Lumia 610 to ship with internet sharing enabled, smartphone first-timers to be none the wiser
Wireless tethering, free of any carrier-imposed data shackles, is something of a reward for the well-informed smartphone buyer. Save for a sprinkling of Android handsets that natively include the feature -- specifically, Google's Nexus line -- only Windows Phone Mango offers users that same option, should the operator and OEM choose to enable it. So, it wasn't much of a surprise when Nokia unleashed its Lumia 800 and 710 to the market without internet sharing switched on. Their lil' bro the 610, on the other hand, stands poised to be the first to offer that WiFi hotspot access right out of the box. From an operator standpoint, the move makes sense -- power users are less likely to claim the low-specced, wee handset as their own and, thus, sidestep potential network congestion. Will this knowledge force your credit card-wielding hand at the virtual register? Probably not, since most of our geek eyes are set firmly on that 900. Still, it's a good show of faith from 'ol Espoo.
