GigaOM » Novatel

Wow! Check out the battery life on this MiFi Liberate!

Stacey Higginbotham — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 17:09:18 +0000

I’ve been a MiFi user for years, and only dumped my original hotspot in August when I upgraded to an LTE phone and decided I’d use the phone as a hotspot. It’s been a passable solution, but when I was trying out the latest Novatel MiFi Liberate I realized how much I missed having a separate, reliable hot spot that has its own battery.

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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CES 2012: a recap and analysis

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:40:31 +0000

This year’s CES was the biggest in the show’s 44-year history, boasting 15 miles of exhibit hall aisles, 3,100 booths and 153,000 attendees. The Kerton Group sent three delegates to CES to scout out new products, listen to keynotes, watch announcements and get tips from insiders. This report, which bundles those findings together, serves as an outline of the major launches and overarching trends at CES (think smartphones for $0, Androidification and connectivity) as well as an analysis of what those developments mean for the larger consumer electronics picture. Companies mentioned in this report include Apple, Tesla and T-Mobile. For a full list of companies, and to read the full report, sign up for a free trial.

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When it comes to hot spots, LTE is sizzling hot

Stacey Higginbotham — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 15:14:56 +0000

Novatel’s second quarter results Thursday included a 50 percent rise in year-over-year revenue and showed off the tight relationship between better mobile broadband, Wi-Fi and consumers toting multiple broadband-enabled devices. The company, which makes the MiFi mobile routers that use a cell signal and convert it to Wi-Fi, said in its earnings release that LTE was a strong contributor to sales of the hot spots. From the Novatel release:

Our LTE MiFi hotspot has quickly become the category leader. Our LTE Expedite embedded modules have achieved a number of tier-one OEM design wins for future product launches in the U.S. and around the world.

The company also anticipated sales of $105 million to $120 million for the coming quarter, which could help Novatel swing to profitability. This is far better than the lackluster earnings and worries Novatel was facing 18 months ago when it bet its success on hot spots. It also may be a sign that 4G broadband speeds are the key to mobile hot spot success. Last year, an analyst report from Infonetics offered the surprising conclusion that sales of personal hotspots had fallen in 2009, when only 3G versions of the credit-card sized devices were available.

So I’m willing to bet Novatel’s success is a combination of faster LTE speeds that rival old-school wireline connections at 5 Mbps to 12 Mbps down, and more Wi-Fi enabled devices that benefit from a broadband connection such as tablets. Throw in a lack of compelling multiple-device plans from carriers and more familiarity with the product, and LTE hot spots are a likely winner; a premise we concluded in our review of the MiFi 4510L.

Of course, for customers taking advantage of the devices, especially with multiple devices, they may experience some serious sticker shock if they go over their data plans. On the flip side, carriers may not be pleased by a preponderance of mobile hot spots, not only because they can take away revenue from folks buying additional plans, but also because Cisco estimates many of the devices that connect via a MiFi device consume much more data than smartphones. And we already know how carriers are viewing smartphone data consumption.

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Sprint Overdrive Gets Firmware Update

James Kendrick — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 18:33:13 +0000

There’s a firmware update for the Sprint Overdrive that addresses some common complaints from some owners. Version 2.06.06 can be downloaded and installed directly from the Overdrive and has the following fixes:

Improves device stability, eliminating all known freeze-ups and lock-ups.
WiFi enhancements to improve WiFi stability and eliminate disconnects and crashes.
Significant improvements in 3G and 4G WAN stability.
Some improvement (~10%) in overall batter life and battery life in poor coverage.
Faster boot-up time (~10-20 seconds faster).
Improved response time when changing the WAN mode setting with no reboot required. Eliminates need for a device reset when changing modes such as “4G preferred” to “4G only”, “4G preferred” to “3G only”, etc.
Faster response time after canceling an operation in the Advanced Settings screen (no device reset required and offline time decreased by ~90 seconds).
Added additional 4G channels for future growth.

My Overdrive has been relatively trouble-free but I will appreciate the improvement in battery life and the faster boot time.

To get started updating the Overdrive visit http://overdrive from any browser on a computer connected to the Overdrive via Wi-Fi. Just check for updates and it will lead you through the update process. Those not comfortable with this update procedure can download it from the link above and apply it manually using instructions on that site.

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Xcom Global Offers Flat-rate MiFi for International Travelers

James Kendrick — Tue, 25 May 2010 16:45:11 +0000

Traveling outside the U.S. can be expensive when it comes to roaming data plans. Each country has different requirements and different pricing, and roaming charges are often exorbitant. Xcom Global is now offering the daily rental of a Novatel MiFi 2372, which includes unlimited data in 21 countries. The daily rental is $17.95, and the unlimited data can be shared among five devices over the Wi-Fi connection to the MiFi.

XCom also offers a cheaper USB modem plan for $14.95, but that connectivity is limited to the one device with the modem. These plans are not inexpensive, but not bad for unlimited data and offer a good fit for the business traveler visiting several countries and in need of full data connectivity to get work done. It’s also a good way to keep in touch with those back home via Skype. Hopefully this MiFi 2372 isn’t one of those affected by the recalls.

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Are You Empowering Your Mobile Workforce?

Kevin C. Tofel — Mon, 24 May 2010 14:00:47 +0000

With technology changing so fast and mobile enterprises often moving slow, it’s easy to be a revision or two behind. Here we examine current and on-the-horizon solutions you might want to watch for, so your mobile workforce so can do more with less in a wider range of locations.

Rogers Recalls MiFi 2372, Too

James Kendrick — Wed, 05 May 2010 18:11:53 +0000

We told you about the Bell Mobility recall of the Novatel MiFi 2372 due to the potential for batteries swelling and causing serious problems. We just received an email from Rogers asking us to share that it too, is recalling the MiFi 2372 for the same reason:

“As you know, in some cases the battery for the Novatel Wireless MiFi™ 2372 (Rogers Rocket™ mobile hotspot) may swell and cause the device to malfunction. In addition, some users have found the device’s battery cover to be difficult to remove. There is the possibility of additional damage to the battery and the device if a customer were to use a foreign object to pry the battery cover open.

“As a precaution, Rogers is contacting its customers to recommend that customers stop using this device, to turn the device off, and to not recharge the device. We also recommend that customers not attempt to remove the battery cover.

“Novatel will be providing Rocket™ mobile hotspot customers with a pre-addressed, pre-paid envelope so that Novatel can replace the battery and the battery cover. Novatel estimates that the replacement device will be returned to customers within 7-10 business days of its receipt of the returned device.

“Impacted Rogers customers will be provided with a credit for the inconvenience of not having use of their Rocket™ mobile hotspot device. If a customer has a question, they can call 1-866-511-5311.”

If you’re a Rogers customer with a MiFi it sounds like you’d better get in touch with them right away to get your MiFi situation remedied.

Image credit: Engadget

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Everybody Hertz: The Looming Spectrum Crisis

Bell MiFi 2372 Deactivated, Recalled

James Kendrick — Tue, 04 May 2010 16:45:44 +0000

Novatel may not get enough public airtime, and news coming out today is probably not the kind they want. The MiFi is often touted as one of the greatest innovations for mobile workers, but Bell customers may be questioning that today. Novatel MiFi 2372 owners have been notified by Bell Mobility that a potential danger exists due to swelling batteries and a recall has been issued. The issue is considered serious enough that Bell Mobility shut MiFi accounts down yesterday to prevent the usage of the MiFi 2372.

MiFi owners are being provided a USB stick modem to use for the 6 to 8 weeks it will take Bell Mobility to exchange the battery and battery cover for affected MiFis. It’s good that Bell is providing an alternative modem, although the USB variety requires a computer to use. This shuts out those who might have been using the MiFi to connect the iPad to the web.

Note that other MiFi models are not affected.

Image credit: Engadget

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Everybody Hertz: The Looming Spectrum Crisis

Novatel's Big, Fat MiFi Bet

Stacey Higginbotham — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:05:18 +0000

For Novatel, the maker of cellular modems, the introduction of the MiFi wireless router has added a little shine to a fairly unglamorous business, while also insulating the company from the loss of a major customer during the most recent quarter. But will the MiFi luster last? On its third-quarter conference call yesterday, Novatel executives fielded several questions from analysts about a slow sales cycle and a backlog of the devices at major carriers. If the MiFi is Novatel’s fairy tale goose, the financial community seems to wonder how long it can lay golden eggs.

The MiFi is a slim router that converts a cellular signal to a Wi-Fi signal, allowing folks to connect their WiFi-enabled devices to the cellular network under a 3G data plan. Introduced in May, it managed to generate $13.5 million for Novatel in the six weeks it was out during the second quarter, comprising 16 percent of Novatel’s revenue for the April-June time period. During the third quarter ended Sept. 30, the MiFi brought in $37.9 million, or 40 percent of Novatel’s sales.

That jump offset the loss of about $28.1 million in revenue in Novatel’s embedded business caused by a large customer dumping the provider. But sales for the device have apparently been sluggish and competition from Huawei and Sierra Wireless is looming. On Wednesday, Sierra Chief Executive Jason Cohenour said the company was planning its own personal hotspot.

Analysts also wanted to know how well Novatel was doing when it came to recruiting developers — because like all gadgets, web sites and services released in the last few years, the MiFi is a platform. Sure, it’s primarily seen as a convenient way to get online using a variety of devices or as a way to share a connection with friends and colleagues, but this credit-card sized router is supposed to also tie into applications such as online storage, video caching and anything else developers can think of. It’s trying to be an App Store/iPhone combo for enterprise mobile broadband access.

That’s an uncertain strategy that requires Novatel to get the devices out into the market in large enough numbers to attract developers, and assumes that people want a router that’s also a gateway to services provided by their wireless carrier and other companies. The results will determine if the MiFi is the golden goose or just another commodity access point.

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Even Moms Love Mobile Data Cards

Om Malik — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 13:51:52 +0000

OK, that is a bit over the top! Nielsen Mobile came out with a report that points out that there were 13 million mobile data cards in the U.S. at the end of June 2008. Not a big surprise, since wireless carriers in the U.S. are having a blockbuster year as far as mobile Internet revenues are concerned. The GigaOM Team has about seven of them and uses them for business and filing stuff when on the road. Apparently, so do a lot of people. However, Nielsen points out that there is a change in the making.

….Nielsen’s research reveals that the cards are beginning to play an important role in home and personal Internet access, as well. In fact, 43 percent of mobile data card users report they most often use their data card at home, while 15 percent say they typically use the card at work. Additionally, one in five (21 percent) data card subscribers take advantage of ubiquitous access by heading outdoors and 9 percent use their card while commuting.

An easy explanation would be better price packages and higher speed tiers, thanks to newer 3G technologies. Of the nearly 1,300 mobile data card users Nielsen surveyed, more than 99 percent still kept their wired broadband service: 40 percent of card users also have cable broadband and 34 percent also have DSL in their home. That number can jump to 59 percent, giving wired carriers something to think about.

Maybe the wireless guys need to rethink their wireless broadband plans and bring them forward. For phone companies the prospect of being cannibalized by wireless data connections must be scarier than losing them to voice connections. No wonder they started to limit bandwidth transfers on their connections. (Photo courtesy: Novatel Wireless.)

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