By Bertel King

Published Jul 10, 2026

Bertel is a lifelong tech enthusiast with over a decade of experience writing thousands of articles about Android devices, Linux, and more.

Before joining the How-To Geek team, Bertel wrote for the likes of MakeUseOf, MakeTechEasier, and Android Police—at the latter he wrote over 3,500 articles. He delights in helping others decide which tech to bring into their lives... and which tech to do without.

Bertel graduated from the College of William and Mary in 2012 with degrees in History and Government. He has spent his entire career as a tech journalist covering Android, Linux, wearables, smart home devices, and more.

The internet is all around us, but when you aren’t taking advantage of public Wi-Fi, you have to pay for it—and hotspot plans can be particularly pricey. Fortunately, I've come across a hotspot that works in exactly the way I want—one I can buy outright, use every month, and never pay for again.

Hotspots that are pay-for-what-you-use

Buckets of data that you can use at your own pace

If you walk into a carrier's store and ask for a portable hotspot, they're going to overcharge you. You will walk out with an expensive mobile plan that is hard to justify for a device you only occasionally use. For most people, it's more practical to activate the hotspot feature on our smartphones instead.

There are drawbacks to putting so much of a strain on our phones. Doing so drains their batteries more quickly, so they won't make it through a day. Sometimes phones overheat, especially if we keep them in our pockets or in a purse. When traveling with my family, it also means the kids' tablets stop streaming if I happen to leave the room. These are just some of the reasons a dedicated hotspot trumps just using our phone.

I've started carrying around a SIMO Solis Pro 5G hotspot for these situations. Solis hotspots have a specialized payment plan. First you buy the hotspot outright, choosing from one of the handful of available models. You then purchase data separately. Unlike when you buy a hotspot from the major carriers, you aren't required to buy a data plan.

SIMO Solis Pro 5G Hotspot

Brand

Solis

USB Ports

USB-C

The Solis Pro 5G portable hotspot comes with 1GB of free data every month. Additional data is available by the gigabyte, day, or month. The hotspot can connect up to 20 devices and is able to double as a portable power bank thanks to its 8000mAh battery.

$330 at Simo

With SIMO, you have flexibility in how you buy data. You can purchase by the gigabyte, get a certain amount for the day, or buy data for the month. I only recommend the Global Pay-Per-GB option, as the monthly data plans are more expensive than what you’d get from a carrier.

If you opt to buy 10GB of on-demand data from SIMO, you're not signing up for a recurring monthly plan where you have 10GB available each month. You are simply buying 10GB of data. While that data is overpriced, you don't have to buy more until you use it up. Those 10GB may last you a few weeks. They may last you a few months. If that’s the only data you need for the next year or two, then you’re saving money in the long run.

1GB of monthly data is available for free "for life"

That makes these hotspots perfect to have on hand for emergencies

Credit: Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek

What’s the best thing about SIMO hotspots? No matter which hotspot you purchase, you get 1GB of free data every month.

1GB is not enough for streaming Netflix or making the most of NVIDIA GeForce Now. You can very quickly run through that amount of data just by swiping through Instagram Reels. But for the essentials, 1GB is more than enough.

I like the idea of having this hotspot around as a fallback. 1GB is enough data to be sure that I can still stay in touch with others using Signal and RCS messages. I am still able to check email. I can load weather apps or search to see if anyone has posted updates on Facebook. I can check various news sites to see if there is any coverage on what is going on. It's also enough data for audio-only Wi-Fi calls. In other words, 1GB can be a lifeline.

This hotspot is my backup to my backup

I get buckets of hotspot data included with my phone's mobile plan

Credit: Bertel King / How-To Geek

As much as I like my Solis hotspot, I don't use mine all that often. It was handy when I worked from a convertible tablet, but these days my book-style foldable phone is my PC. In other words, my computer has mobile data built in. When you add on top of that the fact that I have an unlimited prepaid mobile data plan, I have unlimited internet wherever I go, as long as I'm within range of a cell tower.

Nonetheless, I like having the Solis hotspot around to plug into a travel router so that the entire family is not dependent on me being nearby. It's also an internet source our smart home can fall back on, since smart home automations only need a reliable connection, not buckets of data, to continue functioning. I can see myself also pulling the hotspot out on a long road trip with my kids in the back seat, when I wouldn't want to task my phone with navigation and being a hotspot at the same time. My Razr Fold may have excellent battery life and fast charging, but I'm not trying to melt it.

This is not the hotspot I'd buy if I intend to use lots of data.

SIMO Solis hotspots are great as emergency backups and for those who are more restrained with their internet usage. If you want a hotspot that you can use at any time without giving a second thought, I'd recommend becoming a member of the Calyx Institute instead. For an upfront annual fee, you get a hotspot with unlimited data—and it truly is unlimited. There were a few years when I used Calyx hotspots as my family’s home internet, and we were never throttled or capped. But if you only want to have a hotspot on hand as a backup for peace of mind, you won't find any more budget-friendly option than the free monthly gigabyte you get with SIMO.