I love PowerBanks, I use them far more than I should because I’m an antisocial bugger in the pub and I can’t bear it if my mobile’s battery dies whilst out. Who knows, maybe I will miss something amazing on Facebook or Twitter, I could be left behind on the latest transfer rumours in the Premier League, or just possibly I could miss out on a late night booty call (a guy can dream). However it’s all well and good having a backup battery in place but what if you needed to expand your data? Most mobile phones used to allow you to insert a micro SD card for that, but a lot nowadays don’t have that option and will sell the phones with different capacity hard drives in them; my OnePlus One, for example, is available in a 16GB version or 64GB version. However sometimes that’s just not enough, we need more, we will always need more, and that is where the Kingston MobileLite Wireless G2 steps in.
Upon first glance it doesn’t look overly complicated; it comes nicely packaged in a small cardboard box listing all the useful features you can expect from the MobileLite Wireless G2. Inside reveals a black device with white trim around the sides, which resembles the image of a portable HDD but maybe a little smaller. On one side, you’ll have the on/off button which you hold in for one second to use it as a power bank or hold in for three seconds to activate its full features. This side also contains an indicator light to inform you of the battery level, and a micro USB port used to charge its 4640 mAh battery up (the same kind found on Android smartphones). Then at the left of the device you have your SD card reader and a USB port which is where you’d insert your cable to charge your phone, but it does do more than that which I’ll go onto later on. Finally on the back side of the device you have an ethernet port because the device can also create a wireless network for you should you plug it in, or boost existing network signals.
This device has so many uses I don’t know what I’d do without it, I never even knew I needed it until I had it, and it became more important when I received an email from GiffGaff (my network provider) saying that there will be changes to my data plan. Now I currently get unlimited data on 3G, but they want to upgrade everyone to 4G at no extra cost, except there is because I won’t have unlimited 4G and instead will be limited to 4GB. Now for the average bear like Yogi that would be more than enough, but believe it or not I go through near 20GB of data some months and well simply put, 4GB will not last long. However instead of streaming movies on Netflix or downloading films and such on the Play Store, I can now do this at home over the WiFi, put it on an SD card and thanks to the fancy little device from Kingston I can then stream it to my mobile, costing me no data while still letting me enjoy my stuff. It will do this for photos, videos, music, you name it you can access it wirelessly.
As well as streaming through the device, the G2 allows you to also plug in a USB dongle that connects your laptops and other devices to the internet while you are on the move, although it isn’t compatible with all 3G dongles but you can check if yours is on the Kingston website. This comes in handy in your local pub if it doesn’t have free WiFi, in a hotel where they may charge you, or maybe on a long train journey where you want to connect your mobile to the internet so you get all your WhatsApp messages without using up your mobile data. The device also transforms into a portable router when a direct internet connection in via an ethernet cable, meaning that you no longer have to use your laptop at the desk in our hotel room, you can now have the freedom to roam around the room. However, the device’s connectivity isn’t as good as you’d get from a top of the range router so don’t be dancing around the room with your laptop or expecting it to work down in the hotel lobby.
If you’re worrying about the security of your wireless networks and the data you’re streaming, do not fear because Kingston have it covered. All you do is download the MobileLite app which will be required to set some of the features up, and from here you will have your command centre to control all the settings and such for the G2 including adding passwords to your wireless network. Therefore relieving any worries about security issues that you may have had. The only issue is the app can be a bit glitchy at times, mainly during the initial set up stages I found but people have had issues when upgrading their phone’s OS, once you do get around those hiccups though it’s not that bad. What else impressed me about the App and this isn’t anything major for some people, but as well as being available on both Android and iOS, the app can also be downloaded in the Amazon app store meaning that you can also use it with your Kindle Fire or the Amazon Fire Phone.
So what do I think overall? Well, this is now one of my most used gadgets, it gets charged every time I’m on a night shift at work and gets pulled out most nights when I go the pub. I actually left it in work one night by mistake and it felt like I lost a limb, but more impressively it had everyone talking about it and wondering what it was. Explaining it to most of them they just got confused, but those who liked their gadgets like me were asking how much it was and where they could get one from. In all honestly I use it for the power bank feature more than anything else but the streaming has come in handy before now as well, especially if I leave it plugged in charging whilst streaming films to my mobile. I think the best thing about this though is summed up by the Beatles lyrics; “I get by with a little help from my friends”, because this really will help me cope a little easier with the new changes to my data plan with GiffGaff.
Tech Specs
Inputs for Storage: USB and SD – reads SD, SDHC, SDXC and microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC (with included adapter)
Supported File Systems: FAT, FAT32, NTFS, exFAT
Dimensions: 129.14mm x 79.09mm x 19.28mm
Weight: 171g
Wireless Network Interface: Wi-Fi 802.11g/n with wireless security (WPA2)
WLAN Ethernet Port: to function as a mobile router
Rechargeable Battery: up to 13 hours of continuous use; built-in Li-ion 4640 mAh 3.8v battery
Local Storage5: wirelessly transfer files to and from the MobileLite Wireless app and the MobileLite Wireless hardware
Camera Roll support5: allows users to move photos from their mobile device to MobileLite Wireless in order to free up space
Cable: USB to micro USB cable included
Operating Temperature: 0–40°C
Storage Temperature: -10–45°C
Guaranteed: two-year warranty, free technical support
Customisable device name (SSID) : (SSID) User selectable Wi-Fi priority list when there are multiple APN/Key available
File Support6: MobileLite Wireless can store any file type. Playback and viewing are based on the files supported by the mobile device
General file format support6:
- Audio: MP3, WAV
- Video2: m4V, mp4 (H. 264 video codec)
- Image: jpg, tif
- Document: pdf
Compatible with: Windows® 8.1, Windows 8, Windows 7 (SP1), Windows Vista® (SP2), Mac OS X v.10.6.x+, Linux v.2.6.x+
Compatible Mobile Devices: iPad2, iPad (3rd Gen), iPad (4th Gen), iPad mini, iPad Air3, iPhone 4/4S/53, iPod touch3, Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD, Android (4.0+)
Disclaimer:All scores given within our reviews are based on the artist’s personal opinion; this should in no way impede your decision to purchase the game.
