Sprint LivePro is a Pico Projector, Hotspot, and backup battery for your smartphone
Sprint and ZTE have teamed up to stuff a ton of technology into a 14.1 oz container that can deliver an impressive combination of features for home or enterprise needs. — With connected homes …
Context & Ripple Effects
Sprint had already sold mobile-broadband hardware through its 3G/4G Overdrive hotspot, while its device strategy also included network-specific smartphones such as the Motorola Photon 4G. LivePro extends that approach from connectivity hardware into a multi-purpose accessory made with ZTE.
The launch arrives as Sprint is testing discounted tiered family data plans rather than positioning itself solely around unlimited data. A device that shares a phone connection and serves home or enterprise presentation needs gives Sprint another way to package the value of that connection.
First-order effects
- Sprint and ZTE add a single accessory that combines projection, hotspot sharing and backup power, targeting buyers who would otherwise use separate devices for those jobs.
- LivePro makes a Sprint smartphone’s data connection usable by more nearby devices, broadening the immediate utility of a Sprint line beyond the handset itself.
Second-order effects
- Sprint’s tiered-plan push faces a clearer usage trade-off: shared connectivity makes data allowances more central to the value proposition for LivePro buyers.
- Standalone hotspot, portable-projector and battery vendors face a carrier-sold bundle that competes on convenience rather than any one feature alone.
Third-order effects
- If carriers keep bundling connectivity with adjacent hardware functions, device differentiation shifts from flagship phones toward accessories that make a mobile subscription useful in more settings.
- For Sprint, whose leadership has acknowledged an LTE scale gap, specialized connected hardware offers a complement to network competition rather than a substitute for it.
The trend: Carrier hardware is moving from single-purpose connectivity devices toward bundles that turn a mobile subscription into shared power, display and network access.