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SMART WiFi Plug-it: Plugged in at home and inside your car

OK folks, commercial time!

Of all of SMART’s ‘Bro’ line products which includes the ‘Rocket’ and ‘Pocket’ series (the main difference being the ‘Rocket’ line is capable of 12 mbps speeds) none is more peculiar than the Pocket WiFi product. This is because it comes in two variants — the regular USB plug which slides into your computer (or any USB power source) and the rather niche car adaptor version, which, well slides into your cigarette lighter.

Since you can plug this into any USB power source, after configuring it on your computer, you can use those USB-to-plug adapters which they usually bundle with Android phones to power up the dongle and have up to 5 different devices connected simultaneously. I was actually thinking about why a person would want to use one of these devices instead of having data turned on from your phone and lo and behold I can think of one example. If you’re running an iOS device (iPhone and iPad) Apple halts App Store downloads and updates if the file exceeds a certain size (usually Retina versions). That would mean you would have to “trick” iOS by connecting to a WiFi device instead of using 3G/HSPA+. So that’s that.

Tech Specs:

One-time fee: P3,495
Usage fee: Pay per use. P10 for every 30 mins. Or avail of any usage package (Unlisurf, Per Minute, Prepaid Lifestyle).
Freebies: Preloaded with 240 internet hours and 400 SMS to Smart and Sun Subscribers (valid for 10 days)
Connection: via USB, via WiFi
Speed: Up to 7.2 Mbps
Lock-in Period: None (this is the best feature!)
Application requirements: None
System requirements: Any WiFi enabled device with WLAN 802.11 b/g/n standard and internet browser

By Jayvee Fernandez

Jayvee Fernandez is a tech enthusiast, EAN certified SCUBA Diver and underwater photographer based in Metro Manila, Philippines. His photos and videos have appeared in various international and local publications including Random House Germany, Discovery Channel Canada, and CNN.

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