The Novatel MiFi Product Recall

Those that read my blogs or follow me on twitter will know I am an everyday user of the Novatel Wireless Mifi. Now i have the iPad it's become an even more important part of my kit bag. Recently, a couple of web pages ran a story that the Mifi has been recalled as it was not fit for human use (or some such wordage.)

I have been asked more than a few times if the articles hold any truth and you may not be surprised to hear that things are nowhere near as bad as is stated.

So Just to put the record straight. The device being talked about is not the same model I use and have recommended. I use the MiFi 2352 and the one being talked about as far as I know is not even available in the UK. It's the MiFi 2372 and the battery over heating issue only become an issue should you stab it with a knife while trying to take the back off with anything other than your fingers.

I believe the recall has been made to ensure all battery doors are easier to remove which makes a lot of sense to me, especially as the battery door on my Mifi gets taken off whenever I wish to swap the sim.

So no need to panic unless you are an impatient knife wielding geek desperate to get the back of your MiFi outside of the UK. If you are an impatient knife wielding geek please take the time to read Novatel's own press release which go's something like this..

"Novatel's top priorities are to serve our customers and end-consumers and to provide for the safe use of our products. There have been two incidents reported from Bell and Virgin Mobile Canada, with battery overheating issues. While we can't comment on specific consumer incidents, it has been reported that some customers have had difficulties opening the battery door thus utilizing sharp objects or excessive force to open it. While doing this, customers can inadvertently puncture the battery when trying to remove it and this can cause the battery to over-heat. To reduce the probability of user-induced damage to the battery, we have redesigned the battery door to make it easier to open.

Any product or battery issue is considered a matter of utmost importance for Novatel Wireless. Consistent with that and as a preventive measure, the Company has communicated an exchange program for Bell and Virgin Mobile Canada customers to replace the MiFi 2372 battery and battery door.."

My Mifi is sat on the hotel table next to me equipped with a Vodafone sim card  making this blog post possible. I have lost count of the amount of hours it has been used, or the gigabytes of data it has channeled from my devices.

It's a great bit of kit which i will not be stabbing with a knife. Ever.