Sprint Ovation U727 by Novatel - Is it better than the U720?

Posted by John P. on January 21st, 2008 Comments Printer-Friendly

Sprint Ovation U727 by Novatel Wireless

EVDO is a godsend, and helped many people this past month at both the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, and Macworld Expo 2008 just this past week. More and more EVDO modems are being introduced, whether they be USB, ExpressCard, or PCMCIA. I recently got my hands on the Sprint Ovation U727 by Novatel Wireless USB EVDO modem, here’s what I thought.

First of all, the U727 is a very tiny modem compared to Sprint’s previous USB offering, the U720 which we reviewed last January. The U727 also comes with a few accessories including a notebook monitor clip, USB cable, and a carrying pouch. The U727 isn’t just a modem either, Novatel decided to throw in a MicroSD slot for on-the-go storage which can come in handy if you only have one or two USB ports like on a notebook, though no MicroSD card is included to start you off.

I tested the speed of the Sprint EVDO data network using the Speedtest.net broadband speed test on both Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard operating systems. After selecting the server closest to my region (in this case, San Francisco, CA), I happened to get a nice ~1000 kbps down, and a nice ~650 kbps up which is a great improvement over the 900 kbps down and 350 kbps up I received with the U720.

The U727 also has GPS, which works wonderfully, and the Sprint applications included allow you to find the nearest coffee shops, gas stations, and restaurants at the click of a mouse.

The Sprint Ovation U727 by Novatel Wireless is available today from Sprint for $79.99 after instant savings, mail-in rebate, and a two-year service agreement. Plans start at $39.99 for 40 MB of usage, or $59.99 for unlimited usage. Any EVDO service is great for areas who cannot receive DSL or cable service, and for frequent business travelers.

Pros