I recently purchased a CherryRoam - a roaming pocket wifi unit. My thinking, and hope, was that it would be a good investment that would save me money in the long run. When one is abroad it is often difficult to find the best deal for data service. One is often forced to make a choice on the basis of what is available (whether it be SIMs or rentals or network access) and not really what offers good value, so sometimes the choice might be less than ideal. Worse, one is sometimes forced to knowingly over-pay for data service simply because the urgency of the situation demands it. So I figured if I had my own roaming pocket wifi I would, in theory at least, always have internet access at a cost that I would know in advance, and could manage.
I've since used the CherryRoam in two foreign countries, and I would have to say that I'm pretty happy with it.
Tuwang tuwa is a good way to describe how I feel. I first used it in Hong Kong but held off coming to any conclusions about it at that point given how famously good Hong Kong's data infrastructure is. I then had the opportunity to use it in South Africa and there wasn't a significant drop-off in the quality of service so now I can really say that I think it's great. In fact, I had it with me on safari and was still able to send messages, images, and videos with no issues. I must point out that it was very much an entry-level safari and not some grand adventure in the wilderness. But still, there was often not a building or man-made structure anywhere in sight so I had some uncertainty about what to expect.
The CherryRoam device is managed via an app that you download onto your phone. The first step is to associate or pair or bind (whichever word you want to use) your device to your app. This
is, of course, so your app will "know" which device it's supposed to communicate with and subsequently command and control. This process is not too difficult, especially if you have enough tech savvy to consider owning a pocket wifi device to begin with. After this associate/pair/bind process, the only other thing you do on the device itself is to define a password so that you don't have unwelcome parties connecting to it. From thereon the only other thing you do on the device itself is to turn it on and off (and charge it of course). All interaction from this point onward is done on the app. On the app you load money into your account, and use this money to buy data packages. Paypal is the only alternative for loading money. Some might find this limiting but I actually like it because Paypal adds an additional level of security. Besides, you can add an almost limitless number of credit cards, debit cards, or bank accounts to your Paypal account right?
Once you have money in your account then you can buy the data package that's best suited to you, and this is the part that I like best about CherryRoam. Aside from day passes they also sell bulk data - say, 1GB good for three days, or 3GB good for seven days, and so on and so forth. Being able to buy data like this is a great way to manage costs - because if you actually sit down and analyze your data usage, you'll quickly realize that especially when abroad, your usage will actually be quite inconsistent from day to day - so paying the same rate everyday isn't exactly the most cost-efficient thing to do. With bulk data you can pay only for what you consume to a larger degree. Take note that I said "to a larger degree" because of course you're never going to get it perfectly - i.e. that 3GB you bought isn't going to run out exactly as you're about to board the plane for your flight home. Still, this kind of flexibility is a lot more cost-efficient for the variance in daily usage you're bound to encounter. Additionally, CherryRoam adds an additional layer of flexibility by selling bulk data that's good for regions - say "Asia" or "Europe" or "Middle East" - and not strictly for specific countries. This leads to even greater cost-efficiency especially if you're visiting multiple countries. Not only do you more or less pay for only what you consume across multiple days, but also across multiple countries. I imagine it would be particularly useful for European trips.
Just a tip - the app needs an internet connection to function so remember to do your work on the app - loading it and buying the applicable package - while you still have internet access (say while you're still in your home country) - lest you be caught in a situation wherein you don't have the internet access necessary to get internet access. Don't worry about your validity clock (i.e. the "three days", for instance, in the "1GB for three days") starting to run. It will start to run only when your device initially connects to networks in the region that you bought data for.
The one gripe I have with the CherryRoam, and it's a very small gripe, is that the home screen on the device shows the network name and the password that the owner created. So if you ever turn on the screen in a public area, it's practically an open invitation for strangers to connect to your device because the credentials they need to do so will be prominently displayed. While there's no way to change the display, it isn't a huge problem because you just have to remember not to expose your screen if and when it's lighted.
I do wonder though, if all the things I like will be sustained. As they get more and more customers, will they have enough bandwidth with their foreign telecom partners to keep up the service level I experienced? As my device ages, how will battery life hold up? Currently, I was impressed with their customer hotline because every single rep I spoke to turned out to be truly knowledgeable about their product; but as they grow their market share they'll have to increase the number of reps and I wonder if this will dilute service quality. Finally, as they win more market share, will they start to raise prices and reduce the flexibility on their data packages? These all remain to be seen; and as I'm more than satisfied with my CherryRoam thus far, I truly hope this product won't be a victim of its own success.
