Tether is an app that lets you connect a smartphone to a computer and share the data connection. Tether has been available for BlackBerry for a while, and today the developers released and Android version. It costs $24.99, but there’s a 7 day free trial available.
But wait, you’re saying… doesn’t Google Android already have a native tool for tethering over WiFi or USB? Why yes, yes it does. But the native tethering feature is only available in Android 2.2 and up, and wireless carriers can decide to ban it and/or to charge extra for access.
Tether is designed to work on all Android devices. It supports Android 1.5 and up. It also uses your existing data connection without alerting the phone company to the fact that you’re tethering. Of course, if you suddenly start download massive amounts of data, somebody might catch on, so it’s probably best to play it cool with your data usage if you have an unlimited data plan.
Tether’s developers also say it facilitates faster internet speeds than other apps, although I haven’t put this claim to the test myself. And unlike some other third party solutions, you don’t need to root your phone to use Tether.
On the down side, it looks like Tether only works over a USB connection. There’s no WiFi hotspot support at this point.
You can find out more about Tether from the download page, or by checking out the video after the break.
why is this any better than PDANET? Seems the same with less features