I am definitely not what you would consider an “Apple-fanatic”—I’ve been working on PC’s my whole life and have been resisting the Apple movement—but I have to tell you that I am crazy about the iPad, especially the New iPad. Before getting my own tablet, I thought, what’s the use of having one when I can use a notebook computer for what I need? But since the arrival of my first iPad, an iPad 2, the device has become a virtual extension of my hand!
Why is that? I am a film buff and I can easily carry my new iPad everywhere and use amazing services, such as HULU Plus, to watch some fantastic movies in amazing resolution. I also love to watch TV from around the world; apps such as iTV HD allow me to watch high quality TV programming from all over Europe and Asia. There are apps such as The Times and The Sunday Times that go beyond the simplicity of a newspaper app and offer a unique and interactive experience covering world news. I can count a long list of reasons why the iPad should be the best friend of film fans and filmmakers, but we will do it by reviewing apps in the future.
Here, I want to tell you about Verizon’s 4G LTE Hotspot, manufactured by Samsung. Honestly, when I used the Speedtest app and got results that read 20.36 Mbps Download speed and 10.50 Mbps for Upload speed, I thought that something was wrong—“These numbers can’t be right!” I said. I connected the iPad to the office’s ATT U-Verse “24 Mbps” connection, and the numbers read 12.21 Mbps for download and 3.08 for upload! A second test of the 4G LTE Hotspot showed a download speed of 19.75 Mbps and an upload speed of 7.58 Mbps—impressive!
I tried same system during different times of day and different locations. The slowest speed I tested was about 9.10 Mbps. I ran the same test comparing Verizon’s Samsung Hotspot to ATT’s U-Verse on a different system: HP’s EliteBook. Verizon’s Samsung 4G LTE Hotspot won again with speeds of 19.62/5.88—U-Verse was stuck at 11.25/2.52.
The real tests come when you run videos, perform live streaming, and use data-demanding apps. Here, you use your own eyes as to judge and, in my case, every time other internet providers failed to deliver, Verizon came through with flying colors. I was surprised at the Samsung 4G LTE Hotspot’s performance, which ranged from acceptable to absolutely excellent.
I utilize apps such as Bloomberg TV, BBC World News, Euronews, Watch ESPN, Hulu Plus, Netflix, HBO GO, and several others on my New iPad. My tests were conducted in different locations in Los Angeles using Verizon’s Samsung 4G LTE Hots
pot, and I enjoyed flawless playback of video and audio in both on-demand video and live streaming. I should mention that I’m glad I didn’t shell out extra cash for a 4G iPad, even if the device can be used as a hotspot as well—Verizon’s device is much smaller, more versatile, and will save your iPad’s battery from the drain of 4G.
I strongly recommend buying Verizon’s Samsung 4G LTE Hotspot device if you are looking for a high-speed mobile internet connection with real value and dependable performance.