JioFi 2 Review – How good is the MiFi device at Rs. 2899?

JioFi is a portable hotspot meant to share the Jio 4G data network with the other devices around. If you have only heard about it, you should first read about Jio 4G before you read the review of the JioFi device. So, there are several Wi-Fi hotspot devices available in the market but you’d be interested right now in getting this one from Reliance. Why? It isn’t the device that is grabbing your attention, but the Preview Offer that is coming bundled along is the actual reason.

Let’s talk about the specs of the JioFi 2 device, which is on sale at the Reliance Digital stores, and carries a price tag of Rs. 2899. Available in three color options, the JioFi 2 is a light, small and easy-to-use device that has simple light indicators to show you the battery levels, and the connectivity status as well.

Also read: JioFi activation tips and speed test

The box package has pretty much what you expect. The device gets charged with the MicroUSB port, so that is a good thing as you don’t have to carry a proprietary charger everywhere. As far as the other specs are concerned, two important things are, 1. the number of connections at once, and 2. the battery life of the JioFi 2 hotspot.

Firstly, we could connect about 10 devices with ease on Wi-Fi when the device was actively sharing the data network, but the actual number claimed the makers of it is 31, so that’s a good number of devices that can be connected to it.

For the battery, the 2300 mAh battery in the device is said to offer about 6 hours of life on a single charge. On actual tests, it was quite close to this and it was almost about 5.5 hours of functionality given on a full charge. That is quite enough and the best part is, you don’t need any proprietary charger for it, and thus charging the dongle is quite easy even using a Power bank and a MicroUSB cable.

MicroSD slot – This is a neat addition to the dongle. You can insert a MicroSD card with a capacity of up to 32GB, and although I haven’t tried that out, it is said that you can wirelessly store and transfer files on the JioFi 2 device by using the MicroSD card.

Charging of the JioFi device took a good 3 hours but that was while the data sharing was on. Otherwise, just about 2 hour 20 minutes was enough to give the device a full charge.

Speed of JioFi 2 compared

Now, talking about what the Wi-Fi hotspots are usually all about – the speed. I’d personally prefer using a portable Wi-Fi hotspot for two reasons, the battery and the speed. I’ve almost always seen the data speeds to be better through these dongles than on the smartphone directly. That is the case even with the JioFi 2 device, which although isn’t much better but the significant difference is always there.

The difference is more when you place the JioFi device outdoors, and at times, we could notice the shared Internet from this dongle getting the download speeds of up to 30 Mbps while it gets to 21 Mbps on the LYF phone that we were using along. But at indoor conditions, even though it still gives better speeds, the difference is lesser. Nevertheless, you are sharing the data with several devices around, so that’s always an advantage.

Jio Join for Calling

JioJoin is the app that can be used if you want to make calls using the data network of the JioFi device. That’s unique and good, because it wasn’t possible with any network unless you use apps like Skype for making calls.

Activation of data and configuring JioJoin to make calls on your phone is not very easy but it isn’t confusing as well. Since you’d anyways visit the Reliance Digital store to buy the device, you should better get it configured there itself.

Pricing and data costs will be a decider later

This will be one of the interesting parts and will also be a factor that should help decide whether to get the JioFi device or not, or will it be wise to go with one that works with the other networks.

We’re being told that the cost for data won’t be any different for the JioFi hotspot devices, and the price will be significantly lesser and will easily beat the competition. But till then, what is the harm in taking advantage of the Preview Offer? It would also give you an idea of what Reliance is delivering as the network speeds on the Jio 4G network.

Final verdict

While you are wondering whether to opt for a JioFi device or go with a competitor one, you might be wasting time while the Preview Offer might get over. It is a sweet deal, with the price of Rs. 2899 for the dongle being a regular affair but you are getting unlimited data for the next three months, and with a workaround, you would be able to even make voice calls, which is not possible with any other Wi-Fi hotspots.

So, should I get the JioFi 2 or a LYF phone?

This is the question that many have been asking. A JioFi device, and a LYF phone are both two entirely different products. But then, the early users of LYF phones have been buying them majorly for sharing the data network and enjoying the unlimited data. Here, if you are looking for a device that makes it easy to even make calls, then a LYF device (the Flame series is not bad too) is what you should look at, but then, if you want a standalone device that is easy to carry and you need better speeds and are planning to use it to share the data with several devices around, go for the JioFi 2 device.