ZTE MF61 4G Mobile Hotspot by T-Mobile Reviewed
Summary, Conclusion and Final Thoughts on the ZTE MF61 Mobile Hotspot from T-Mobile
Advantages of the ZTE MF61 Mobile hotspot:
- Up to 21.3 Mbps with built in 4G (HSPA+), 3G (HSPA) and 2G (EDGE)
- 4 to 5 hour battery life; longest battery life of all tested 4G hotspots
- Micro-SD memory slot for adding up to 32GB onboard storage
- Sleek, unique design looks; smaller than other hotspots
- Supports up to five connected users through Wi-Fi
- Bright and crisp OLED display; vivid images and easy to see indicators
- Easy to use web based device manager.
- External antenna jack; ability to increase reception by up to 500% with booster-antenna
- A wider range of lower cost monthly data plans for “light users” are available, well suited for tablet and Kindle users needing 4G connection
Disadvantages of the ZTE MF61 mobile hotspot:
- HSPA+ 4G not as fast as LTE 4G; LTE will be replacing HPSA+ in future.
- Micro-SD storage only accessible via USB connection, not accessible to Wi-Fi connected clients
- Lacks Wireless N Wi-Fi ; only supports Wireless B/G
- Speed of data service reduced by up to 99% if monthly limit exceeded
- No option to extend high speed service if monthly data cap is exceeded.
The T-Mobile ZTE MF61 mobile hotspot is a viable contender for a large percentage of individuals, students, families and business people who need reasonably fast 4G, with a small, feature-rich mobile hotspot that is durable, easy to configure and use, and has excellent battery life.
T-Mobile has consistently offered a pleasurable 4G and 3G wireless broadband experience, mainly due to its excellent strategic location of its cell towers, efficient network management and the fact the T-Mobile wireless networks are not over-saturated with iPhone wireless data consumers.
While the onboard features of the MF61 are not “state-of-the-art”, such as the absence of Wireless N, ZTE has engineered a great device that really does work well together, and proves the case of “Real world performance exceeding the specs on paper” sometimes does exist.
For mobile hotspot, as well as existing wireless broadband users who regularly approach or exceed 2GB to 10GB of downloads or uploads per month, the severely limited options of the T-Mobile data plans for high volume users makes this mobile hotspot impossible to recommend for high-volume data consumers. To be fair, perhaps only 10% of potential MF61 owners would fall into the category of high-volume users.
For the large majority of people who just need the basics: Share a single data plan with fast downloads, for up 5 people in an easy to use device that will last over 4 hours, the ZTE MF61 is a smart pick that mobilehotspot.com confidently endorses.
