Review Date June 07, 2012

Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot 890L

  • Pros

    World modem. Fast 4G speeds. Good battery life. Interactive status display.

  • Cons No MicroSD card slot. Dim display. Tricky navigation controls.
  • Bottom Line

    The Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot 890L is great for getting your devices online here and abroad, but it isn't the best option available.

By Alex Colon

ZTE's Verizon Jetpack 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot 890L ($19.99 with a two-year contract) is a very good cellular modem. Problem is, Novatel's MiFi 4620L ($49.99, 4.5 stars) is just a little bit better. They're nearly identical, feature for feature, and both will get you online with fast 4G LTE data speeds, as well as slower speeds abroad. So if you prefer the size or shape of the 890L , then go for it, but I prefer the brighter, easier-to-navigate status display on the 4620L.

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Design and Data Plans
At 3.5 by 3.5 by .7 inches (HWD) and 4.8 ounces, the 890L is a good deal larger than many recent hotspots, though it'll fit into a bag just fine. The all red and black design looks very Verizon. There's a status display on the front, with three touch buttons below. Up top there's a power switch, charging port, and a reset button. That's it. There's no microSD card slot, so you can't use a memory card as a shared drive between connected devices. And unlike the 4620L, there are no external antenna ports for boosted reception.

The 1.5-inch black and white OLED status display looks fine, but it's on the dim side. I had to pick the modem up and bring it pretty close to my face before I was able to get a clear read on it.

Additionally, the display isn't as informative as the one on the 4620L. Instead of a home screen that displays battery life, connected devices, notifications, and signal strength, all of those options are buried under different menus. The home screen here is a set of four icons: WAN Info, WLAN Info, Messages, and Settings. While you can get plenty of information in poking around through the many menus, there's also a Web-based management console for more advanced preferences.

Unfortunately, using the touch-based buttons for navigation can be a little frustrating. You can move up and down, but not back. And responsiveness can be somewhat stilted, so I often clicked the select button prematurely and found myself in the wrong menu. It isn't a deal breaker, but it's not as easy to navigate as the 4620L.

According to our tests for the Fastest Mobile Networks, Verizon's 4G LTE network is currently the fastest, most widely available LTE network out there. But it doesn't come cheap, as there's no unlimited data plan. You can get 5GB per month for $50 or 10GB per month for $80, plus $10 per additional GB. This means you can't use the 890L to replace your current home Internet connection, since you can easily watch 5GB worth of streaming video on Netflix in a single day.


Performance and Conclusions
Like most hotspots, the 890L is simple to use. Turn it on, wait 30 seconds or so for it to connect to Verizon's network, then connect to the modem as you would with any other wireless connection, and you're ready to go. It automatically appears in your available wireless connections, and a password is provided with the device—both on the display and a sticker on the back. You can connect up to 10 devices to the hotspot simultaneously.

Once you're connected, a Web-based administration page can be accessed to modify the hotspot's settings. It allows you to control firewall, router, WAN, and Wi-Fi settings, as well as a host of advanced management options. You can also use this page to send and receive SMS messages.

Average speeds on the 890L were around 5Mbps down and 3.5Mbps up, which is similar to what we saw on the 4620L. Speeds peaked at 7.8Mbps down and 4.1Mbps up, so you definitely won't be lacking for speed with this hotspot. My connection never dropped out, so the 4620L should be keep you connected reliably.

The 890L has over 100 feet of range. Speeds remained constant within 50 to 75 feet of the device, but dropped off precipitously after that. That's par for the course with hotspots; you get a good amount of range, but keep it close and you won't have to worry.

The 890L can also connect directly to a computer via micro USB cable. Additionally, it can transmit data when charging, so if you plug it into the wall using the included micro USB charger, you don't need to worry about battery life. The device comes with a 1700mAh battery, which was good for 4 hour and 33 minutes of LTE streaming. That's an hour longer than the 4620L, although the 4620L supports an optional extended battery that gives you 7 hours of usage.

If the MiFi 4620L weren't available, the 890L would be our top pick for a hotspot on Verizon. As it stands, though, you get a few extra features, along with a brighter, easier-to-use status display on the 4620L. The 890L costs $30 less, but I think it's worth paying the extra money for the 4620L. Unless for some reason you want a larger hotspot, or if that extra hour of battery life is important to you—if that's the case, the 890L will suit you just fine. The older Jetpack 4510L (4 stars) is free, but it lacks an interactive status display and world support, and it doesn't transmit data while tethered via USB. If it were up to me, I'd be buying the 4620L, but you definitely won't be disappointed with the 890L.

More Cellular Modem Reviews:
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•  more

Alex Colon
By Alex Colon Senior Analyst, Consumer Electronics


Follow Alex Colon Twitter: @alexandergcolon
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