Smart Bro Prepaid Review
After knowing about Smart Bro a few weeks ago, I finally got one for Php4,500 (preloaded with Php 30 worth of one and a half hours of internet connection) this morning.
The package is so simple; just a 1” x 2.2” modem, two sets of USB extension wire, a CD installer (for MAC), and a SMART Bro Sim card.
Using it is also simple; just insert the CD installer (actually you don’t need this if your OS is either Windows XP or Vista), plug the device, wait the installer set-up to prompt, install the software/driver, and your done. You’re now ready to surf the web. By the way, the software that is needed to run the modem can only be installed at Windows Vista, XP, and 2000, and MAC OS X computers. In short, it will not work with Linux.
Reloading your smart bro is just like loading your cell phone. This has been discussed in the Smart Bro website but if you wonder if other reloading mode that you use in your cell phone like pasaload will work, I’m telling you, it will not. (UPDATE) Smart bro reloading through Pasaload of atleast Php30.00 will actually work.
Performance
Don’t fall into the Smart Bro’s advertisement and expect an all the time “7x of dial-up internet connection speed”. Don’t miss the word “up to”. 384 kpbs of speed is not guaranteed. And since it’s not guaranteed expect that there are times, in my experience, atleast 66% of the time, the connection speed will be crippling from zero to lower than 1 Kbps, and can’t even get a connection (this is worse than dial up). In short, more than half of your money will be put into waste. But my experience could be an isolated case since connection speed is dependent in location - though I`m located just within Quezon City.
With my whole experience with Smart Bro, the highest download speed reached so far is around 400 kpbs, quite high, huh!. But it’s rare to achieve that speed.
I`m planning to try using this device outside Manila and see how it’ll perform.
During my first few days of using SMART Bro, I thought I will be satisfied. The modem’s fairly low price, the fairly low Php10 per 30 minutes rate, and the added internet mobility to me looked good and promising. Lately, I`m experiencing too many failed or very, very slow (less than 1kbps) connections, which makes me disappointed with this product.
Also, for SMART Bro developers, I hope sometime you package the modem into a thumb drive size to avoid dangling it around while surfing.
Here’s a good catch, ZTE Corporation, you know, the famous ZTE in the ZTE scandal, I think is one of the developers of this product.
Updates:
- You can now load your smart bro prepaid using regular SMART call and text card.
Filed in: Smart Bro
Local date: March, 2010
