You might laugh at me if you own a hotspot device already or badly want to get one. I used many wifi hotspot devices in the past and still have some. Before the rise of eSim, a wifi hotspot device might be a good choice, especially when you have an international or regional roaming sim. In this article, I will show why owning (or renting) one might not be the best option nowadays.
Data plans and Sim cards
Many hotspot devices come with the manufacturer’s own data plans, which aren’t cheap; if not, the price of those hotspot devices is set high instead to make enough profits for those manufacturers. Some other hotspot devices are locked into particular providers, so to use them, you will either have to unlock them or choose data plans from such providers.
Renting is also expensive. In most cases, renting includes both device and data plan, starting at a few dollars/euros (or equivalent) per day. You can consider renting a hotspot device for a few days for the sake of convenience – especially if it comes as an option when you rent a car. But it will set you back a lot on your budget for a more extended period.
Remember, you are charged for each day you are on the rental contract, whether you use it or not.
Battery issues
Most hotspot devices come with an internal or detachable battery. While the battery capacity and broadcasting time might sound decent, according to the manufacturer, the only way you might know precisely how long is to put it in use. And that’s only after you have paid for it.
It takes energy to receive and broadcast radios! Most hotspots limit to a maximum of 5-10 devices connected simultaneously to limit the loads and increase the potential battery usage time. You might find that being a caveat if you have many devices. The advertised usage time on the battery might be estimated for one device only.
I often find my hotspot devices’ batteries dead after a few months of heavy use, which force me to keep using them by plugging the device into a charger all the time or buying new batteries (which aren’t cheap – in some cases, you won’t be able to get replacing batteries). That defeats the whole purpose of a portable hotspot!
Powering issues
Tell me, who still travels around without a portable power bank? Most lightweight power banks have 2 or 3 USB/USB-C or PD/QC ports and many devices which need power! While you are on the road and your phones are out of battery, the last thing you want is to consider unplugging the now-charging hotspot device or saying bye-bye to your phone until you return to your hotel.
On the other hand, if you choose to charge your phone, you can still use it, plus share hotspots with your other devices while charging.
Consider using a phone with eSim instead!
The price of a phone with eSim nowadays is affordable. Some phones let you set up multiple eSims; some even let you use dual Sims simultaneously. There is no need to remove the phone case or find a sim ejector tool (a toothpick is not always the best choice) whenever you need to change sim cards.
eSim data plans are bearable in most countries, with many competing suppliers. There are tools to help you to search, compare and choose the best eSim plan for your next trip. You can install an eSim to your phone quickly and leave it until you want to activate and use it.
Now, you can argue with me that some devices don’t support eSim, such as an old smartphone or a laptop. Tell me, how many hands do you have? Do you find yourself most of the time using 2 or 3 phones at the same time? For the laptops, look at the option I describe below.
USB surf stick as an alternative option
If you still feel that a hotspot device is necessary, save yourself money by buying a simple 4G/LTE USB-Stick, which comes very handy, is a lot cheaper, more stable, and you can use it anywhere which has a USB port (even with your power bank’s or your laptop’s USB port). For a long time, I opted for this option.
Along with a USB surf stick, I also opted for a cellphone plan, which gives me extra free-of-charge sim cards (both physical sim cards and eSims) for my needs (phones, tablets, watches, and of course, a sim card for the USB stick itself). When I visit countries with no roaming option, I only need to buy a local eSim for one of my phones and use it to share hotspots with all other devices.
That is the most convenient setup for me to date. I never looked back to any portable hotspot device anymore.
Conclusions
The reasons above don’t mean to tell that a hotspot device is useless. Occasionally, it would be helpful. But for most travelers, it isn’t worth it. There are so many alternative choices for cheaper. So, for a regular traveler, buy a phone that supports eSim (and a USB surf stick if necessary) instead of an expensive hotspot device with many disadvantages. And besides having internet on the go, you also have an extra spare phone. Trust me; it is worth much more than buying a hotspot!