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Over the past couple of years the MiFis, Jetpacks, and other 3G and 4G hotspots have exploded in popularity, and as a result our extended batteries for these hotspots have been some of our hottest sellers lately. The extended batteries we sell are about three times the capacity of the standard/stock batteries included with the hotspots, meaning they allow users to enjoy their hotspots for three times as long before having to look for an outlet to charge up!

Recently, we've been hearing some strange reports from Verizon MiFi 4620L users who were using the 4620L Extended Battery with their device. Despite the fact that the battery has three times the capacity of the standard battery, users were reporting that the indicator on the MiFi was displaying 0% just as fast as it did with the standard battery installed...but then the MiFi would continue to run for hours longer after it said the battery was down to 0%!

We put these claims to the test and did indeed see the same issue. After about five hours of usage - which is the amount of usage time you'd expect to get from the standard battery - we saw the indicator on the MiFi drop down to 0%. However, it continued to run for several hours. We turned it off at the end of the day and left it alone - we did not plug it in or swap out the battery. When we turned it back on the next morning, the indicator displayed 65% battery left (which is a more accurate expectation for the extended battery, considering we had used the device for about 8 hours the previous day) and it ran for several more hours. While turning the device off and back on did seem to help re-calibrate the battery indicator, it did not really "fix" the issue - after a few hours, it dropped down to 0%, but still continued to run. In total, we got over 16 hours of usage time out of the MiFi 4620L with the extended battery installed, which is exactly what you should expect with the extended battery.

Our testing confirmed that the battery itself IS operating correctly - despite what the MiFi indicator displays, the battery IS powering the MiFi at least 3 times as long as the standard battery, exactly as it should. The problem is that the MiFi 4620L itself is not acknowledging the fact that a larger-capacity battery is installed, and the battery meter is not registering things properly. 

We are working with the manufacturers to sort out the issue and we hope to have more information - and a fix - soon. In the meantime, if you are using the 4620L extended battery (or considering purchasing it), rest assured that despite what the indicator displays, your battery is indeed providing extra usage time for your MiFi!

Discuss on the EVDO Forums: MiFi 4620L Misreporting Battery Life w/ Extended Battery