After a long wait for Verizon to release their first 4G MiFi device, I was finally able to pick one up from work today. So far I have been very pleased and wanted to give you guys a mini review of some kind just in-case anyone has been thinking about getting one.
The Device
At first I was a little wary about getting one of these because Samsung is not known at all for producing any mobile broad-band products, and I believe this is their first at the rodeo with the Verizon LTE MiFi. So far I have been very pleased with the build quality and the performance of the device, (far better than the Novatel MiFi 2200 I previously had)
Image
Pulling the MiFi out of the box you will notice that it seems slightly larger than Verizon's MiFi 2200, There are 3 status lights on the device 4G indicator 3G indicator and a WiFi activity light. I will say the lights on this device are bright and visible and not too extreme like on other devices. Materials are a soft rubbery feeling plastic, with a glossy section near the logos and lights/power button.
Image
The back is also the same smooth material and there are no rubber feet or nubs which is somewhat disappointing because it tends to want to slide if you are in the car or on a slick surface but that issue is somewhat minimal. The WiFi credentials sticker is featured under the back instead of directly on the back like with the previous Verizon MiFi which is somewhat of an inconvenience which I will explain later. Another design feature I quite enjoy on this one is the little door on the side that slides open/close to cover the Micro USB power port which is very nice compared to no cover or those dangling pop open ones.
Image
Image
Performance and Usage
So far Verizon's 4G in my area has been amazing! I was at first skeptical of their 5-12mbps rating but I have been easily getting 10 to an blazing 19 mbps down! Uploads have also been very consistent and equally astounding at an average between 5 to 15 mbps. Verizon touts their ability to achieve these speeds by their low latency which ping have been very low from anywhere 75-100ms.
Image
Battery life has also been pretty darn good considering utilizing 4G does take quite a bit of Juice. The device will easily last me 4-8 hours and the ability to adjust power settings through a browser log in is also a nice touch where you can customize a stand-by time from anywhere between 10min-60min of inactivity which will reduce power consumption. I really like the web-based interface to log into the unit and change the SSID and also the encryption key to what ever you would like. That feature was great because like I said the credentials sticker is under the back so if you can't memorize the default encryption password you have to take the back off every time to read it off to yourself or someone else who you are wanting to connect to the device.
Image
Use with iPad
Use with my Original iPad was super simple as you would expect, connect to the network and you are good to go. The Samsung MiFi allows the iPad to utilize N-draft wifi which is a nice feature as well. Loading websites on the iPad were great there was no lag and I felt as if I were surfing the web on my home WiFi network due to the LTE average of about 12 mbps. The iPad is also able to open the devices browser settings page so you can change those directly from your iPad no computer required which was also nice. Once downside was the app Verizon had to check data usage from the original MiFi 2200 does not work with the new 4G MiFi. Hopefully they will release an update soon.
Image
Conclusion
This is a great device and far superior in every way to the MiFi 2200 and also Verizon's 3G data speeds. Yes 4G coverage is limited to about 40 markets right now but it is growing quick and if you are in one of those 40 or so markets this might be a great option for you if you have just a WiFi iPad or want 4G speeds I would highly recommend this device to you.
