Three have made available their MiFi unit since 2nd of July 2010 and I've have had the pleasure of testing it out for the last 2 weeks. The 2nd revision of the device brings many improvements from user feedback and a new sleeker design and interface.
New Features
The most striking improvements are the new black and silver finish. It's looks more sophisticated than the older silver model. In addition to the splash of new colour, there is an OLED screen. The screen replaces the notifications lights on the previous model, whilst giving more information to the user. This is very important for those concerned about how much data they're using, cautious of whom is connected to their access point and keeping an eye on the battery life - not that it's an issue at all. Mainly down to the fact now it's capable of also trickle charging whilst being used when connected via USB. The battery has been optimised to last longer, charge faster and more efficiently than before. The actual battery itself is the same but more has been squeezed out of it. Users should experience an extra 30 mins at least in comparison to the older model. Yet another example of improvement over the older model.
Less is more as they say. With the new MiFi it's true. This time it's all a one button operation. Turn it on and the device gets itself ready and connected for use. This probably saves around 1 minute every time the user starts it up. It's also very handy for those that find more than one button confusing, The button itself also acts as an indicator of the device being on and in use, as there is a green light emitting from it. Saving from confusion on whether it's turned itself on or off when left alone for a period without use.
The online Dashboard is now more simpler and more friendly as it's available for Windows, Mac and Linux users. By logging into http://3.home/ the user can change passwords, SSID, add files to MicroSD, view messages, send and receive test messages, manage My3 account and also keep track in real time of total data consumption. It also duplicates the icons found on the MiFi's screen giving information on battery life, signal strength and connectivity statuses.
Coverage
As I live in London and in a very good signal area from Three, this time I've taken it upon myself to try and test the network coverage on a more wider scale. As I had plans to visit the South-East of England, it was a good chance to test coverage around those areas. I visited The Isle of Sheppy, Maidstone and Southend. I can't really say I noticed much of any dropped signal nor any poorer speeds around those areas. Even at the beaches and in town. This is down to Three's recent upgrades across their network nationwide. It's done a good job. It's great network makes it a great candidate for large data consumption. using the MiFi connected to 3 different phones it was easy to keep updated on what was going on throughout the day and also stream a some music using Mobbler whilst we enjoyed a relaxing day at the beach. Snapping pics of the day and uploading them to Flickr, Twitpic and also some video to Dropbox was easy, quick and on the most part without niggles. Whilst the MiFi did survive heavy usage throughout the day, the same could not be said for a few of the mobile phones.
Same Old Price
The greatest thing about the new MiFi isn't the new design, nor the improvements. It's the fact it's available for the same price as the old one, both on Pay As You Go and Monthly contracts. Three have some specific plans available for the MiFi, which should appeal to the varying type of users. Both light, medium and heavy data consumers can get data packages from 1GB to 15GB per month.
I don't think there is any other network which can match the same type of price and data packages in one package like Three does with their MiFi packages. It's a great way to share connection, have connection on the go and have an outlet to the world in an emergency or for every day use. That is why I personally vouch for it.
