And the Liberate, which costs $50 with contract on AT&T’s LTE network, has a hell of a battery. I tested it all day on Thursday and went to bed still trying to run down the battery life. It managed at least 8 hours of use with about three of those hours of streaming YouTube and Hulu at my home during that time. During the day, I tried it downtown in a coffee shop and in the lobby of a building, both of which had many Wi-Fi hotspots to compete with (and maybe even a few AT&T phone users to sap the signal and require bit more pull from the battery.) I also ran the GPS for some of that time. Yet, when I went to bed last night the MiFi Liberate still had a bit of charge left. The company says the Liberate delivers up to 11 hours of charge, and they may be right.

AT&T’s MiFi Liberate (right) next to the original MiFi on Verizon’s network.

Compared to my original MiFi that died after about 3 or 4 hours of use and didn’t support 4G speeds, this was stunning. So far this morning it has taken about two and half hours to completely recharge using the charger provided with the device. I mention this because the day before I performed my tests I had charged it for the night using one of my other Micro USB chargers laying around and the battery indicator was a bit off. It showed me that I had about three-quarters of the battery left, but when I tried to top it off, the screen flashed a message telling me it was fully charged.

Novatel engineers suggested I try using the charger that came with the device and the problem resolved itself. Even if the indication was glitchy, the battery life didn’t seem affected. Battery life was awesome and the LTE speeds on the AT&T network were great, supporting streaming video while I was still and even doing a fair job while I was driving around for a while with the video playing in the car for testing purposes. Speeds were between 3 and 6 Mbps downstream and between 9-10 Mbps upstream, which is faster than my home network.

As far as the device itself, the extra battery capacity does make the device bulkier, but not so large or so heavy I wouldn’t carry it around in my bag everyday just in case I needed a connection. It might not fit into my pocket at 4.06 inches by 2.88 inches, and it is bigger — weighing in at 4.26 ounces — but the battery life is worth it. However, Novatel put all of these other bells and whistles on this device that are at best gimmicky and at worst elevate the cost of the device unnecessarily.

For example, the MiFi has a touchscreen. Not just a screen, but a full-on capacitive touch screen that when you tilt the device, just like a smartphone, it flips orientation. Thus, somewhere in there it has an accelerometer, and a GPS chip and a microSD card slot. All of these things baffle me. A MiFi is about connectivity, keeping you always within reach of the cloud and whatever stuff you might have there.

Notice the SD card slot? Why is it there?

This device is awesome at connecting you to the cloud and keeping you there, but the way its set up, it’s like it doesn’t realize the Internet even exists. For example, it can act as a media server, with the songs or videos on an inserted SD card shared among the 10 devices that you can connect to the gadget, but you have to go to a website to play them. It can stream your location over Wi-Fi to a device using GPS, but it’s unclear why that’s exciting. It can even receive texts.

The single useful feature I used again and again on the touchscreen part of the device was the data usage meter, which might justify the screen depending on cost. But in general I’d rather have a cheaper, dumb connection to the internet as opposed to some fancy, touchscreen gadget that seems overly complicated. But with the battery life and speed, I won’t complain overmuch.

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The Liberate supports AT&T’s fast LTE network and falls back to HSPA+ networks for areas without LTE coverage; AT&T says the personal hotspot will work in more than 200 countries worldwide as a result. Connectivity while out and about is a primary feature of the device, of course, but the advanced functionality includes some smartphone-like qualities as well. From Novatel Wireless:

MiFi 2 also has a new DLNA-certified Media Center which allows users to enjoy and share their movies, music, presentations and photos stored on microSD cards on connected devices. A user can simply upload photos from their camera to MiFi 2 using a microSD card and start showing them on any DLNA-enabled television or compatible devices. For business users, MiFi 2 has a simple process to upload and download stored files from any connected device.

Instead of just a temporary on-ramp to the web then, the new MiFi is evolving into a centralized storage area that leverages Wi-Fi connectivity with smart televisions and other devices in the home. That’s a big step forward for what used to be a credit-card sized device that creates a simple hotspot via cellular networks.

Heck, this MiFi looks more like what you’d get if an Apple Magic Trackpad had a fling with a touchscreen phone. Surprisingly, the new device is still relatively small and not as thick as I would expect for such battery life. But it still appears  pocketable — you can surely toss it in a small bag with other mobile gear — sounds far more useful and can provide a 4G LTE connection for a full work day.

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The change, first noticed by a MobileRead forum member, only impacts the browser. Kindle 3G owners can still download as many books as they want from Amazon, for example, or browse over Wi-Fi. Surfing the web on Amazon’s dime, however, is now limited.

The new policy won’t likely impact the majority of those who own a Kindle 3G, as the browser experience isn’t optimal due to the electronic ink display. But those who rely on that free 3G connection for checking Facebook, e-mail or various web sites won’t be able to do so as much; 50 megabytes is a pretty paltry amount of bandwidth.

My first thought was that Amazon is simply trying to limit the costs it pays for 3G service or perhaps it wants to push sales of the Kindle Fire; even though that tablet only has Wi-Fi, the browsing experience is far better. However, it’s more likely that Amazon is limiting the 3G connection because of hacks that allow the device to be used as 3G mobile hotspot for free.

If you can use a Kindle Keyboard 3G as a hotspot at no extra charge, chances are, you’ll use the connection heavily. While Amazon is paying operators for the 3G service, it’s not likely paying enough for device owners to use the mobile broadband as a primary — and free — mobile on-ramp to the web.

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Internet on the Go uses Sprint’s 3G network, so personal hotspot speeds will likely top out around 1.5 Mbps in a Sprint coverage area. That’s far slower than HSPA+ and LTE mobile broadband services, which are often 10x faster. But the benefit here isn’t meant to be speed. Instead, the service should appeal to people that occasionally need to access the web on a Wi-Fi tablet or laptop. The target audience likely wouldn’t get a hotspot due to contracts as their 3G needs are far and few between.

As a result, the data pricing won’t be cheaper than what you’d find for a contract plan or even other pre-paid deals. The cost is $10 for 100 MB, $25 for 500 MB or $45 for 1 GB; far more on a per-gigabyte basis than what others charge. The key difference — and potential selling point — is that the data is good forever, provided you fire up that MiFi and use it at least once per year. I look at it this way: It’s cheap insurance as a 3G backup plan, even if the MiFi itself costs $119.88.

This isn’t the first time TruConnect dabbled with unique mobile broadband products. In September, 2010, the company offered a MiFi specifically for Wi-Fi iPad owners that carried a small monthly fee — even if the device wasn’t used — and a metered 3G service. While its products aren’t for everyone, there’s opportunity for TruConnect’s niche style services that offer device owners more flexibility for mobile broadband.

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To price the plans, customers choose the types of devices they want to use — up to 10 — as there’s a variable monthly line fee:

• $10 a tablet
• $20 per MiFi, USB dongle or notebook with integrated broadband
• $30 for a basic phone
• $40 for each smartphone

In addition to the line fee, customers will chose the amount of shareable data for each month. Each of these prices includes unlimited voice minutes and texting.

• $50 = 1 GB
• $60 = 2 GB
• $70 = 4 GB
• $80 = 6 GB
• $90 = 8 GB
• $100 = 10 GB

Given that voice usage is in decline and that messaging is a high profit margin product for carriers, plus there are many free alternatives, I find it disappointing that the data prices include these. The line fee alone for a device ought to cover that, but revenues from these products keep the money rolling in for carriers. But this may not be an issue since you can still save money with these plans.

This depends on your particular case, of course. I did a quick estimate of a basic plan with 4 GB of shared data, unlimited minutes/texts and 2 smartphones and saved $30 a month with “Share Everything” even with $80 in line fees for the phones. Those unlikely to save: Folks with several feature phones and/or limited voice minutes and message plans.

But the real benefit here to end users is that instead of some family members blowing through a data bucket while others have data to spare, the data usage can be spread out. That’s a win — and something I called for last year with examples of my own family’s use — even if it’s only a small victory.

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It’s fast, but speeds can vary

Clearly, the biggest difference between the two is support for Verizon’s LTE network. The 4620L on LTE should offer speeds around 10x faster than my old 3G MiFi. My testing didn’t quite show that speed boost, but its difficult to get exact numbers for mobile broadband testing due to so many variables: Location, coverage, people connecting to the same cell tower, what they’re actually doing, and more.

The best speeds I saw from the Jetpack 4620L topped out around 10 Mbps, but again, I suspect network congestion may have played a part during my testing. The device managed uploads near 5 Mbps and low latency; more than good enough for a little online gaming. Up to 10 devices can connect to the hotspot over Wi-Fi. I did experience one connection drop on 4G that required the device to be restarted, but otherwise it was trouble-free. Aside from the one hiccup, I worked for hours on the MiFi connection and it was no different from working at my home office on a 25 Mbps FiOS connection.

Size is just right

The device itself is roughly twice as thick as older MiFi’s — about the size of a deck of playing cards — with the standard 1500 mAh battery. A double capacity power-pack and larger cover effectively doubles the device run time, which in my tests averaged about  3.5 hours when on a 4G LTE connection. Nearly all day with the extended battery ought to be possible, as should a full day with both batteries. The device charges quite quickly with the included micro USB power brick and can be charged from a mobile device.

No software and an OLED screen

Aside from the basic wireless hotspot functionality, Two features standout to me. First is the complete lack of any companion software to install. I remember using VZ Access Manager with older devices and there’s simply no need for this kind of application. The Novatel Wireless 4620L just powers up and works, as it should.

Second is the small display on the top of the unit. This is handy because the device has a dedicated phone number and can receive messages; you can scroll through and view them on the display. Plus you can see how many devices are connected, signal strength, and battery life without hitting an app or a web page. Novatel says the device can be used as a GPS over Wi-Fi, but I didn’t test the feature as all of my devices have GPS radios already.

Verizon sells the Jetpack for $49.99 with contract, $269.99 without. Is it a good deal? For those who don’t want to or can’t use their phone as an LTE hotspot, I’d say yes. The MiFi works well and has some great features. Because it can fall back to 3G, you can even use it as a hotspot in an area that lacks LTE coverage. For heavy users, I’d recommend the higher-capacity battery, but for occasional use, the included battery should work fine for most.

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The overall price of the low-capacity one week plan is now rising to $15, but customers will pay less per bit: The $15 weekly pass provides 300 MB of mobile broadband. There is also a new middle-tier plan, making for three monthly plan options:

• 1.5GB 1-month pass for $25
• 3.5GB 1-month pass for $35
• 5GB 1-month pass for $50

Current customers have two ways of looking at the changes. The minimum for a prepaid data pass has gone up which may anger some, but the other plans provide enough flexibility for paying less while getting more service. For example: those on the $30/1GB plan can drop down to the new $25 pass while gaining 50 percent more data. Heavy data users ought to be happy as they’ll now get 5 GB per month for their $50; a boost from the old 3 GB limit.

The unfortunate part is that it’s unlikely anyone with a compatible device bought it without a contract. Those MiFis, USB sticks and HSPA+ tablets are far more attractive when subsidized by T-Mobile for lower up-front investments. Still, there’s opportunity to save money, even if you fall into that category. Depending on how far you are into your contract, it could be cheaper to pay an early termination fee for the service and then use these prepaid passes as needed; especially if you tend to use your tablet on Wi-Fi more than on T-Mobile’s data network.

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Bear in mind that not all phones are likely to see the update at the same time. Typically these are staged in waves, so if your handset doesn’t have an update today, I’d keep checking, or simply rely on the phone to notify you when the software becomes available.

We first heard of the hotspot feature in August, so it’s been a long time coming; especially when you realize that most other smartphone platforms have long had the ability to share their mobile broadband connection over Wi-Fi.

Using the phone as a hotspot vs. using a dedicated MiFi device is always a good debate, but ultimately comes down to a personal preference. If I’m using a phone that either has an integrated battery or one where I don’t have a spare battery, I rely on a MiFi. When I happen to have a second battery for a handset, I don’t mind using the hotspot feature, which drains the battery faster than standard use.

Now that Microsoft phones have Internet sharing, what are you looking forward to next? For me it would be true over-the-air software updates. Connecting my phone to a PC or Mac just to download and get updates feels very 2007-ish to me.

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But how much more can its sales grow now that Internet sharing functionality has become a common staple in smartphones and even other connected devices? The MiFi may become a relic, albeit an important one that helped bridge a time when cellular connections weren’t as ubiqutious and connectivity wasn’t taken for granted.

Regardless, the milestone of 3 million sales is a sizable accomplishment from the mobile broadband equipment maker. And I’m not surprised, because I remember being impressed by my first look at the thin, credit-card sized device at the early 2009 CTIA trade show. It only took a few minutes to convince me that Novatel Wireless was on to something with the MiFi’s simplicity and utility: Press a button and the MiFi instantly creates a personal Wi-Fi hotspot that shares a 3G or 4G data connection.

My MiFi

I bought my own MiFi last year and have used it during travel and as a backup connection at home for when either the power or home broadband connection goes out. With the ability to connect to five Wi-Fi devices — some models can support eight devices — the MiFi has made many long car rides far less boring. Our kids connect iPads, small tablets and laptops to the mobile web for hours at a time while on the road.

Will consumers continue to follow suit and keep buying the MiFi devices, however? Although we used our MiFi quite a bit when we first bought it, our usage has dwindled considerably; some months we don’t use it at all and I’m now considering the idea of canceling our $35 month-to-month deal. Our desire to be connected while mobile hasn’t diminished — if anything, it has increased — so what changed?

Software for the win

In May of last year, my Android handset gained the same functionality as the MiFi, and my Samsung Galaxy Tab has it too. Using software in these devices, I can share a 3G connection with several Wi-Fi devices, eliminating the need to carry a MiFi at all. Because my plan allows for it, there’s no charge for this ability, although the plan is old and newer plans typically add $20 or more per month to enable this feature.

I’ve kept the MiFi since then for two reasons, and I suspect they’re the same reasons that some people will opt for a dedicated mobile hotspot instead of using their phone. For one, the hotspot feature can quickly drain a smartphone’s battery. I carry a spare battery at all times for my Android phone, but I’m likely in the minority. Using up a phone battery for MiFi-like features ends up leaving you with no Mi-Fi and no smartphone, i.e.: a useless brick. My other reason is because the MiFi is on a different network than my smartphone, which gives me some redundancy if one of the two is down.

So while there’s good reason for some to buy and use a MiFi, however, I recall some other reasons that sounded good at the time, but really haven’t come to pass. A number of times since the product’s introduction, Novatel Wireless has touted the ability of the MiFi to run unique software solutions. One example is having the device pull all of your email just before getting on a plane and then reading that mail offline after a data transfer from MiFi to laptop, for example. Ideas such as that sound good and could help add more value to the MiFi, but for now, the device is primarily known for a simple way to get online with tablets and laptops as needed.

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The new devices come at a time when the no. 4 U.S. carrier has spent much of this year upgrading its mobile broadband data network. In 2010, T-Mobile boosted the network to 21 Mbps speeds and wasted little time in doubling the network speeds in 2011 with HSPA+ 42 wireless capability and additional backhaul to cell sites. That’s because the carrier is seeing data consumption double every six months.

The increased speeds are helping to quickly transition T-Mobile customers to smartphones that generate increased data revenues. In a phone conversation with Cole Brodman, T-Mobile’s Chief Marketing Office, he told me that “75 percent of the phones T-Mobile sells this year will be smartphones, and of those, 90 percent are Android.”

Without an Apple iPhone, the Android figure makes sense and the overall percent of smartphones sold is higher than the industry, which is estimated to be around 55 percent of all phones sold in the U.S. this year, according to Chetan Sharma, an independent telecom analyst.

As far as the new phones themselves, the Galaxy S II will look familiar as both Sprint and AT&T have introduced their versions. One immediate difference in T-Mobile’s Galaxy S II, aside from the 42 Mbps radio, is a larger, 4.52-inch Super AMOLED Plus display.

The phone also has NFC capability, although Brodman told me the feature won’t be used at launch. Most other specifications are similar or the same: a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor (from Qualcomm, not Samsung), 16 GB of storage capacity with expansion up to 48 GB, an 8-megapixel rear camera, 2-megapixel front camera and HDMI output.

The new HTC Amaze 4G with Sense 3.0 is also a powerful smartphone, using the same 1.5 GHz dual-core CPU but with a 4.3-inch qHD (960×540 resolution) Super LCD screen. However, the HTC Amaze 4G is positioned as a top-notch camera device with simple sharing on the fast HSPA+ network.

The wide aperture f/2.2 camera — good for low-light conditions — uses an 8-megapixel sensor. A few new scene modes, similar to those found on T-Mobile’s HTC Sensation 4G, are included to enhance the image-taking experience:

• SmartShot takes five pictures and combines the best attributes of each to capture smiles and eliminate blinking eyes.
• ClearShot HDR creates high contrast images.
• SweepShot captures wide panoramic views.
• PerfectPics intelligently surfaces the best or most meaningful photos into a separate photo album.

The phone also boasts zero-shutter lag, face detection, 1080p HD video capture and a five-image BurstMode. Images can be shared natively to Facebook, Picasa and Flickr.

Those who prefer to use laptops and tablets on T-Mobile’s HSPA+ network may be interested in the Sonic 4G Mobile Hotspot. The 3.88 ounce device shares its mobile broadband connection with up to five devices over Wi-Fi and has a 32 GB microSD card slot to save and share data across the personal hotspot network. A small OLED display shows the number of connected devices, signal strength and battery life, which is estimated at 4.5 hours of continuous use.

Both new handsets will be available for online orders starting Oct. 10 with widespread retail availability two days later. T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy S II, is priced at $229.99 with contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate, while the HTC Amaze 4G will cost $259.99 with contract and after the same $50 mail-in rebate. T-Mobile hasn’t set a price for the Sonic 4G but expects it to be available in stores before the end of October.

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