Skip to main content

The ZTE Mobley is the vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot you’ve been looking for

your passengers can finally ride in style att introduces its first wi fi hotspot for cars at amp t zte mobley car wifi plug
Image used with permission by copyright holder
AT&T introduced its first plug-in vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot today at CTIA, the ZTE Mobley. This is something that is perfect for Wi-Fi-only tablets and laptops.

The ZTE Mobley allows up to five devices to connect to the internet using AT&T’s 4G LTE network for fast speed and performance. Now this isn’t your average portable hotspot device. Most hotspot devices have to be charged up. The Mobley connects to your vehicle’s OBD II (on-board diagnostics) port, which means that you never have to worry about charging it or turning it on. It will always be ready to go.

Most cars that are 1996 and newer have an OBD II port. If your car has one, there will be a sticker or nameplate under the hood that states, “OBD II compliant.” Assuming your car has that notice, the next step is finding it. It should be within 3 feet of the driver seat, and no tools should be required to remove its cover. The best places to look are under the dashboard or behind ashtrays. It will look something like this:

OBD_II_Connector_01
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Once connected, you can easily change the network settings, such as the network name and password, through AT&T’s Wi-Fi manager home page.

The ZTE Mobley will go on sale September 11 for a $100 contract free. Customers can also opt for a two-year contract and get the device for free.

The monthly cost is as little as $10 per month when adding it to an existing Mobile Share Value plan. However, customers can also opt for a separate DataConnect plan that costs $20 per month for 1GB or $30 per month for 3GB. This is perfect for customers that have their smartphones on another carrier.

Click here to visit the site where the ZTE Mobley can be purchased (after September 11).

Robert Nazarian
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…
The Kia EV3 could be the cheap electric SUV we’ve been waiting for
White Kia EV3

The Kia EV9 was already one of the cheapest ways to get an electric SUV, but now the company is taking things to the next level. After teasing the Kia EV3 last year, the car is now official.

The EV3 is built to be a slightly smaller, cheaper version of the EV9 -- following the path of the Rivian R2, which arrived after the Rivian R1S. It's certainly not as technologically advanced as the EV9, but it still looks unmistakably like a modern Kia, and is clearly a sibling of the larger SUV. On the outside, the vehicle has the same split taillights and very similar Tiger Face front. But it is quite a bit smaller. The vehicle will be available in nine finishes -- however only "Aventurine Green" and "Terracotta" are being announced right now.

Read more
Kia EV3: release date, performance, range, and more
White Kia EV3

Kia is on a roll. Hot on the heels of the success of the Kia EV6 and EV9, the company is already announcing what could be its cheapest electric vehicle yet -- the Kia EV3.

The Kia EV line seems to follow the rule of lower numbers indicating a lower price — and if so, the EV3 will end up being the cheapest electric car Kia has released to date. That, however, thankfully doesn’t mean that the EV3 will be a low-end car — it just means that Kia may be pushing the boundaries on electric car pricing.

Read more
Kia EV3 vs Tesla Model Y: Can Kia’s new entry-level car take on Tesla?
White Kia EV3

The Kia EV3 is finally coming, and it could well end up being the best small-size electric SUV to buy when it finally rolls out. It's smaller than the Kia EV9, but it offers many of the same design elements and features. But there's another small-size electric car that's currently one of the most popular vehicles out there -- the Tesla Model Y.

How does the Kia EV3 compare with the Tesla Model Y? And is one vehicle actually better than the other? We put the Kia EV3 and the Tesla Model Y head-to-head to find out.
Design
The design of the Kia EV3 is very different than that of the Model Y, though they're both reasonably good-looking vehicles.

Read more