And here is the iPhone’s geotagging of photos taken in the area.
… Conclusion
There are a couple of negative points of this unit. It doesn’t seem to connect to 2G networks like a Three USB dongle does and I’ve had a weird issue where connection has been a bit hit and miss in low signal areas.
Overall having different devices on different networks has been a massive bonus and the ability to use WiFi only services like FaceTime has been great. I don’t really see how I can get by without one now.
… Costs
I’ll probably be looking at PAYGO as I’ll only need mobile data when I’m not in the office. The Three website is currently selling them for £39.99 which includes a £10 top-up to get 1GB of data that will last for 30 days.
Other PAYGO options include a 3GB kit that will last for 3 months and costs £69.99 which is attractive if I was buying it and going away on a trip.
There are various monthly plans with a 1 month or 18 month contact and this will get you a free MiFi. One deal that struck my eye was a Three MiFi and an iPod Touch with a 15GB data allowance for £23 per month.
Let’s hope that Three forget to ask me for this unit back, otherwise I’ll be taking a trip to a Three shop fairly soon. Thanks for the trial Three!
(Sent from iPhone)
You don’t half do an awesome review 😉
@hedgewytch that’s awfully kind of you 🙂
@ThreeMobileBuzz here are my thoughts on the #ThreeMiFi – thanks for the trial …
Nice review. Currently have the 1st gen & whilst stacks up well against my t-mobile dongle, there are some annoyances with buttons, display and power. Looks like the latest version solves some of those issues.
@tinnion the #ThreeMiFi battery lasts for about 4 hours. It goes to standby when the iPhone drops the wifi connection so manages power well
Can’t believe I forgot to mention the 4 hour battery life on my #ThreeMiFi review!
pretty awesome! can you recommend a solar charger? solarjoos looks good. i’m thinking of getting one.taigefind me at http://www.mificlub.com
Great review. I’m still testing mine. Can you keep the mifi powered with solar alone? also, how long do you get continuously with the kensington plugged in. Finally, will the three data usage page save as an app-like-bookmark to the iphone? Cheers!
.@documentally no, the solar flip takes 7 sun hours to charge the 2x2000mAh AA batteries which would run the MiFi for 4 hours. I had extra rechargeable AA’s in my manbag.I didn’t do a full Kensington test as one kept the MiFi going all day and still had power left, but as the iphone shuts down WiFi when on standby, I guess this helped the MiFi battery…. and yes the admin pages have the meta data to display a 3 logo on the iPhone homepage 🙂
.@taige I can’t recommend a solar charger as each one I’ve used has been designed for a specific purpose … the Solar Flip is great for charging AA’s and I have an amazing 50W SINOSOLA that is not portable http://twitpic.com/27ajsjI'd like to do a full test on a solargorilla next.
Of course its just a coincidence that your current kit is all sleek sexy and black 😉 #irrelevant
@hedgewytch good point 😉
*Grins* and of course the iPhone 4 fits right in. My Novatel mifi doesn’t look nearly as sleek as this 3 one ;(
RT @threemobilebuzz: New Post: #ThreeMiFi … on holiday! http://bit.ly/coQzJO
OMG.. I cannot believe that @ThreeMobileBuzz asked for the unit back. This is the most concise & complete review I have ever seen on the three mifi. Do they not know a good thing when they see it?! You are well known for your long term blogging of tech.. How much is the device? Less than £50.. How many have seen this post.. thousands?I know you would not write any more favourably should they have said from the outset that it was yours. You are always honest with your reviews as many of your readers are clued up tech heads themselves and it would only come back and bite you in the butt.It appears you get nothing free from Three. In fact it seems you are required to bust your balls writing an epic post.. doing a job they should be doing.. field testing, reviewing, report writing etc and then have to pay £50 for the privilege. *shakes head*.When i workied on a newspaper you were NEVER asked to send back so much as a book. It never made you ass kiss the tech. At least it didn’t me. If you write an honest review (like we do) we have a hand in making the tech better next time round. It’s win win.Did they make you pay for the postage as well?>rant over<Thanks again for the review man. Keep them coming. Even if it seems like a thankless job. ;o)
Cool. Vodafone now have a MiFi as well.. http://bit.ly/cBLNTH
Shocking ;( how ungrateful can they be? I’m glad I have my Novatel mifi now. Awesome review though I’ve been passing the link around my contacts who might be intereted inc. mac user groups
@documentally firstly, thank you for your kind comments relating to my #ThreeMiFi blog post, It’s nice to get some great feedback in general and a much higher bonus coming from a high profile tech savy blogger as yourself.You are right in that I (we) don’t write reviews because we get free stuff, we write because we love to help inform. I try and use tech that is widely available, not too high end and get satisfaction from feedback on twitter, facebook, email or from comments that it may of helped someone in their choice of where to spend their cash.I did think that Three missed a trick, as If I continued to use the #ThreeMiFi I would no doubt continue to mention it when relevant. For example, I got asked at the weekend if I could demo the unit at the Derby #Twissup.I guess there is a fine line in getting a review unit and sending it back or not getting a unit to review at all. At least if I blog about beer I can’t exactly return it 😉
Fantastic review that prompted me to not only order the Three Mifi but also the Kensington USB within five mins of reading it. Many thanks Richard. Great blog site too.
Superb detail review Richard! Purchased a Mifi today. Looking forward to putting it through its paces this weekend… now all I need is a man bag and one of those fancy Kensington USB charger things! 🙂
One thing that wasn’t clear is how long the internal battery lasts without assistance. Otherwise, your review has sold me on Three’s pay as you go MiFi device to avoid ludicrous data rates on my iPhone 4. I just need to know if I could go a day without charging under normal usage (maps, push email, web browsing, facebook, twitter, etc), or if that would necessitate an external battery.Thanks for the review!
Hi Eric, yeah I noticed that. Not really a proper review without mentioning the battery life! … it lasts for about 4 hours, it’s great with the iPhone as the iPhone shuts off the WiFi connection when in standby and then the MiFi goes into standby – thus improving it’s battery life.Hope that helps 🙂
Excellent Review Richard, now looking at linked reviews as I really need a solar extension to my kit.
It looks like Three have launched a package for only £9.91 that gives you 1GB of data a month and a FREE MiFi … http://bit.ly/three-mifi