Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi Review
Mobile Wi-Fi is nothing new these days as Three have had their Mi-Fi around for some time but Vodafone’s new mobile Wi-Fi is certainly a nice alternative.
At present it is only available on contract, however I would imagine a pre paid option will hit the store in the future.
So how does this one compare to the Three Mi-Fi? You will have to read on to find out.
The ten second review:
Device: Vodafone mobile Wi-Fi
Summary: Mobile Wi-Fi allowing for multiple devices to be connected.
Price: From free
Best of: Multiple connections, One button connection, battery
Worst of: Dimensions
Buy it now from: Vodafone
See Matt’s unboxing video for more details
Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi Specification:
- Weight: 90g
- Manufacturer – Huawei
- Dimensions: 90x60x12mm
- Flash memory – 256MB
- GSM bands – 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
- UMTS bands – 900 / 2100 / 1900
- MicroSD – Up to 16GB
- Battery – 1400 MAh Li-Ion battery
Up to 4 hours with 5 users connected, standby 100 hours - Power – USB and mains adaptors included
- 3G, HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and HSUPA 5.76 Mbps
Review:
If you are looking for mobile broadband and were considering a dongle it may well worth be considering the Mobile Wi-Fi from Vodafone. What is the difference you may ask. Well to sum it up, a dongle will plug into your laptop or netbook and will provide you with the internet connection you need. Where the Mobile Wi-Fi is better is that not only is it wireless, but it will connect up to five devices at the same time. Handy if you are away on business with colleagues and you all need to use the internet.
The reason i like to use Mobile Wi-Fi is quite often as a back up. I am an Orange user and if i am in a location where the Orange signal is not great I can connect my iPad or netbook as well as my phones and use another carriers connection instead. Makes sense if you ask me.
So how well does the Vodafone mobile Wi-Fi perform? Very well is the answer. Once you have connected your device to it for the first time your device will remember its partnership. So for example, if i am out and want to use my Wi-Fi only iPad i just switch on the mobile Wi-Fi and the iPad automatically connects. Simple.
On the front of the device is the on/off switch which you slide. That is all you do. Once on, your will see certain info on the screen such as coverage, battery, and the network. This screen will turn its self off after a while to conserve battery but situated on the top of the device is a small button for turning the screen back on.
The battery life on the Mobile Wi-Fi is fantastic. The other day I took a trip into London and switched it on at 09.00 hrs. AT 19.00 it was still on. I admit I had not used it that much but to stay on for that length of time is pretty impressive. I remember the original Mi-Fi from Three would quite often turn itself off whenever it felt like it. (That may be fixed as I have their new one to review as well.)
I only have one negative comment about the Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi and that is its size. It is big. If you are going to be sticking this in a pocket then I must tell you that it is taller and wider than the Three version. Although similar in depth the Vodafone one feels a lot more bulky and less pocketable. Of course this doesn’t affect its efficiency but it was the first thing I noticed when i took it out of the box.
Conclusion:
The Vodafone Mobile Wi-Fi is a great addition to the mobile office and one i would recommend. If your mobile data usage is minimal I would certainly wait for a pre paid option as £15 is the minimum charge on an 18 month contract. But if work are paying then go sign up now!
Posted by: James
No Trackbacks.