Having WiFi connectivity isn’t a luxury for many folks who spend a lot of time on the road, it is a requirement to be able to get any work done. Two years ago a device called Karma launched offering WiFi hotspots for travelers that used WiMax to deliver 4G connectivity.
WiMax turned out to be a bad choice for connectivity since it never took off with most carriers in most areas. Karma is back with a new hotspot device called the Karma Go and this time the device connects to the Sprint LTE network. Along with support for LTE, the new Karma Go gets a new design as well.
The color changing single LED from the original Karma device is gone and three rings replace it to represent signal strength. The flap that covered the USB port on the original device has been removed from the Go to make access easier when charging.
Karma Go promises a standby time of up to 220 hours when not in use, and can be activated into normal mode with a button press. To get more run time the Go did have to grow slightly compared to the original device. The big thing with the Karma Go is the service and it has no monthly fees and no contracts. You buy the hardware and data allowance and the data is there until you use it all up. The Karma Go sells for $149, those who own an original Karma can pre-order for $75. The new device will ship in December.
SOURCE: Karma
The problem is that it is still tied to the Sprint network which means that many places you would need to use it won’t have coverage at all, much less LTE! I have a Sprint phone and can’t use it in my office without a signal amplifier. For this amount of money to purchase, it should be on Verizon. I’d buy it in a heartbeat if it was.
To be honest….. I get better coverage and faster speeds with my freedompop device (same as this karma) than I do with my Sprint LTE service…… I say it’s worth it….. but only if you get free data initially
I believe it has a fall back to 3g ( I don’t know if that signal is any better). Do you have 4G LTE or WiMax? Supposedly, the 4G LTE on Sprint is better. I hope it is!
Yes, it will fall back to 3G, but the problem is that Sprint’s 4G LTE service is very spotty, and 3G coverage is spotty as well. In my office, I get 1/2 bar of service of ANY kind – phone, data, etc., which made the service virtually unusable. There were many areas around town and when traveling that I got no Internet service at all with my S3, and it will look for 4G, 3G, etc. service and couldn’t connect through anything. So…it’s why I’m unwilling to spring for the Karma because if I can’t get service for my phone, I seriously doubt I’ll get service through the Karma!
Is the battery replaceable? I need to carry backup battery for long hours outside home.
Good question. The website says this new device will have better battery life then the previous model. Looking forward to it!