It’s definitely not the first time we’ve seen the Novatel MiFi, or even the second – but they can keep cranking these things out in all sorts of different flavors and we wouldn’t mind a bit. A few weeks back, we found out that Sprint would be getting a MiFi of their own sometime in the next 3 months, and this latest leak indicates that Verizon will be getting one as well. No date is mentioned – but with CTIA 09 but a night or two away, we’d wager that an announcement is looming.
Here’s the concept, if you’ve missed our past blabbers on it: It’s essentially a battery-operated, 3G-powered WiFi router. Push a button, bam – it’s now a WiFi hotspot, fueled by the 3G network of whatever carrier’s SIM you’ve got inside. No dealing with cables or flaky tethering apps. It’s a blogger’s dream toy. Both times we messed with the MiFi were in environments that are generally absolutely horrible for such evaluations (the GSM model on an overloaded network, and the CDMA model in the basement of a hotel) – yet it performed spectacularly each time.
A few things are still unclear (EVDO Rev.A? Did Verizon lower the carrier-adjustable 5 person cap?). We just landed in Vegas – if our assumptions are correct and a VZW-branded MiFi is lurking around Sin City, we’ll have a hands-on up as soon as possible.
[Via PhoneArena]