Monday, January 24, 2011

Google adding GSM Network Support to Chrome OS, Prepping Global Distribution of Cr-48s?

Disclaimer: This is all wild speculation on my part, I have no insider information.

Google has started adding support for GSM networks to Chrome OS on the Cr-48. As you may be aware, the Cr-48's Gobi 2000 3G Modem is capable of working on CDMA (Verizon/Sprint) and GSM networks (AT&T, T-mobile, and pretty much every other cellular network in the world). The Cr-48s that have shipped in the U.S. have only made use of CDMA, specifically Verizon's network. The GSM radio and that SIM card slot under the battery have sat unused so far.

Here's where the speculation begins. We think Google order 60,000 Cr-48s from Inventec. We think roughly a fourth of those, 15,000 laptops have shipped out in the 1st wave of deliveries. We know more Cr-48s are shipping very soon (though I wouldn't be surprised if they don't ship this week, shipping dates tend to slip). Might the 2nd wave of Cr-48s be an International launch? Or, with GSM support in it's infancy, maybe the plan is that the 3rd wave will be International?

While we wait to find out, feel free to throw out your own wild speculations in the comments :-)
Posted by at

7 comments:

  1. mvndaaiJanuary 24, 2011 at 3:42 PM

    I wonder how well this will work. Mostly if AT&T will let me take my sim card out of my iPhone and use that internet, or are they going to block that somehow.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jay LeeJanuary 24, 2011 at 3:46 PM

    @Jason: Google's Nexus One phone was unlocked, so I'd be shocked if the Cr-48 were locked down. Once GSM support is added, it should be possible to pop in an AT&T or T-mobile SIM card and hop on. Note though that I don't believe the Gobi 2000 3G modem supports T-mobile's 1700mhz 3G band so it'd be EDGE only on T-mobile.

    Jay

    ReplyDelete
  3. coggy9January 24, 2011 at 7:18 PM

    I just hope T-Mobile won't charge me extra for using the same SIM in 2 devices(Got an unactivated SIM card... ;) )

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJanuary 25, 2011 at 2:07 AM

    this will be great if they add gsm support to chrome os for the cr-48 .... has anyone with ubuntu on the cr-48 managed to make use of the sim card slot with a gsm sim ?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Gerad Munsch [KD9QZO]January 25, 2011 at 4:36 AM

    I've managed to get T-Mobile working in Ubuntu on my Cr-48. I haven't gone to a known 3G area to try that out, though.

    ReplyDelete
  6. coggy9January 25, 2011 at 5:20 PM

    UNFORGiVEN512,did you have to do anything to get Ubuntu to see the SIM? I can goto a 3G area and test.

    ReplyDelete
  7. UnknownFebruary 1, 2011 at 10:38 AM

    @UNFORGiVEN512 - please share how do you got that?

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)