I recently upgraded my Verizon Samsung Mi-Fi device to the new Verizon Jetpack(R) 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MHS291L. This new hotspot device, manufactured by Pantech, is a little larger than my previous device, but so far, it is better in every way. Perhaps I was just lucky, but check out my first speed test results.

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That is faster than my home internet by far. Of course, I was in an area with very strong coverage, which helps, but that’s a pretty good speed test result if you ask me. This hotspot model has some other advantages. According to Verizon, it has the largest battery of any of its Mi-Fi devices. I haven’t maxed it out yet, but after two hours of use off the charger last week, I had only burned through one of 4 battery bars. That leads me to another improvement, which is an actual digital display that includes a battery level indicator. My prior hotspot device lacked that. I think the better battery life is a very positive tradeoff with a thinner device. I still think it’s pretty small considering what you are getting.

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Finally, this hotspot supports up to 10 devices as opposed to 5 for my previous device. Thankfully, I don’t think that’s a feature I will ever need to use, but who knows? Bottom line – I love traveling with a Mi-Fi hotspot device, and frequently find that it’s faster than the complimentary (or sometimes pay) offerings at airports, lounges, and hotels.

-MJ, July 9, 2013