply can't believe they think that WiFi hotspot "is something users don't need/want", if so I'll be very pissed.

See above.

[sergesc]

Exactly my thoughts, though we won't know till the dang thing is released, or a definitive answer is provided by RIM, and only RIM. I don't get what people don't get about security taking precedence over consumer wants/needs.



See above.

*sees above* The ceiling is white and clean, what am I looking again for? haha

I know about the security issue, I'm just ranting about it, because I travel quite a bit several times a year and sometimes I need my laptop with an Internet connection, but I refuse to pay for services like Boingo; and I would love to have the functionality, still not a deal-breaker though.

[rrrebo]

It's interesting to note that they chose Bluetooth for Bridge, given its almost comprehensive lack of security, but won't allow ad-hoc wifi. Hmm. *boggle*

[trucky]

It looks like it there will be WiFi Hotspot on 9360/80...

BlackBerry Curve 9360 Also Sporting Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot - BerryReview

[mxx]

Basically a wireless access point from which devices can gain internet access.

[DenverRalphy]

I don't get what people don't get about security taking precedence over consumer wants/needs.

Well to be honest.. Not everything needs top notch security at the consumer level. A consumer tethering a tablet or pad for leisurely pursuits (surfing the web, reading the news, updating a blog, transferring pics to/from a cloud service, etc) doesn't necessarily need a high level of security. Not everything needs to be passed through the NOC.

It's not unreasonable for a consumer to want WiFi hotspot capabilities. If a consumer finds that feature to be important enough, then they're going to find a platform that meets the need. A platform that allows the best security when it's needed, and accommodates lesser measures when called for, would be ideal.

[rrrebo]

I agree. RIM has struggled to embrace consumer needs while meeting strict security guidelines required by its bread-and-butter customers: enterprises and governments. Their most-moneyed clients care less about consumer-friendly features, and this has made it very difficult for RIM to play in both sandboxes. I'd love to see them diversify into a separate, non-NOC-dependant consumer line of products. Just don't know how feasible that is. Methinks QNX's modular approach (as opposed to monolithic) may make this a possibility in the near future. Perhaps lite consumer OS versions lacking the crypto kernel could be produced.

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[BigBadWulf]

Well to be honest.. Not everything needs top notch security at the consumer level. A consumer tethering a tablet or pad for leisurely pursuits (surfing the web, reading the news, updating a blog, transferring pics to/from a cloud service, etc) doesn't necessarily need a high level of security. Not everything needs to be passed through the NOC.

It's not unreasonable for a consumer to want WiFi hotspot capabilities. If a consumer finds that feature to be important enough, then they're going to find a platform that meets the need. A platform that allows the best security when it's needed, and accommodates lesser measures when called for, would be ideal.

I can dig the consumer end, but if it's BES capable, RIM must put it's priority towards security. Personally, if it isn't top notch security, me as a concumer user wants nothing to do with it either. If that's not your concern, BlackBerry probably isn't the product for you.

[rrrebo]

So far no reports of BlackBerries leaking personal info like Android and iOS...

Posted from my CrackBerry at wapforums.crackberry.com

[Tre Lawrence]

Well to be honest.. Not everything needs top notch security at the consumer level. A consumer tethering a tablet or pad for leisurely pursuits (surfing the web, reading the news, updating a blog, transferring pics to/from a cloud service, etc) doesn't necessarily need a high level of security. Not everything needs to be passed through the NOC.

It's not unreasonable for a consumer to want WiFi hotspot capabilities. If a consumer finds that feature to be important enough, then they're going to find a platform that meets the need. A platform that allows the best security when it's needed, and accommodates lesser measures when called for, would be ideal.

Hush, RM... we're all budding Jason Bournes, yearning for lives of espionage and secrecy...