With Smart bringing in the new LTE technology to the Philippines, it’s time for a gadget update. Soon we’ll be seeing mobile phones that are LTE capable and other laptops and hardware that can maximize what LTE has to offer.
For now, let’s check out the LTE capable dongle from Huawei that Smart used for the launch.
Pros:
Bigger but sleeker – small enough to fit into a bag or a pocket, but big enough not to get lost in the mess.
USB plug folds into the body – no cover falling off to worry about.
Saves space when plugged in – instead of it sticking out, it sticks up.
Cons:
Takes up more USB space – especially for laptops where USB slots are closely beside each other, you won’t be able to use the other USB slots if the dongle is plugged in.
Might not work with all laptops – the dongle did not work on Ferdz’ netbook–either it would have the BSoD or it would not detect the dongle as a modem.
Overheating – I tested the dongle at the beachfront with Ferdz. After around 1 hour of usage, I could carry the laptop and charger, but I couldn’t carry the dongle with my bare hands.
It’s still in the early stages of rolling out and what’s really important is that the infrastructure for the LTE network is set up methodically. However, I hope Smart and Huawei will be able to find ways to improve on the dongle for the convenience of the user. At the end of the day, we still get really fast internet. It’d just be nice if we didn’t have burn marks on our hands, pockets or bags after using it. I guess it’s just a fair trade off, considering the internet is blazing fast.
