AT&T announces OBD II-powered ZTE Mobley automobile Wi-Fi hotspot

Every year, automobiles get more and more high-tech. The problem, however, is that brand-new cars can be quite expensive. If you buy used cars, it can take a while for the latest and greatest technology to trickle down to you. One way to add tech to your car is by upgrading the stereo, which can give you improved media compatibility and Bluetooth.

Have you ever dreamed about having Wi-Fi in your existing car? Well, now you can. Even if you have a ten year old dented sedan, AT&T has a solution for you -- the ZTE Mobley Wi-Fi hotspot. While tethering from your smartphone or carrying a dedicated battery-powered hotspot has been available for a while, this device is very unique -- it is powered by the car's OBD II port.

If you aren't familiar, OBD II stands for "On-Board Diagnostics" -- a computer system. If your car was manufactured in 1996 or later, and sold in the USA, it should have this standard. The ZTE Mobley automobile Wi-Fi hotspot plugs into this port for power only (no worries about data hacks). In other words, it does not use your car's 12v charger or lighter plug.

The beauty in this, you see, is that the Mobley will automatically power on and off with your car. There is no need to remember to turn it on and off. Since some 12v ports stay active with the car off, this is a safer option -- it won't drain your battery while the car is turned off.

The ZTE-manufactured hotspot is powered by a Qualcomm MDM9215 processor, and offers 4G LTE to up to five devices.  This will come in very handy for large families -- especially on long road trips. Your kids can be kept occupied (and quiet) in the back seat with tablets while you drive up front in peace.

Of course, the convenience is not free. The ZTE Mobley itself costs $100, but is free with a two-year commitment. If you are planning to use it regularly, the contract is the smarter way to go. If you think there may be months where it doesn't get used, however, paying for it might be the smarter choice.

Access charges vary based on scenario. If you are an existing AT&T customer, you can share your existing data with it for a $10 monthly fee. If you use a different carrier, you can pay $20 for 1GB or $30 for 3GB. I would probably suggest opting for the latter just in case. Tripling the data for 50 percent more is reasonable.

If you are interested, you do not have to wait long. The ZTE Mobley will be available online and in physical stores on September 11, 2015.

Will you buy it? Tell me in the comments.