The latest mobile hotspots deliver 5G to almost any device while sparing your phone's battery - here's why businesses won't want to snooze on the newest technology

Date:
Sat, 11 Oct 2025 06:47:00 +0000

Description:
There are serious productivity gains to be had from hotspotting.

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Qualcomm's recent announcement of the Snapdragon X2 Elite shows that the company continues to strengthen its push to gain a foothold in Windows PCs., particularly as Nvidia pumps investment into a reeling Intel .

The X2 Elite outperforms Qualcomm's previous PC offerings in all the
important key metrics. But there's one feature from the company's early days that hasn't made a return: the integrated cellular connectivity that came standard before the company switched to its current Oryon CPU cores.

That's not surprising. Cellular connectivity has never been a popular option in consumer PCs often used in Wi-Fi environments like homes and schools.

For Apple, for example, 5G has been one of those few remaining lines in the sand between the Mac, which has never supported integrated cellular, and the iPad - aided by its iPhone bloodline - has offered a cellular option since
the first model. And with iPadOS 26's support for windows and a menu bar, the iPad experience is closer to the Mac's than ever. (Image credit: Apple)

Options for getting PCs on these networks extend back to the early 1990s and heated up when 3G became fast enough for email and the web (barely). At a
time when carriers, seeing their networks straining from the unprecedented load of smartphones, refused to support tethering or smartphone hotspots, the MiFi device from Novatel Wireless (now Inseego) allowed multiple computers to access the wireless internet via an ad hoc Wi-Fi network.

It soon gained favor over options that connected over only USB or Bluetooth, although all of these products became less popular as cellular companies
eased up on restrictions that allowed smartphone users to provide laptop connectivity directly or via a Wi-Fi hotspot. Today, Apple and Google streamline connections tethering between the laptops and phones that use
their OSes.

The best rugged phones like those from Oukitel and Ulefone are often a good choice for a mobile hotspot because they can stand up to the elements if
being used outside for maximum coverage and often include very high-capacity batteries.

Still, there are reasons why one might want to use a dedicated device versus ones smartphone as a hotspot. These include not taxing the smartphones battery, hitting data caps on a smartphone plan, or wanting to use a
different carrier for your laptops internet access, say, if your smartphones carrier has poor coverage someplace you need to use your laptop,

Business users transferring sensitive data often want such options when the alternative is public Wi-Fi. Fortunately, dedicated hotspots never went away and they now support modern network standards. The nearly 2 lb. Oukitel WP100 Titan can act as a mobile hotspot for days. (Image credit: Oukitel)

One of the most advanced portable Wi-Fi hotspots is Netgears Nighthawk line. Its M6 Pro , which supports mmWave technology for the fastest cellular connections, includes an Ethernet port for network fallback and options for
an extra battery and external antenna. The M7, which includes support for Wi-Fi 7, is exclusive to AT&T in the U.S.

Lately, weve also seen a bit of a comeback for directly connected cellular adapters. TCLs Linkport is a small USB-C dongle thats noteworthy in that its the first such product to use 5G RedCap (for REDused CAPacity), the fastest among a handful of choices for lower-power, lower-speed applications such as IoT sensors.

T-Mobile is the first and for now the only carrier to offer the LinkPort, which offers speeds that are comparable to LTE. But thats about what most 5G users were experiencing at the networks launch anyway. Indeed, LinkPort provides comfortable access to the web and HD streaming video.

The most impressive thing about it is its painless setup. Appearing to the device as an Ethernet adapter, it will work with just about anything thats designed to connect to the internet and has a data-enabled USB connector, including Chromebooks, iPads, e-readers, and phones locked to other carriers. T-Mobile's LinkPort by TCL uses 5G RedCap technology and connects via USB. (Image credit: T-Mobile)

On the other hand of the performance spectrum for USB modems is Verizons 5G USB Modem designed by HTC. The enterprise product blends HTCs cellular legacy with its headset present, using Verizons C-Band spectrum to create
low-latency cellular connections for extended reality applications. Having
the device use a USB connection helps keep the device small and light, an advantage for a wearable product.

Like smartphones, both USB and Wi-Fi-based hotspots can be locked to carriers so ensure that the device you choose is either locked to the carrier you want or is unlocked. But once they connect to 5G, they can take nearly any connected devices along for the ride.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/the-latest-mobile-hotspots-deliver-5g-to-almost- any-device-while-sparing-your-phones-battery-heres-why-businesses-wont-want-to -snooze-on-the-newest-technology


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