Anyone have recommendations for pocket wifi device, for connecting laptop to internet whilst commuting?
You’ve asked the most generic question possible, so I’m also going to answer as generically as possible.
Unless you have some kind of specialised requirement or would like a particular feature, or even value one aspect over another (range, battery life, speed, connection reliability) which you’ve also failed to specify, then pick your favourite retailer and buy whatever suits your budget.
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I’ve had two, both from Telstra and both have worked passably but I will say the 4G Advanced II had a much better battery life than the older one. The firmware was updated at some point too which brought in a battery saver feature that drops the charge to 50% if you leave it plugged in all the time (which I tend to do) so it doesn’t stress the battery and kill it. The downside is that you have to remember to unplug and plug it in before you go out or you’re leaving with 50% battery… but even that’s OK most of the time for me when it’s only for an hour or two (and it’s still got plenty of juice left after that). It’s worth mentioning that it takes a few days for that mode to kick in so if you’re going to and from work you’ll never hit it.
…and even then that’s on the assumption that the new model has the same feature (Telstra WI-FI 4G Advanced III).
Mine is two years old and I don’t know that I will bother upgrading it. The battery is still good and it does what it says on the box. If anything I’ll make sure it’s unlocked so I can test different carriers should I feel the need.
Any preference on carrier? Each has their own hardware (which is usually carrier locked).
What laptop? If it’s a Mac tethering your iPhone is that much easier, if not you have to turn it on and off which is a pain. (If tethering is even an option? If battery is a concern, battery packs are cheap).
Asking for someone else. It is for generic use, for ~1 hour most mornings, mostly sending emails. Hence the generic question.
Tethering might be a good option. Will see if that is possible
It’s great that you’ve added more information and all, but literally nothing about my original post changes.
Depending on the requirement it’s worth adding that an iPad mini makes a nice “pocket” WiFi device too and on a plan can work out not that much more expensive than a Mobile WiFi device… well, not too bad anyway 
AND you get an iPad to play with (again more useful if you’d actually use/need/want one.
Huawei E5786 WiFi Modem + 4GB Data on Optus = $30 / month
Apple iPad Mini 4 16GB + 4GB Data on Optus = $45 / month
I’ve tried Mifi and USB 4G dongles, but always go back to hotspotting my iPhone (or iPad). Maybe consider a better phone 4G plan, and do that? Saves an extra device to carry.
An issue is spotty coverage/dropouts in spots, though do not see a modem doing any better than an iPhone 6?
Telstra might be a little better than Optus, likely not worth having a second device…
I’ve always had a second device and currently have a Telstra 4G device on which I’ve activated a 2 year data pass. That suits me very well, I dont need it every month and I don’t need it all the time. Its great for emergencies if the DSL goes down, and good for train travel (Telstra prepaid Longlife + plus pack is OK for short term but not frequent, and I dont need it that often)
The benefit of a second device for me is that I leave that on my desk so when I walk away for lunch or something everything stays connected. Handy if you have a download running or a monitoring app or something else.