As soon as I’ve got the details ironed-out, I’m going to be giving away a Mifi 2352 courtesy of Mobilx.eu this week. If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a tiny, palm-sized device that you put a SIM card in. You press the single button and it connects to 3G and provides a Wifi for up to 5 devices to use. Simple and great quality. Definitely my mobile device of the year. [More information here]

Andy Abramson of VoIP Watch and the daily World Tech Round Up Podcast/Radio Show has just posted a really interesting article on how he’s using the Mifi with his Macbook Pro and Viliv S7 in Madrid.

“my point is, with the MiFi tucked inside my coat pocket, a device like the iPod Touch, iphone, Nokia E71 or even my UMA enabled Blackberry, I have more connectivity than I did a year ago. Add in more and more WiFi hot spots that are up and running, and I’m connected. Oh, and one more thing. When I don’t want to carry the MacBook Pro, I’ve got a 1.7 pound powerhouse in tow. It’s the 7 inch Viliv S7. inch

A good read from someone that looks to be getting the most out of the Mifi.

Me, My MiFi and My Bag Of Tricks To Stay Connected

Vodafone Germany are the latest carrier to announce a 3G hotspot. It’s our favorite (and still product of the year in my opinion) the Novatel Mifi 2352. [My review roundup]

40 Euro per month for a 5GB HSDPA contract (GPRS flat after the 5GB limit is reached) gets you the device for free which in my opinion is a far better option than buying a netbook with a data contract. The Mifi gives you freedom to choose your devices based on where and what you are doing. If you want to take the iPod Touch to the coffee shop, go for it. If you need to attend an important meeting with your business laptop, you get that choice too.

For the ultimate in flexibility though I suggest taking the 231 Euro hit at Mobilx and look for pre-paid or flat offers from other 3G providers in your country. A 24 month contract with Alice in Germany for example brings you the same data rate and bandwidth limits for 15 Euro per month. Less than half the price that Vodafone is asking. I tend to use the Mifi with a day-flat tariff. At 2.50 Euro per day it leaves me contract free and able to switch to other pre-paid cards based on price or availability.

Expect this product to pop up at your local Vodafone provider soon.

Vodafone Germany product page.

I’ll be attending a mobile internet presentation hosted by Vodafone Germany this afternoon and although I will continue to microblog (they will appear in the middle column on the front page) I wanted to highlight a couple of points before I go.

Firstly, Pocketables have news that the Viliv S7 is nearing launch in Korea. There’s information on pricing and model details but these details will obviously change for models outside Korea. We’re trying to get more info from Viliv about this. I’m very excited about the S7 and wondering if it will beat the ASUS T91 to market! Check out the Pocketables article for more. What do you think of the pricing? I’m guessing that it will translate to a $650 entry point in the U.S.

JKK and I spent 3 hours with the Kohjinsha SK3 [details] and a bunch of other UMPCs last night. The live session was recorded and if you’ve got 2+hrs free, check out the videos. I will be doing a full review of the SK3 in the coming weeks.

The Vodafone event should be interesting this afternoon. I am taking a bunch of UMPCs and will be using the X70 + PC Navigator to find my way there. The MiFi 2352 will also be given a good work-out!

I could easily round-up the coverage of the European-focused MiFi 2352 by saying ‘buy one’ but that would be too easy. There ARE some things you need to think about before you take the plunge and buy one so here’s my final tests and thoughts on the MiFi 2352 personal 3G hotspot for European GSM and UMTS networks.

Announcement: JKKMobile and UMPCPortal will be available on the live page tomorrow (Wednesday 24th June) at 2100 CEST (Berlin) demonstrating the Mifi 2352 and answering questions.

Update: Live session videos are available now.

Also read:

• Mifi 2352 availability and specification details.
• Mifi 2352 hands-on and video.
• Mifi performance testing.
• Slashgear Mifi 2352 review
• JKKMobile charger hack
• JKKMobile unboxing and overview video.

Size

The device is easily pocketable, bag-able and even window-shelf-able. The Wifi range lets you put the device wherever it’s needed for the best 3G reception. Size-wise, you need not give it a second thought. Build quality is good although you might want to keep it in a little bag to avoid the ports getting dirty.

More images in the Mifi Gallery.

Software

The software comes in three parts. The 3G software, the router and the web server. Each has it’s own little software stack and everything appears to work very smoothly together. Starting the device up is simple. Configuring the device is simple. Using it with multiple SIM cards is simple and sharing files from an SD card is simple. The file sharing function is limited to simple web-based downloads and uploads but we get the feeling that 3rd-party software, hacks or even official firmware upgrades could enhance this. At this point I’d like to point you to Slashgear who have also tested the Mifi 2352 and have a good set of images of the user interface.

Wifi sharing without 3G

This is the easiest way I’ve found yet to enable keyboard sharing between multiple devices. Of course, one of the devices needs to have an internet connection (or use the 3G on the MiFi) if you need internet access but it’s a great way to set up a mini network in the home, car or while on holiday.

Battery life

I hooked up my desktop, a UMPC, a netbook and my N82 mobile phone to the MiFi and hit it hard with continuous music streaming, two IM clients and my normal web-based working process which included browsing and a big set of image uploads. The result, a warm MiFi that lasted 3.5 hours. I’m quite impressed. In normal use I would expect 4hrs out of the device and as there’s a few easy ways to recharge the device (and the possibility of cheap spare batteries I feel sure that Novatel are using a pattern battery that you’ll find in another device) I have no problem with the battery life. And another thing, I barely noticed any difference on my desktop. At HSPA speeds and with normal activities, the Mifi is as good as a cable internet connection.

Heat

As mentioned, the device gets warm but nothing you need to worry about. The Wifi has a good range (one concrete wall or about 20-30m in the open) which means you don’t need the device too close to the clients.

Speedtests

See my previous post. I don’t see the Mifi being the fastest but it’s stable and has excellent reception. A stable, lower speed connection is often far more useful than a spotty high-speed one. HSPA is supported and we’ve seen 2.1mbps download and 1.2mbps uploads.

Price

If you’ve got a USB 3G stick and one computing device, you’ve got a tough choice today. 220 Euros is the same cost as an iPod Touch and you won’t be increasing your mobile internet capability by much at all. It certainly doesnt take much effort to plug a 3G USB modem in! If you’ve got multiple Wifi devices though, the MiFi starts to get interesting. You will be able to enable your own personal wifi hotspot and thus mobilise your wifi devices. The Mifi will save battery life (close-range wifi is often more efficient than a USB modem), and increase your security by giving you a private channel to the internet. If you’ve already got 3G devices, the MiFi can save you money and give you flexibility. In Germany and many other European countries, pay-as-you-go flat rate daily or monthly tariffs are common and by choosing one and sharing it between your devices, you can control your costs.

Issues

• I would have liked to have seen the possibility to attach an external antenna to the MiFi for edge-of-cell use or even a permanent installation as a broadband modem.
• Charging in use. By connecting the USB cable to a PC, you initiate the USB modem mode of the Wifi. To charge the MiFi while in mobile hotspot mode you need to either plug the device into mains via the supplied adaptor, use a power-bank with a USB output or make a cable modification. It would be nice to be able to disable the USB modem mode through software.
• There is a surprising amount of heat generated considering the device is only using 1.5w of power under maximum load. This may be a consideration if you want to keep this in a pocket.
• Indicators. I find the indicators confusing. There are no fewer than 14 combinations of colours and steady/flashing status indicators. It’s worth learning the combinations but it shouldn’t be this hard cnsidering the space available on the device.
• Popularity is going to become an issue. Sharing a single connection with multiple devices means more devices per cell which effectively means more data on the same number of connections. Backhaul bandwidth (from the cell tower to the data center) is already an issue and major bottleneck. If the Mifi becomes popular for Wifi device owners (iPods, PMPs etc) then expect more congestion. This is another reason to be using pay-as-you-go services so that you can hop onto the best service providers network at very little cost.

Future products

Expect Huawei to come out with a competing device soon and expect to see these devices popping up all over the place on the city high-street. Also expect carriers to be offering the devices for free with contract lock-ins or even to enable ring-fenced TV or music services so yes, if you wait, you might find a good deal with your favorite provider but 24 months is a long time in mobile internet. 24 months ago, the prices were double and the bandwidths half of what they are today. In my opinion it’s better to buy a MiFi without commitment now and start enjoying the benefit.

Summary.

The Mifi is a groundbreaking product for anyone interested in mobile internet and there are very few issues to consider. It has the potential to save you money, increase your security and turn hotspot-bound device into mobile ones. It’s a shame that the battery life doesn’t last a full days activities but this is about as good as it gets from today’s technology. If you’ haven’t just bought a 3G USB stick, take a close look at the MiFi, the extra cost might save you money in the long run and simplify your mobile internet life.

We bought the Mifi from Mobilx.EU in Hungary who are an affiliate of ours and also pay for advertising on UMPCPortal. There are no affiliate links in this article and the article has been written without any external review or influence. We encourage you to visit the links shown at the top of this article for reviews and information from other websites and to view the live, recorded review and Q&A session. [Details here after 24th June]

I spent some time last night testing four 3G-capable devices for both speed and reception on three different provider networks from my desk in my office here in Bonn, Germany just a few kilometres from the global head-office of T-Mobile. The results are very interesting with the Mifi being a great all-rounder and the X70 surprising with some very high-end speeds. The Viliv S5 was disappointing. I was even surprised with the results from the different providers.

Update: Some reports are coming in (see comments) that the 3G on the S5 brings in good results. It’s possible I have a faulty unit here. Maybe a poorly soldered antenna. If anyone else has an S5 and can do comparisons with other 3G devices, please let us know your results. Thanks.

Devices tested

Mifi 2352 3G hotspot from Novatel. HSPA capable.  [More information]

Viliv S5 with built-in Huawei EM770. HSPA capable [More information]

Viliv X70 EX with built-in Huawei EM770. HSPA capable [More information]

Gigabyte Touchnote with reseller-fitted Novatell Expedite EU870D. HSDPA only. [More information]

Reception Test

With an average of over 3 bars (from 5) reception, the MiFi reported the best reception of all devices. This result should be taken with a pinch of salt because of course the ‘meters’ aren’t calibrated between devices but the MiFi certainly felt strong. I’ve used the Gigabyte Touchnote many times in extreme 3G situations now and it too is strong and returned a consistent 3-bar reception level at my test desk. Its difficult to pick a winner between the two because as you move towards the edge of a cell, the Touchnote is likely to be the better performer with it’s bigger antenna. The X70 was reliable too showing strong 2-3 bar reception figures on the fastest technologies. The one disappointing result was the Viliv S5 which consistently failed to attach to 3G networks. Reception quality is clearly much lower on the S5 than all other devices.

Speed Test

The speed tests were done using Speedtest.net over a period of about 3 hours. Remember that results very over time, weather conditions, cell load and position but by remaining at my desk for all tests I was able to get a feel for the speeds of the devices and, important for me, the quality of Internet service from the three providers I tested. The Mifi was used in hotspot mode.

Download Test results:

Upload Speed results:

Conclusion

The Mifi appears to be limited in it’s ability to download when used in hotspot mode (not tested in USB modem mode) although the 1mbps figures are quite acceptable and the reception appears to be excellent. There could be an issue with the early firmware too so we’re getting this checked out through Mobilx.eu, the reseller. Overall though, the MiFi looks like the best all-round 3G device out of the test with stable figures across the board. The X70, with it’s HSPA modem showed the highest download scores and in one case, Speedtest recorded 4mbps download over the Fonic / 02 network. It couldn’t quite reach the high speeds on the Vodafone network. This could have been due to the load on the Vodafone network or the slightly less sensitive antenna. The Touchnote download speeds were also very good but highlight the limits of its  HSDPA modem which can only support 384kbps upload speeds. For general use though, the Touchnote is very good and I’d rather have high quality reception than extreme upload speeds. Unfortunately, the Viliv S5 I have here just wasn’t capable of getting consistent 3G results. Standing near a window helped but that’s not the point of the test. In the given scenario the Viliv S5 wasn’t able to complete any of the Speedtest results within a reasonable time and the built-in antenna made no difference to reception quality.

As for providers, clearly Fonic, who use the 02 network, are the best in my office area but in general, I don’t use 3G in my office area! I have been testing these networks for a long time though and have been impressed with the 02 data network in Bonn and Cologne. As a result, I’m thinking of cancelling my low-end T-Mobile data contract (my Vodafone data contract has already been cancelled) and getting an Alice 19.95 Euro unlimited 7.2/1.4mbps pre-paid broadband card. Alice use the same network and as I’ve tested Skype with it, I’m pretty happy that it’s a nice open network. (although it does use a different APN to Fonic so there’s a risk there!) 20 Euro per month for 5GB (and then unlimited over GPRS) looks like the best deal in Germany for me at the moment. Given that I can use 5 devices with the Mifi and that the Mifi is proving to have great reception and acceptable throughput, I have to ask myself whether I really need 3G built-in to any of my devices now.

Clearly the MiFi reduces the need for built-in 3G so like me, you’ll have to ask yourself if it’s worth it to look at 3G-capable UMPCs any more. The MiFi doesnt cost much more than a built-in option, is flexible, is easy to use, saves ultra mobile PC battery life (close-range Wifi takes less power than 3G in most cases) and it mobilises up to 5 WiFi devices on one 3G contract.

Update: Finally, after seeing that JKKMobile got over 2mbps download on his MiFi, I tested and tested further. I did, once, mange to get a 2.38mbps average download speed, again, on the Fonic/02 network. Note the fantastic ping times of 65ms. Clearly the MiFi is geared towards reliability, stability and reception quality rather than speed. In my opinion, it’s the right balance.

As always, respect to Mobilx for shipping the retail Mifi 2352 over in super-quick time. Their stock came in yesterday and I’m sitting here, 24 hours later, with one in my hand/pocket/rucksack.

More images in the gallery here.

I’ll be heading out for a camping weekend in Holland in a few hours (yes, the Mifi is coming too) so I don’t have time to write too much at this stage but yes, it’s working as expected and I still think it’s the mobile computing  device of the year. I need to do some testing on battery life and reception quality and that will come next week. In the meantime, enjoy this overview unboxing and demo video. You’ll also see the built-in Micro-SD card slot in use.

Affiliate advertising. Click for info.

If the ‘HQ’ button is available on the player above I recommend clicking it for higher quality playback.

The unlocked Mifi 2352 is now available for 220 Euro (inclusive EU taxes) from Mobilx.eu. (Direct link) I’m not aware of any other resellers that have it yet but if you know of someone else selling it, let us know and we’ll happily add the details here.

Update: Expansys are listing it.

We’re happy to say that Mobilx is a long-term and trusted affiliate of ours. You can support UMPCPortal by buying your MiFi through the affiliate advertising.

Update: We bought one. Here’s what we think.

The MiFi is my tip for Ultra Mobile Product of the Year. Cutting across Wifi hotspots, 3G dongles and multiple carrier contracts or pre-paid SIM cards in one go, the MiFi is simply a must-have if you’re an Ultra Mobile type of person.

Mobilx have announced availability and final pricing.

220 Euros (inclusive of European sales taxes) buys you a HSPA-capable device with the specifications shown below. First devices are expected to be available in the third week of June 2009.

We’ll be getting one for testing very soon now. Hopefully it will be in my postbox when I get back from Computex.

Mobilx MiFi 2352. (aff link)

Specifications:

Access HSPA (7.2 Mbps download and 5.76 Mbps upload) mobile broadband networks with the world’s first Intelligent Mobile Hotspot
Operates virtually anywhere in the world with multiple frequency band operation in HSPA, UMTS, EDGE, and GPRS† providing high speed mobile Internet access.

Connect up to 5 Wi-Fi enabled devices
Allows up to 5 Wi-Fi enabled devices to simultaneously connect to the Internet.

Easily fits in the palm of your hand
Sleek and tiny, MiFi is perfect for on-the-go connectivity.

NovaSpeed capable
Enhances performance of video, online gaming, simultaneous uploads and downloads, and large file transfers with minimal interruptions or buffering.

Integrated high-capacity microSDHCTM slot
Provides expandable storage capacity of up to 16GB, allowing access from all connected devices over Wi-Fi.

GPS-enabled for location-based services

SIM Unlocked!

Technology/Bands

• Tri-band HSUPA/HSDPA – 900/1900/2100 MHz
• Quad-band GPRS/EDGE – 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• A-GPS and gpsOneXTRAâ„¢ support
• Receiver equalisation
• Receiver diversity

Antenna

• Integrated diversity antenna
• Integrated WiFi antenna
• Integrated GPS antenna

Software and Applications (optional)(USB Tethered Mode)

• MobiLinkâ„¢ 3 Connection Manager
• Built-in address book
• SMS client

Data Speeds

• HSDPA Up to 7.2 Mbps downlink
• HSUPA Up to 5.76 Mbps uplink

LED Indicators (2)

• Multi-colour status indicator
• Wi-Fi indicator

Operating system

• Windows 2000, XP, Vista,
• Mac OS X 10.4 or later
• Linux

Standard Package Contents

• MiFi 2352
• Quick Start Guide
• USB Cable
• Li-ion battery
• A/C mains charger

Dimensions:

• 62mm x 98mm x 15.3mm

WLAN

• 802.11b/g 2.4 GHz
• Pre-configurable security (WEP/WPA/WPA2)
• DHCP server
• NAT/NAPT
• DNS support
• VPN pass-through

Standards/Approvals/Certifications

• 3GPP Release 99 for WDCMA
• 3GPP Release 5 for HSDPA
• 3GPP Release 6 for HSUPA
• FCC parts 2, 15, 22 & 24
• CE Marking
• GCF
• PTCRB
• GSM Phase 2+
• Microsoft WHQL
• Wi-Fi Alliance
• R&TTE Directive 1999/5/EC (health, safety, EMC, spectrum) Compliant
• RoHS Directive 2002/95/EC Compliant
• WEEE Directive 2002/96/EC Compliant
• A-Tick
• ICASA
• Industry Canada

Battery

• Removable Li-ion battery

Interfaces

• microUSB port
• microSDHC slot
• SIM socket 1.8V and 3.0V standard USIM
• SIM Unlocked!

Following the much-blogged, much twittered news of Verizon launching their MiFi product last week, it’s now Sprint’s turn. There doesn’t seem to be a day plan, only a $60 5GB plan and a bundle which includes a phone. Availability is ‘June’. More details here.

It’s no secret that Telefonica have already announced the Mifi 2352 HSPA version in Spain (under the Movistar brand) and I’m hearing ‘days’ rather than ‘weeks’ for availability which means I’ll probably be able to get hold of an unlocked version for testing. Can’t wait!

“Among the key attributes of MiFi 2352 is an on-board Linux based operating system capable of delivering mobile software applications and media. These advanced capabilities add to the intelligence of MiFi and will enable future support for applications such as automatic VPN connectivity and automatic email synch. The combination of internal (ROM) storage, up to 16 GB of expandable memory via MicroSD and on-board GPS capabilities make MiFi 2352 a flexible and robust platform capable of supporting a variety of location-based applications and enabling the storage of personal content such as music, video and pictures. inch [Source]

The MiFi is clearly going to be a very popular product this year so excuse me if I don’t report on every carrier deal across the world!