Pocket WiFi or Phone Hotspot?

[hummel]

Hi all,

I have searched for previous threads but most appear 12 months ago so curious to know..

Do you travel with a pocket wifi? Or just hotspot off your phone?

I've had a bad experience in MNL with internet (surprise surprise) and was hot-spotting off an old iPhone 4 to share the connection but wondering if a Pocket Wifi device would be better?

My other option would be maybe to buy a cheap android phone that is dedicated for travel use that has great battrey and possibly dual sim? Thinking Maybe the Kogan Dual-Sim job?

Any thoughts appreciated!

Cheers

 

[Timtammi]

We use a pocket wifi with local SIM where we can. We are finding mire recently though that some SIMS won't work in it, seems some telcos can tell that's what you are using and it won't work. Still will persevere though, we prefer to keep our aussie SIMS in for texts and essential phone calls and just use the mifi for data when away from easy wifi access.

 

[hummel]

We use a pocket wifi with local SIM where we can. We are finding mire recently though that some SIMS won't work in it, seems some telcos can tell that's what you are using and it won't work. Still will persevere though, we prefer to keep our aussie SIMS in for texts and essential phone calls and just use the mifi for data when away from easy wifi access.

Yeah thats exactly my thinking. Do you mind telling me which one you use?

 

[n7of9]

I recently looked into the same thing. I went with an Elephone from Yatango (Chinese Android, dual sim, $160), and a permanent data sim with GlobalGig. Sim plan is $10 a month when in Australia, and then i change to a global plan for the time i will be away. I don't use the phone nor the sim while at home, but i enjoy the convenience of not having to look up local sims and plans for every country i visit... The $10 a month to keep it active is AOK with me

 

[Timtammi]

Hi hummer it's a Huawei one.
It's small and black, not sure of the model number.

 

[JMFK]

We use a pocket wifi with local SIM where we can. We are finding mire recently though that some SIMS won't work in it, seems some telcos can tell that's what you are using and it won't work. Still will persevere though, we prefer to keep our aussie SIMS in for texts and essential phone calls and just use the mifi for data when away from easy wifi access.

This is to do with GSM bands being different depending on which country you're in.

I have a couple of different pocket wifi devices I use depending on which country I'm visiting.

For example, my Telstra device obviously works here, but also works in Bali.

My AT&T device works in the US and Hong Kong (I think? Memory is spotty)

I just buy a local data sim when I land and use it with the pocket wifi device that is compatible.

I'm yet to find a global, quad band pocket wifi device, but if anyone can suggest one I'd love to hear!

 

[Timtammi]

I think the one we have is quad band looking at the Huawei website I think it's the E5373, that's quad band isn't it?

 

[jamang1999]

I normally try to find a local sim and just hotspot off my normal phone. Only problem I really had was battery, but that's fixed with a power bank, which is generally cheaper than a cheap phone