Ok so here goes with an update to my blog entitled “The Holy Grail Has Arrived – Eliminate International Data Roaming Charges” from the 5th May 2013.

I have to say the response from that blog was quite incredible and unexpected.  We got inundated with requests for one of the devices which to be honest was not the intention.  To all those who asked me to follow up and help them get one I have to apologise, the requests were so numerous it was impossible to handle.  I aim to rectify that in this blog by letting everyone know where to get the devices and how much they are.

huawei

Naturally, as we have come to expect, technology has moved on albeit in the brief 6 months since the original post.  There are now more powerful and advanced devices available.  In my goal to bring you the user the low down on the latest ones, I went to purchase one for my recent trip to Thailand.

  1. The latest device is the one in the image in this blog.  Whilst fundamentally similar here are some of the benefits:-
  2. A lcd screen so that you can see the connection status and strength as well as the all important battery life.
  3. The battery is bigger and hence last longer, although the device is now slightly larger and heavier.
  4. The wifi password is now conveniently placed on the back of the device, not on the inside back cover like the original.
  5. The new device can support up to 10 devices
  6. The new device can operate at twice the speed of the original device although it is still 3G.

Now there are 4G devices available but I have stayed away from them for now as most countries do not have good 4G yet and also the device is significantly more expensive.

So, comparing the two devices, do I need the new more powerful faster one?  No not really. If you manage the battery charge it serves its purpose perfectly well.  Of course it is nice to have a newer better one but I cannot really tell much difference especially in countries like Thailand or Malaysia.

A side note here is that there is no guarantee that these devices will work in every country.  I have not had any issues personally in countries I have been to, but some people have mentioned they have.  For example there were problems in Spain and America reported to me but it could be down to the user knowledge on how to get the device working.  To that end I strongly recommend when you go to get your sim card you ask the people to register the sim card first if necessary before they put it in.

I would be keen to put together a list of countries and service providers that people have used successfully with approximate pricing of the sim card so that all my avid readers can benefit from the knowledge.  Therefore if you have brought one of these devices and used it overseas please email me to let me know which country, which service provider, any issues, cost, data capacity etc…..  I will get one of my team to put it together.  So far I have used it in:-

Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, England, Australia with lots of success although purchasing the sim card in Singapore and England was somewhat laborious.  Each country it costs about US$10 for 7 days usage with either unlimited data or 1GB depending on the country.  More on this as and when people report their successes / failures to me.  Please email to phil@functioneight.com

So now to let you know where to get and how much:-

Where:-

Wanchai Computer Centre.  There are a few shops in here that sell them.  If you go to any of the accessory shops they have them.

How Much:-

If you want the basic model then please expect to pay between HK$480 – HK$550.  If you want the new more advanced model (Huawei E5756s) expect to pay between HK$900 – HK$1200.

I will get the country listing going in a week or so and let you all know the URL for reference.

Happy wifiing (is that a word?).

Phil

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