Being connected to the internet at all times is just a must for many of us. When I'm at home, my laptop, iPad, and phone are all connected to the home WiFi. Let's face it, we often feel disconnected when we're not connected. I know some people will think of that as an unhealthy mindset or way to be, but whatever your stance, we can't deny that the world nowadays is wired to the internet 24/7.
Using my phone's data when I'm out, especially since I'm a heavy internet user, can rack up my phone bill like crazy. That's why I almost always have a portable WiFi device with me. When iVideo agreed to let me try out their pocket WiFi rental service, I was eager to see how it would perform and stand up to my frequent internet use.
I'm sure many of you, especially if you're a keen traveler, are familiar with the concept of renting a portable WiFi device. Whether I'm out of the country or just out of town, staying connected is even more of a priority for me. iVideo specifically 'specializes in providing low-cost wireless Internet access rental services to business and travelers'.
It's a shame I wasn't able to try this out during my UK and Vietnam trip, but I certainly made full use of it right here for the next 10 days.
Since this is a rental unit, I wasn't surprised to receive a product that looked worn and heavily used. It was still in good condition of course, and performance was what mattered to me anyways.
My unit arrived in its own little case that also came with a charger, instructions on how to use and connect to it, as well as some promotional material (though it was all written in Chinese, if I remember correctly). The case is one of those secure, shock-proof ones that keep everything inside from breaking even if you drop it.
The unit itself is really easy to operate, even if you've never used a portable or pocket WiFi before. You simply press the center power button for a few seconds and wait for the battery icon's LED light (right) and the signal light (left) to turn green. Using your phone, locate the unit's name and connect to it like you would any WiFi hotspot with the provided password and you're good to go!
If the signal LED light is red, it simply means a stable signal connection is attempting to be found, such as when you turn it on, or the spot you're currently in has poor connection. If the battery's LED light is red, then the unit's battery is low or draining. Battery life of the unit, even with my heavy use, isn't bad. It lasts about 4-5 hours before needing to charge up again. Oh and by heavy, I mean watching a lot of YouTube videos, streaming music, and regularly checking my social media accounts. Fully charging the unit doesn't take too long too and when I'm out, I just use my powerbank to do that.
So how did this unit hold up? Exceptionally well! Unlike with my current portable WiFi that also runs on 4G LTE speeds, this rarely lost signal and I was able to watch lots of (YouTube) videos without any pause from them needing to buffer. I was even able to stream shows on Netflix and Amazon Prime without a hitch that I can recall. You can imagine how well it did with simply streaming music or my various social media activities such as updating Instagram or reading through tweets. The company didn't specify what rental plan they gave me, but I'm going to safely assume it's the Philippines Smart 4G LTE Pocket WiFi Unlimited Data listed on their website here since that's my location. Considering the plan has a DL speed of up to 100mbps and upload speed of 50mbps, I'm not surprised it performed so smoothly. Plus, who can resist having unlimited data? I'm already considering renting a unit for my hopeful Japan trip next summer, especially since their rental prices are quite reasonable.
iVideo has a wide variety units and rental plans you can check out on their website. Depending on your destination, you can also conveniently rent powerbanks from them if need be. Though I didn't get a chance to test a unit's performance abroad, I've seen a lot of positive reviews from other users who rented units for their own trips. If you're going on vacay soon, a lot of their rental plans are currently on sale so I suggest looking for one that'll suit your travel needs best ASAP.
For more info on iVideo Pocket WiFi Rental, you can check out their Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Disclaimer: The featured product/s were given or provided to me by the named company or a representative of the company for review purposes. Any opinions given on said product/s are entirely my own and are honest and unbiased.
Disclaimer: The featured product/s were given or provided to me by the named company or a representative of the company for review purposes. Any opinions given on said product/s are entirely my own and are honest and unbiased.