One thing I noticed with Globe lately is that they are simplifying their brand. No more Tattoo. No more Tattoo Broadband. This year was the year that Globe used its name. With that, comes the Globe LTE Mobile WiFi.
The timing of this device couldn’t be any weirder. After last year’s mobile Wi-Fi device, I thought I wouldn’t see another one until next year! Clearly I was wrong. This may turn out to be the best thing I bought or a big regret because I have the old one. Since this review could get redundant, I will highlight the differences between this one and the old model. I hope this will help you know if you should get one and if owners of the old device should worry or not. With that out of the way, let’s start the review! Shall we?
Design and Build
Let’s get this out of the way: the design is plain and simple. There’s not much fuss to it. In case you didn’t know, Globe just used the Huawei Mobile WiFi device. The Globe LTE Mobile WiFi is primarily made of soft touch plastic. I honestly like the feel of the new one since it doesn’t feel sticky. The old one would always give me the feeling of stickiness. The button is really clickable.
I actually dropped this thing more than I think I should. Despite how much I take care of my gadgets, I really drop this more than usual. There was even a time when I dropped it and the back popped off! Good thing nothing major happened to it. With that in mind, I think that the build quality is solid.
Features
Another big difference between the old Globe Tattoo LTE Mobile WiFi and this one is the front. There is no screen on the new model but we get LED indicators for both cellular signal and battery. There are three color indicators for cellular signal. (red for no signal, yellow-green for weak signal, and green for strong signal) However, the battery LED indicator only shows two colors: red for low battery and green for good battery.
I only missed the screen for two reasons: (1) you can know how many devices are connected to the Mobile WiFi without checking my phone, and (2) you can check the data usage on the screen. The new model can use Huawei’s HiLink app so I could check it through there. Nothing beats checking the Mobile WiFi itself though.
Globe did not mention if this Mobile WiFi device supports the new 700 MHz band that they recently got. I’ll update this part if I get confirmation.
After a few months of using this device, it became easier to ignore it compared to the old one. More often than not, I only check the device when the signal is bad or when the battery is low. I don’t miss the screen on the old one as much.
I also love how the HiLink app makes it super easy to check everything about the Globe LTE Mobile WiFi. Even SMS messages are easier through the app than the clunky web portal all pocket Wi-Fi devices have. Thank you for having that insight, Huawei. Thank you!
Battery Life
Battery life on the new Globe LTE Mobile WiFi is decent. Normally, I get around 4-5 hours straight usage. After a few months, it dropped off a bit but it still reaches 4-5 hours. It charges through micro USB. (I don’t expect this or any other Globe device to have USB-C until it’s widespread.) It usually takes me around 1 to 1 1/2 hours to charge this.
Performance
Before I show some speed test results, I would like to note one thing. JUST BECAUSE I GOT GREAT LTE SPEE RESULTS DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU WILL TOO. You have to see whether Globe has great signal in your area since that matters the most! No matter how fast LTE is, it won’t matter if your area does not have LTE at all.
With that out of the way, here are some of the results when using the Speedtest app: (this was done in Mango Avenue, Cebu City near Rivergate)
The results actually surprised me this time! I didn’t know that some places in Cebu City can reach this speed! In IT Park, I normally get 15-20 Mbps. Like I mentioned, the internet speed may vary depending on your area. It just manages to perform on par compared to the old model.
In terms of Wi-Fi performance, I managed to be away from it for around 6-7 feet before I lose the internet connection. I also managed to connect the Globe LTE Mobile WiFi to 6 devices at once. Expect the internet speed to slow down when that happens, especially in a place full of people.
Final Thoughts on the Globe LTE Mobile WiFi
To be completely honest, I find the Globe LTE Mobile WiFi as a legitimate update. Despite it having no screen, it doesn’t take away a lot from the device. It also helps that it’s a Huawei device, so the trust and reliability is there. I also like the added convenience of Huawei’s HiLink app! The performance is what you’d expect from a Huawei Mobile WiFi device. I am so happy that the Globe LTE Mobile WiFi holds up SO WELL despite how careless I am with it! Overall, I’m impressed. Globe made the right move by updating the LTE Mobile WiFi as soon as Huawei released an affordable Mobile WiFi device.
Should You Buy the Globe LTE Mobile WiFi?
- If you currently own the old Globe Tattoo LTE Mobile WiFi, I think it’s best that you don’t buy this unless the battery is broken.
- DO get the Globe LTE Mobile WiFi for just P1,295 if:
- you have an old Tattoo Mobile WiFi device,
- you don’t have a pocket Wi-Fi device at all, AND
- Globe’s LTE service is STRONG in your area (you can check the coverage HERE)
Basically, if you’re currently looking for a pocket Wi-Fi device that’s great on-the-go and if you have multiple gadgets that connect to the internet. If you’re just looking for a device for the home and with better signal, I suggest you get the Globe Prepaid Home WiFi.
That is it for my Globe LTE Mobile WiFi review! It’s been a while since I did my last review so let me know in the comments if I missed anything important. I have a lot of reviews lined up for you guys in the coming weeks, so stay tuned to the blog!
Nice and thorough review! You might wanna check some spellings and missing letters though. and the comment section needs to be fixed. I can’t see what I was typing. the font color is white on white background.
I think I need to change the theme though.
Ok lng ba to kahit d pa sakop ng LTE ung area?
Opo pero expect 3G speeds lang po unless nag change ng setting sa lte mobile wifi to LTE only.
How much better is the Home Prepaid WiFi compared to this? In terms of signal strength. Thanks!
In perspective, the Prepaid Home WiFi can reach up to two rooms apart unlike this one where the performance is good until 1 room apart only.
How about speed? Thinking of getting one of the two kasi. Thanks in advance. 🙂
Hi! A friend gave me this Globe LTE Mobile WiFi, so I am actually at lost on how to use it w/o it’s box or manual. How do I reload this thing? Do I need to register it? Also how long does the load last? Thanks in advance for the reply! I hope to hear from you soon. =)
1) To reload, just get the number by accessing it through: http://192.168.8.1/
2) you reload it like a Globe prepaid number.
3) Load is the same as Globe Prepaid, so I recommend using GOTSCOMBODD90. 2GB of data that lasts for 7 days for P90.
HI ginagamit ko pa kase to pocket wifi na direct sa computer di po kaya masisira yung battery pag naka plug ng matagal ??
Kagaya ng lahat ng battery, nakakasira talaga kapag naka plug ng matagal.
Thanks for this review. I was searching online for someone who has experienced using it na hindi brand ambassador because I don’t want to waste my time pumunta sa mall din. Also, I didn’t know na na-change yung device. Akala ko iyong price lang dahil wala bumibili hahaha
Hahahaha. Now you know! 🙂
Bumili aq prepaid home wifi pero di gumagana sa area nmin.. LTE areas lng pala to nagwowork. Panu kaya to mag change ng mode na hnd lng 4g LTE areas?? Salamat po
Yung newer models ng prepaid home wifi ay hindi na pwede palitan ng modes.
It seems that I missed looking into it’s feature. I am using laptop kasi for office work. I am using this Mobile pocket Wifi as I assume that it can cover the access I need for my lappy. Unfortunately I am getting buff after an hour using the registered promo it is because I think the capping of the promo itself that gives limit. For laptop any suggestion? Where I can go anywhere to connect?
What promo are you using? Videos and automatic photo uploads and app updates contribute to high data usage.