Verizon MiFi and Jetpacks 4G LTE connect up to 10 devices

I have an older Verizon MiFi that connects only 5 devices. The Wi-Fi hotspot is capable of 4G LTE, but it's an older version (MiFi 4510L). It still works fine, so I'm not upgrading anytime soon.

The newer Verizon 4G LTE hotspots are capable of connecting up to 10 devices. So, if you're traveling with friends, family, or co-workers, you can get your tablets and laptops online through a single hotspot.

Here are 3 of their current models:

• Verizon Jetpack™ 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi® 5510L
• Verizon Jetpack™ 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot MiFi® 4620LE
• Verizon Jetpack™ 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot 890L

My iPhone 5 experience so far (problems connecting with LTE vs. 3G)

I've had my iPhone 5 for several days and I really like how it's lighter, thinner, and faster compared to my iPhone 4S. The elongated screen doesn't do much for me - I would have preferred to see a wider + longer screen. I had gone back to using my Android smartphone for a few weeks and I was reminded of how much I appreciate the larger 4.5" screen that is wider and taller on my Android smartphone compared to my iPhone. My eyes aren't bad - I just prefer not to zoom to read tiny font.

I have the Verizon iPhone 5 and I've been experiencing some strange connection problems when the phone is in 3G mode vs. 4G/LTE mode.

When I "enable LTE" I also find that the reception bars on the top of the screen may drop from 4 bars down to 2 bars. This same issue has been reported online among other iPhone 5 users. I also find that sometimes my iPhone 5 says that it's not connected to the network when it's on LTE mode. But then I'll turn LTE off and it has no problems connecting (and staying connected) on 3G. If I toggle around with airplane mode, I may be able to re-establish broken LTE connections, but that's no fun.

So, for now I leave LTE off and the phone works fine on 3G. My hypothesis is that this "bug" is driven by power-saving features built into the iPhone 5. I wonder if it reduces power to the antenna when it's in LTE mode and if it sends more power to the antenna when it's in 3G mode.

The Motorola Droid RAZR is the "thinnest" smartphone

The Motorola Droid RAZR was released today as the "thinnest" smartphone. The phone sure looks nice, but I want to know what kind of battery life it has when it's running on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network. Sure looks like a nice phone, but I'm not ready for an upgrade yet.

If you love watching HD movies, you'll like this: the Droid RAZR is going to be the first smartphone that can download HD movies from Netflix!

iPhone 5 to include larger screen and 4G speeds?

There are many iPhone 5 rumors floating out there. Some are reporting that Sprint will finally get the coveted Apple iPhone. Others seem to agree that the iPhone needs to have a larger screen to compete against all those Droids out there. And, we all know that 4G wireless will bring data connection speeds that are far superior to 3G.

The larger screen and 4G makes sense to me. You'll need a slightly larger device with a bigger battery to keep up with the demands of 4G. The iPhone 5 will be thinner than the iPhone 4 and will include a "teardrop" shape where the top will be thicker than the bottom.

There are 3 features we probably won't see on the iPhone 5: We have yet to see Apple create a mobile device that includes an expansion card slot like microSD. So, I doubt we'll see any expansion capabilities in the new iPhone 5. I also don't think we'll see a removable battery. Plus, I doubt we'll see a hardware keyboard feature on the iPhone 5.

Will the iPhone 5 include some other game-changing feature? I doubt it. I think it will be a larger, faster iPhone that will satisfy many Apple fans and will also win over some new Android, BlackBerry, webOS, and Windows Phone users. Then again, the Apple's "Assistant" voice control functionality might be the feature that converts the masses to the new iPhone 5. After all, wouldn't it be great if you could "speak" commands right into your phone instead of swiping or tapping the screen? This type of voice-command is right around the corner and it looks to be coming on the iPhone 5.

Force your MiFi 4510L Mobile Hotspot into 3G (EVDO) or 4G (LTE) mode (WWAN Settings)

The other day, I wrote about how my Verizon MiFi 4510L Mobile Hotspot was stuck on 3G (EVDO) and was not switching to 4G (LTE). If you're experiencing similar issues, make sure to read this.

For those of you wanting to manually switch your Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot from 3G to 4G (or vice versa), here's a simple tutorial that outlines the steps that will help you do that.

• Connect to your MiFi
• Log in to your MiFi by typing this URL into your browser: http://192.168.1.1/
• Click on "Setup Wizard"
• The default password is "admin" (unless you've changed it)
• When it asks you to set up a new password, click "cancel"
• Now you'll see that you have several new menu options at the top red horizontal navigation bar: Home, Wi-Fi, LAN, WWAN, Security, Advanced

Confusion and Skepticism May Impede 4G Adoption

By Andrew Eisner, Director of Community and Content at Retrevo.com

As Verizon continues to roll out their 4G LTE network across the country at an accelerated rate and AT&T also picking up speed in their 4G deployment it would seem that widespread 4G adoption is a foregone conclusion. Unfortunately, it looks like consumers may be so confused over 4G that they become hesitant to move to 4G, at least in the near term. In a recent Retrevo Gadgetology study only a little less than a quarter of the respondents say they're going for 4G. With so many potential 4G customers expressing concerns about cost and performance providers of 4G phones and services could be in for some disappointment.

- A Third of iPhone Owners Mistakenly Think Their Phones Have 4G
Maybe the "4" in the iPhone 4 name gives iPhone owners (34%) the false impression that they already own a 4G phone but the fact is Apple doesn't offer a 4G phone at the moment. Coincidentally, a suspiciously large percentage of Android and BlackBerry owners may be suffering from the same delusion. BlackBerry owners (24%) are almost as confused as iPhone owners since RIM doesn't currently offer a 4G phone. At least some Android owners could be answering correctly as Android 4G phones like the HTC Evo 4G or Samsung Infuse 4G have been available for some time. If nothing else this large number of misinformed phone owners serves to emphasize the fact that consumers are quite confused about 4G.

Sprint Launches 4G Enterprise WAN for Businesses

Industry’s first solution to offer bundled 4G and 3G wireless WAN connectivity, with secure and reliable access to Sprint Global MPLS; Explorer Pipeline experiences significant cost savings and improved productivity

Overland Park, Kan. – June 27, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE: S) now offers businesses Sprint 4G Enterprise WAN (wide area network), a fixed wireless access solution that provides speed, reliability and secure wireless connectivity to the Sprint Global MPLS network. Not only can wireless connectivity open a world of possibilities by allowing people to work virtually anywhere, now Sprint 4G can enable businesses to replace or improve on traditional "wired" options with a solution that is cost-effective, fast and flexible to deploy without compromising bandwidth and network reliability, available within all Sprint 4G markets.

Verizon 4G LTE Smartphones

Right now, you can choose among 3 Android smartphones on Verizon that run on the 4G LTE network:

• Revolution™ by LG
• DROID CHARGE by Samsung
• ThunderBolt™ by HTC

Based on the number of reviews, the ThunderBolt™ by HTC is the most popular 4G smartphone on Verizon. It was also the first. Although Motorola recently announced the Droid X2, this smartphone is not a 4G smartphone. I wonder why Motorola hasn't come out with a 4G LTE smartphone yet.

Battery life is still a big problem with these early 4G smartphones. That's why I run my ThunderBolt on 3G mode most of the time.

HP Veer 4G: smallest 4G smartphone on the planet

The HP Veer 4G is the smallest 4G smartphone and it's on the AT&T network. It looks like a mini Palm Pre.

HP Veer gives you an advanced browser and 4G speeds for a fantastic web experience. Notifications instantly display messages, reminders, and Facebook® updates. And there are thousands of popular apps at your fingertips. Plus a full keyboard for firing off messages and a vivid touchscreen that responds to your gestures. Never before has a smartphone done so much and felt so small.

The Veer runs HP webOS (previously known as Palm webOS). By the way, did you notice that the URL Palm.com no longer exists? It redirects to hpwebos.com now.

Verizon MiFi 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot

The first 4G Mobile Hotspot on the Verizon network is the MiFi 4510L 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot.

4G is up to 10X Faster than 3G!

Features

• 4G LTE Mobile Broadband and Mobile Broadband capable
• LTE: Typical download speeds of 5–12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2–5 Mbps.
• Connect up to 5 Wi–Fi® enabled devices at one time
• MiFi 4510L does NOT support VZAccess® Manager
• Chipset: MDM9600
• 4G SIM Card compatible
• Slim, Compact size
• Integrated External Status Display
• User–Friendly Web UI: No Software to install
• High performance internal antenna
• Multi–color service state LED
• External Antenna Connector (External antenna sold separately)
• VPN Capability
• Auto–Connect
• Global Data roaming is set to ON by default

Battery Times: Usage–Up to 5hrs.

T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot now in stores

You can now get the T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot in stores. 

Create your own personal hotspot on the go with the T-Mobile 4G Mobile Hotspot—get high-speed Internet on up to five Wi-Fi devices, using a single mobile broadband connection.

• High-speed Internet for up to 5 Wi-Fi devices (gaming consoles, laptops, more)
•Compact & light weight for easy portability
• 4G-capable for blazing-fast speeds on America’s Largest 4G Network™

T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 4G network not available everywhere.

Extend battery life on the HTC ThunderBolt by switching to 3G (disable 4G LTE)

For the past few weeks, I've been using my HTC ThunderBolt on 3G mode. Disabling 4G LTE and staying on 3G allows me to use the phone call day on a single battery charge (on a standard battery). If you're struggling to keep your ThunderBolt charged up, consider using the "LTE On/Off" app to disable 4G. I don't generally require 4G speeds, but it's nice to occasionally switch the 4G on so that I can download a 50 MB file in just a few seconds. 

Switch between 3G (EVDO) and 4G (LTE) on the HTC ThunderBolt

It would be nice if the HTC ThunderBolt had a widget or an app that would easily let you toggle between 3G and 4G. When I'm on 4G, my battery drains really quickly, even if I'm not actively using the phone. I could stop all my background processes, but that doesn't seem like it's the best option for me.

Here's how you can manually switch between 3G and 4G on your ThunderBolt:

Open the phone dialer
Dial: *#*#4636#*#*
You'll see a menu titled "Testing"
Go to "Phone information"
Scroll down until you see "CDMA + LTE/EvDo auto"

To set your ThunderBolt to stay on 3G, select: "CDMA auto (PRL)"

Then, when you want to go back to 4G, select: "CDMA + LTE/EvDo auto"

Blogging on the HTC ThunderBolt 4G

I have to admit that I've been very impressed by the HTC ThunderBolt 4G on Verizon. Compared to my old Motorola Droid X (which is a fine smartphone), the ThunderBolt feels so much faster and the 4G speeds are great for bloggers who like to upload photos and videos when they're at a conference or meeting. The WiFi Mobile Hotspot also works reliably.

For me, the biggest disappointment is the battery life on the HTC ThunderBolt. I may need to invest in an extended battery (which would make the phone really bulky) and use that battery when I know I'll require all-day performance.

It's refreshing to use a smartphone that's fast and responsive. I hope to share more as I continue to use this device.

Day 2 using the HTC ThunderBolt 4G LTE on Verizon

Today is day #2 using the HTC HTC ThunderBolt 4G LTE on the Verizon Wireless network. I've used the Droid X, the HTC Droid Incredible, and the HTC Droid Eris on Verizon.

Before I got the ThunderBolt, I was using the Droid X. Here are the main reasons why I chose to upgrade:

1. 4G is lighting fast (and if you're using the WiFi Mobile Hotspot feature, you can connect up to 8 devices)
2. Front-facing camera (which is great for interviewing or taking self-portraits when I'm blogging at various conferences)
3. It comes with a 32 GB microSD card
4. HTC Sync™ to synchronize Outlook contacts and calendar
5. Kickstand - works in both portrait and landscape modes
6. Simultaneous voice and data: You can talk on the phone and use the Internet at the same time

Are 4G smartphones (more) hazardous to our health?

As smartphones become more powerful, I often wonder if they're also becoming more hazardous to our health. I think we can't deny the fact that they may be more hazardous based on the increased data 4G smartphones are transmitting wirelessly compared to 3G mobile devices. As these devices transmit energy, they warm up, they get hot, and there is potential for electromagnetic interference or EMI.

Recent studies have shown that powerful smartphones can interfere with medical equipment. This 2007 study concluded, "Critical care equipment is vulnerable to EMI by new-generation wireless telecommunication technologies with median distances of about 3 cm." This 2008 paper in JAMA concluded, "In a controlled nonclinical setting, RFID induced potentially hazardous incidents in medical devices." This other 2008 paper concluded, "EMI from mobile phones have an adverse effect on the medical devices used in critical care setup. They should be used at least one foot away from the diameter of the syringe pump."  I realize that some studies are looking at RFID, others are evaluating Bluetooth, some are comparing Wi-Fi signals, and others are looking at GSM signals. At the end of the day, all these wireless radiation gets combined and we may be exposing ourselves to invisible hazards.

So who's measuring the health effects of newer 4G smartphones that now transmit much more data compared to 3G devices? Will all the data be retrospective studies 10 years from now? Will these newer smartphones cause any immediate health effects?

HTC ThunderBolt 4G on Verizon

The HTC ThunderBolt is a 4G Android smartphone that is coming to Verizon very soon. At a glance, it looks like the HTC Evo 4G on Sprint.  Here's how HTC describes the ThunderBolt 4G:


This isn't your dream phone. It's the one after that. With instant uploads and downloads and more, the HTC ThunderBolt 4G brings you the future, faster.


8 megapixels. Ultra-mega-amazing. 8 megapixel flash camera and the power of 4G allow you to create and share like never before.


4G + HD = infinite possibilities. Record. Share. View. HD video and a hi-res 4.3" screen means unlimited entertainment. 

I'm currently using the Motorola Droid X and it's a fine smartphone. I like the 3G speeds that I get, even when I'm using my device as a 3G Mobile Hotspot. I'm sure 4G would be nice, but I'm not willing to pay a premium price just to get 4G over 3G. Not yet. For now (and the next 2 years), I'll be sticking with my Droid X.

New 4G Motorola Android smartphones revealed at CES

I recently upgraded to a Droid X knowing that Verizon was releasing 4G smartphones in 2011. Here are some 4G smartphones that are being announced this week at CES:

• Motorola Atrix 4G for AT&T
• Motorola Droid Bionic for Verizon

We also shouldn't forget about the Motorola Xoom, the 10" Android slate tablet.

Are you following all the exciting news from CES?

Future smartphones: dual-core processors, 4G, and much more

Soon, smartphones like the Droid X or iPhone 4 will seem really obsolete. Here are my predictions regarding smartphone features that will be found on most smartphones by the end of 2011:

• 4G capability (HTC won't be the only one producing 4G smartphones)
• Dual-core processor (my Droid X running a 1 GHz is very fast, but imagine what you could do with a dual-core processor!)
• Superior voice recognition and voice command (who needs a keyboard?)
• Dual cameras on the front and the back (this will become a standard feature soon)
• More cloud computing features and capabilities (so get ready to use Google Docs on a regular basis)

What else?

• 3D display? (I don't think so)
• Superior battery life? (probably not much better than current Lithium Ion batteries)
• Smaller vs. larger? (we'll probably have more options for smaller and larger devices)
• Will it replace my PC? (not quite yet, but we're getting closer each year)
• More integration with the car (as a GPS, as an Internet radio, and as digital concierge)

I'm happy with my current Droid X and I don't think I'll be upgrading to a new smartphone in 2011. However, I predict that I'll either get an iPad 2 or some other slate tablet (probably running Android) in 2011. 

Verizon is debuting 4G LTE devices at the Consumer Electronics Show

Author: Thuc Huynh, MD

Last week I wrote a post asking, When are smartphones going to work on the Verizon 4G network? It looks like it’s going to be very soon!

In true social media fashion, Verizon sent out a tweet yesterday confirming the debut of android devices with LTE capability.

Now, will the lineup consist of android smartphones or android tablets? Perhaps, both? Which device are you hoping it will be?

About the author:

Dr. Thuc Huynh is CEO of ScrubdIN, a startup company that aims to help health professionals choose their next medical app. Her main interest lies around how medicine can play a role with web 2.0 and social media. Dr. Huynh is currently Chief Resident at her Family Medicine Residency in Rapid City, SD and received her B.S. and M.D. at the Medical University of the Americas.