The Redmi brand, which belongs to Xiaomi, presented three new 5G smartphone models at the MWC2021 in Shanghai. They go by the names Redmi K40, K40 Pro and K40 Pro+ and, as you can easily see, belong to a series.
Redmi K40 with Snapdragon 870
All three Redmi 5G Smartphones have in common that they are equipped with a 6.67-inch display with 2,400 x 1,080 pixels and an update rate of 120 Hz. The 20-megapixel front camera and the dimensions are also common to all three models. They all have a fingerprint sensor on the side and stereo speakers with Dolby Atmos support. The battery is also identical with 4,520 mAh and fully charged in all three smartphones with 33 watts within 52 minutes. You use your own MIUI 12 as the operating system.
Now let's look at the differences. The cheapest of the three models, the Redmi K40, relies on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 870, the slightly improved successor to the Snapdragon 865. On the back there is a triple camera with a 48 MP main camera, 8 MP ultra-wide angle and 5 MP tele macro. The phone is available with the memory combinations (RAM / fixed storage) 6 GB + 128 GB, 8 GB + 128 GB, 8 GB + 256 GB and 12 GB + 256 GB. It transmits with Wi-Fi 6 as well as 5G SA and NSA.
Redmi K40 Pro (+) with 5G dual SIM
One difference between the two models Redmi K40 Pro and Redmi K40 Pro+ to the "normal" Redmi K40 is that they also support Wi-Fi 6E and the new cellular standard in dual SIM mode, which is not a matter of course. Inside is the new flagship SoC Snapdragon 888, which is combined in the Pro model with 6/8 GB + 128 GB or 8 GB + 256 GB. The Pro+ is only available with 12 GB + 256 GB. There are also differences in the camera, which in the Redmi K40 Pro has a main camera with 64 MP and in the Redmi K40 Pro+ with 128 MP. The rest of the sensors are identical.
Initially, all models are only announced for China. It starts there from the equivalent of around 400USD for the Redmi K40. The Redmi K40 Pro starts at around 550USD, the Redmi K40 Pro+ costs around 800USD. A start in other markets has not yet been confirmed, but it is quite possible. Alternatively, the devices can be obtained directly from China through well-known shops.
At the MWC 2021 in Shanghai China, LongSung announced the first 5G NR module EX630, which is compliant with 3GPP Release 16 standard and supports both Sub-6Ghz and mmWave networks.
The LongSung EX630 is based on Qualcomm fourth generation Snapdragon X65 5G modem (4nm technology) and RF system, so it will support the fastest 5G speeds up to 10Gbit/s and work on various networks frequency bands.
With the EX630 module, LongSung also presents another 5G NR Module EX620, which is based on Qualcomm fourth generation Snapdragon X62 5G modem (4nm technology). To meet the mobile broadband application, the LongSung EX620 supports 5G mmWave to 400MHz and 5G Sub6GHz to 120MHz, and can achieve download speed up to 4.4Gbps.
The two new generation 5G wireless modules supports multi-mode networks such as 5G NR, LTE, WCDMA(DB-DC-HSDPA), TD-SCDMA, CDMA1X, GSM/EDGE etc…They can also support DSS and multiple CA(carrier aggregation) combinations(FDD-TDD, FDD-FDD, TDD-TDD), covering all the 5G bands.
The two LongSung 5G modules could be widely used in many wireless terminals. They can be used in 5G Industrial Gateway, which can help users access high-speed internet quickly and realize safe and reliable data transmission. It is suitable for EMS (energy management system), MES (manufacturing execution system) and production process of manufacturing and processing enterprises signal acquisition and data transmission, thereby achieving industrial automation.
Through the 5G wireless modules, loads of image, video and sensor data captured by the robot can be transmitted to the intelligent brain in the cloud, so as to improve the intelligence level and service capability of the robot. Cloud intelligent robots are gradually becoming an important service force in community, medical care, retail and other scenarios.
At CES 2021, the Chinese wireless telecommunication equipment manufacturer Quectel Wireless Solutions launched three 5G New Radio (NR) Sub-6 GHz modules, including models RM500Q-AE, RM502Q-AE and RM505Q-AE, with the aim of foster the massive deployment of 5G smart connections around the world.
Leveraging Qualcomm's Snapdragon X55 commercial 5G modem, all three Quectel 5G NR modules feature ultra-fast technology, low latency, and an enhanced Carrier Aggregation (CA) system, and are now ready to be sampled for supporting a wide range of enhanced mobile broadband networks and IoT applications such as Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), 4K/8K live streaming, online meeting applications, telemedicine, transportation intelligent and industrial IoT.
With their stand-alone and non-stand-alone modes, the three 5G wireless modules enable global coverage of the 5G NR Sub-6 GHz, LTE-A and WCDMA frequency bands and provide reliable 5G solutions to international IoT customers.
Other key features of the modules:
At present, the Quectel RM502Q-AE module has obtained IC / FCC / PTCRB / GCF / RED / RCM certifications, while the Quectel RM500Q-AE and Quectel RM505Q-AE modules have obtained CE / RCM certifications. These mandatory approvals with Global Launch Base (FW) firmware help customers quickly enter each local market and reduce their device development and certification costs.
The manufacturer NETGEAR has launched the first MiFi 5G with Wi-Fi 6 technology to achieve the best possible wireless performance in all circumstances. The new model is the NETGEAR Nighthawk M5 Mobile Hotspot, and it is designed to offer the best possible experience in the mobile broadband network, and also so that we obtain the maximum speed when we connect devices via Wi-Fi. Do you want to know all the details of this new model?
Thanks to this 5G portable router we have the latest mobile and WiFi technologies, with which we can stay connected at home or away from home, while enjoying a connection with fast speed, low latency and improved bandwidth.
This year we have seen an increase in teleworking, due to the fact that more and more work is done remotely, and the coronavirus pandemic has also contributed to accelerating the process. Since many work or study from home right now, they need to have a fast and secure Internet connection with WiFi connectivity that meets their needs.
The Nighthawk M5 Mobile Hotspot Pro will allow us to bring a quality Internet connection to our home with 5G. In small and medium-sized towns especially, we find that cable, DSL or other service is not good enough.
However, thanks to the 5G connectivity offered by this Netgear 5G mobile Hotspot, we will be able to obtain fast speed connections. That's not all, thanks to WiFi 6 technology it will allow us to deliver those speeds to your connected devices without affecting bandwidth or connectivity when we have many wireless clients. That means we will not have delays or interruptions when working or studying at home. That extra bandwidth that WiFi 6 provides us compared to the previous WiFi 5 technology will allow us to do videoconferences or other activities in a more fluid way.
The Nighthawk M5 Mobile Hotspot Pro comes equipped with the chipset of the Qualcomm Snapdragon X55 mobile platform to offer us next- generation 5G connectivity . Thanks to this 5G modem, we can achieve high download speeds of up to 7 Gbps and upload speeds of up to 3 Gbps.
In addition, it has WiFi 6 technology that allows us to have more devices connected and transmitting simultaneously without penalizing performance. With a greater capacity compared to WiFi 5, we can rest assured that our smartphones, tablets and computers will have the necessary bandwidth to carry out any task.
It also allows us the 5G connection in our home or office through the use of its Gigabit Ethernet port. To do this, we can connect the 5G mobile router to our home or work router and thus we can enjoy 5G speeds in our local network from which all devices can also be used.
With a secure and reliable network we can avoid the risks of public WiFi networks thanks to the compatibility with VPN Pass-through and password protection. Regarding the capacity of this model, it allows us to connect up to 32 WiFi devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops regardless of where you are.
This model has a 5,040 mAh rechargeable battery that will provide us with a long duration to use it all day. We can also use it without a battery since it can be connected to a power outlet at home so that it works throughout the day. In that sense, we could keep it connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by removing the battery.
As for the Nighthawk M5 Mobile Hotspot Pro, it has a 2.4-inch color LCD touch screen that is intuitively operated. Thanks to it, we can easily control the use of data, see the name and password of WiFi, as well as the strength of the mobile signal. We can also manage device and network settings. On your lock screen it shows important information such as the time, date and the use of data that we have consumed. On the other hand, we have the NETGEAR Mobile app to manage and configure our device.
The TP-Link M7000 LTE router has been available in Europe since mid-2020 and is the successor to the almost identical TP-Link M7200. The 4G LTE router costs less than 100USD in online shops without a contract and is suitable for all tariffs and SIM cards (no SIM lock).
In addition to the router itself, the package content also includes a short USB to micro USB cable. This cable allows the battery to be charged at any USB port, such as an existing USB power supply unit or a computer. There is no power adapter included, which is understandable given the low price.
Furthermore, there is a printed user guide included. TP-Link has also included an adapter that enables the use of Nano SIM or Micro SIM cards in the router. In the test, however, a SIM adapter supplied by the network operator also worked without any problems.
If you pick up the TP-Link M7000, you immediately notice the compact dimensions and the low weight of only around 86 grams including the battery. As a result, the TP-Link 4G WiFi router is hardly a problem in a small handbag or in a vest pocket. 3 status LEDs on the front indicate the operating status, there is no display.
The cellular modem in the TP-Link M7000 Hotspot supports the cellular standards 3G / UMTS and 4G / LTE. 2G/GSM is not supported, which is not tragic in view of the low speeds in the 2G network.
The router can use almost all LTE frequency ranges that are important for Europe: Band 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 20 but without band 28 (700 MHz). Since band 28 is used in particular in rural regions and there mostly in combination with band 20, this is probably only a critical point for a few users.
The theoretically maximum possible speed is 150 Mbit/s in the downlink and up to 50 Mbit/s in the uplink. This is a slow LTE modem by today's standards, but considering the low price, that's fine. In practice, several devices can be supplied with fast internet without any problems and several parallel video streams were also not a problem in the test.
Unfortunately, the maximum speed is limited by the weak WLAN module. In the test, a maximum of 55 Mbit/s could be measured in the download and up to 45 Mbit/s in the upload via LTE. For comparison: with a current smartphone (Apple iPhone 12 mini), around 300 Mbit/s for download and almost 200 Mbit/s for upload were possible at the same location. If TP-Link had installed a faster WLAN module, at least the maximum speed of the modem would have been possible. Unfortunately, the M7000 cannot be used as a USB modem either, so you only have to rely on WiFi.
The TP-Link M7000 can supply up to 10 devices with a WLAN connection at the same time. The router works exclusively in the WLAN frequency band around 2.4 GHz; a connection with up to 145 Mbit/s could be established in the test. However, this is the gross data rate; in practice - as already described in the modem test - significantly lower bandwidths are achieved. The router does not offer a guest WLAN function.
The range is absolutely sufficient for a small apartment, a summer house or a caravan. However, a range of more than 10 meters is hardly possible if there are still obstacles such as a wall between the router and the end device. The WLAN transmission power and thus the range can be reduced in the menu, there are a total of three power levels. There is also the option to automatically switch off the WLAN after 10 minutes if no device is active in the WLAN.
The WLAN module cannot be used as a repeater or extender. Other mobile LTE routers partially offer this function, so that an existing WLAN network can be used for Internet access. This function, sometimes called "WLAN Offloading", is useful to save data volume.
In some places the user has to forego convenience functions with the M7000, which are quite common with more expensive mobile router models such as Huawei E5788, Netgear Nighthawk M1. This definitely does not apply to the software and operation, TP-Link has done a good job here.
Most users will certainly use the "tpMiFi" app to operate and configure the TP-Link M7000. The app is available for both Android and iOS and provides quick instructions on starting up the router right from the start. The app is very clearly designed and offers all functions that are also available in the browser web interface. This is very commendable, because many other manufacturers only provide a reduced range of functions via their apps.
If you don't want to install an app, you can easily operate the TP-Link M7000 via a browser web interface. The user interface is accessed via the IP address 192.168.0.1. After the first request, a new password must be set, after which you can start. Unfortunately, the web interface of the test device was only available in English.
Various status information is visible on the start page, both in the app and in the web interface. This includes statistics on data consumption, information on the WiFi connection and information on the cellular connection. Separate menus are available for more detailed information and settings.
A wide variety of things can be configured for the Internet connection, for example a data volume limit can be set, after 90% of the data used, a notification is sent and at 100% the data connection is disconnected. Data usage abroad (data roaming) can also be activated and deactivated. The router is set to "4G preferred" at the factory, but can also be set to "4G only" or "3G only" if necessary.
The battery on the TP-Link M7000 can be changed without any problems and has a capacity of 2,000 mAh. The manufacturer advertises a battery life of up to 8 hours. In the test, the battery life with activated energy-saving mode and WLAN range “medium” was checked. For the duration of the test, at least 2 devices were connected at the same time and there was a permanent internet radio stream. The battery lasted around 6 hours under these conditions. If the WLAN transmission power is set to "low" and no permanent streaming is used, the specification of TP-Link (8 hours) can even be realistically achieved.
During continuous operation, the TP-Link M7000 became slightly warm, but not hot. This is completely normal for a 4g mobile hotspot and compared to many other devices the hotspot stayed relatively cool.
If you are looking for a mobile router with an RJ45 Ethernet LAN connection, you will not be happy with the TP-Link M7000, because the router only has the aforementioned micro-USB connection. The Huawei E5885 may be a good hotspot for you. There are also no connections for an external cellular antenna.
In addition to SMS, USSD codes can also be sent via the web interface or the app. This is useful, for example, to check the credit of a prepaid card or to set the main card for a multi-SIM.
The TP-Link M7000 is a very inexpensive mobile LTE router, but the device made a good impression in the test. The device is small and compact, the battery life is good and operation is easy thanks to good software. You have to do without comfort features such as a LAN connection or connections for external antennas.
The biggest weak point is certainly the relatively slow WLAN module, which reduces the maximum data rate of the LTE modem from theoretically 150 Mbit/s to around 55 Mbit/s in practice. If you can live with the limitations, the TP-Link M7000 is a good mobile LTE router.
