You not only have locked phones in some parts of this world that are “stuck” to a particular carrier, but data stick modems are also part of the equation. Not anymore, if Nova Media has their way thanks to the Mac OS X-friendly iCON 461 3G data stick modem that will be completely unlocked, letting it play nice with more or less the majority of 2G or 3G networks worldwide. The modem itself will boast a built-in GPS chip and a microSD memory card slot, where the latter helps it keep up with the Joneses so that it doubles up as a portable storage device.The iCON 461 will roll out with Launch2Net Premium for OS X, in addition to a connection manager for Windows (uCan Connect), so that you can play nice with either platform. Launch2Net Premium will also feature an SMS message manager, a GPS control panel and the ability to function as a personal hotspot. The software features connection settings will be compatible with the majority of mobile network providers around the world.
The iCON 461 will work with the 850/900/1900/2100 MHz frequencies, playing nice with HSPA (up to 7.2Mbps download, 5.76Mbps upload), in addition to 2G EDGE and GPRS connections (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) at up to 220kbps for downloads and up to 120kbps for uploads.
You will need an activated SIM card to get this up and running, where it will retail for around $256 (€179).