When I received the Hotspot, I was eager to give it a go. Unboxing it, the device itself is 2" x 4", or 5.5cm x 11cm (ish); certainly small enough to just pop in a pocket, or a bag. It took a long time to charge, and considering it only gives four hours of wi-fi before needing to be recharged, I thought that was a drawback.
The charging cable comes with a USB connector which can attach to a wall-plug (also included), so you can charge it from a PC / laptop as well as a normal socket. In fact, one thing I didn't try was charging the Hotspot while using it - that might stretch out the lifespan a bit while shortening your laptop's battery a bit.
Once the Hotspot was charged, it was quite easy to pair with my phone and sim-less (so wi-fi only) Galaxy Tab. Once I got the difference between '0' and 'O' sorted out! The password is printed in quite a small, but readable, font on a sticker and it can be attached to a 'Memory Card', the size of a credit card which you can pop in your wallet. That came in handy a couple of times.
The Hotspot itself is small enough to fit in a pocket, and once I had it switched on and paired, that's where it lived (in my pocket), and it picked up 3G and broadcast wi-fi with no issues.
I used the Hotspot at home and had no lag or delay in connecting to websites. I also downloaded some podcasts on the move using the Hotspot wi-fi and didn't see any noticeable slowness. I checked emails, browsed some news sites (both mobile and full versions) and didn't notice any difference to the 3G connection I have on my phone.
I also streamed a couple of three-minute pop videos from Youtube, which I thought would have been the most data-intensive activity I could have done. As it happened, the download kept ahead of the display, so there was no stuttering or hesitation. That showed that the connection was good enough for me.
While at work I was able to get a 2G connection, and the BBC website still loaded snappily, with pictures as well; quickly enough to impress a colleague who keeps up to date on technical developments
On one occasion I didn't switch off the Hotspot, and so it had died by the time it was time to go home, so the power does need to be managed closely - after that I switched off the Hotspot while I wasn't using it.
I had the Tab and my phone connected simultaneously and didn't notice any slowdown; I was browsing the web on one device and watching Youtube on the other, with no interruption or stutter on either.
I was able to get a download speed of about 4Mbps and an upload speed of approx. 2Mbps
On a comparable test with my home broadband, I got a download speed of 7Mbps and upload 0.75Mbps
So the device may be capable of 21Mbps download speeds, but I'm not sure when you would get that kind of speed.
In summary then:
Battery life: 4 hours, could be better and power needs to be managed
Charging time: A bit long in light of the short battery life
Portability: extremely portable, can just be thrown in a pocket
Device Looks: Sleek and black - very modern and minimalist
I would recommend this device as very capable and effective for what it does, as long as you keep it charged!
