Upcoming telecom major Reliance Jio, which is currently in beta test mode for its services, has recently launched its first commercial portable 4G wifi hotspot device called Jiofi 2. The device is the successor to the original MiFi device which was the first generation portable hotspot by Jio which was only distributed to employees and was not commercially launched. The Jiofi 2 is now freely available at Reliance digital xpress stores for a price of Rs.2899 without the need for any invite or referral code and comes with a 3 month preview offer.
In this article I will be walking our readers through the unboxing of the Jiofi 2 hotspot so they can take a more informed and educated decision about buying this device. The Jiofi 2 comes in a compact box which contains the hotspot device, the user manual and quick setup guide, the USB power cable along with the two pin wall plug and a battery. The device also comes with a setup instruction manual for configuring Jio Join app to use the device for making HD voice calls.
The Jiofi 2 can support up to 31 wifi devices simultaneously and also supports SD card upto 32 GB. The battery has capacity of 2300mAh which ensures long standby time. The front face of the device has the Jio branding along with the power button along with 5 LED indicators for LTE signal, data transfer, wifi connectivity, WPS and battery charge. the sides of the device host the physical WPS button and micro USB port.
When compared to the Reliance communications wipod device the Jiofi 2 is rectangular as opposed to the oval shape of the wipod and also slightly shorter. Both devices weigh nearly the same, thanks to their identical batteries. All the LED indicators, power and WPS buttons along with the Sim card and Micro SD card slot positions is identical in both devices. The only difference between them is that wipod is manufactured by ZTE and is locked to Rcom while Jiofi 2 is manufactured by Rayson technology and is locked to Jio.
Also read: Hands on with Reliance wipod and speed test comparison with Jio mifi
While both devices are priced nearly the same, with Jiofi 2 being Rs.2899 and wipod being Rs.2699, the Jiofi 2 has a clear advantage due to the bundling of a 3 month preview offer by Jio which in effect makes the device free. Also since currently both operators are using the same spectrum on bands 3,5,40 and sharing towers, the speed and coverage is identical for both. If you have already purchased this device and are using it, do share your experience and reviews through your comments below.
Credits: Enayatali and Raj Beguwala for providing the device for review.
