REVIEWED: Skyroam Solis mobile 4G LTE hotspot
Global 4G LTE roaming and a 6,000 mAh power bank portable power bank? That’s an awesome double act for any journey, and with global data for $9 per day, it’s a business traveller’s dream
Fancy global WiFi at your fingertips? Great, but what if your phone runs out? Skyroam has come up with a genuinely intriguing 2-in-1 proposition with the Solis, a bright orange palm-sized hotspot device that also doubles as a pretty generous smartphone battery.
How much is the data?
Let’s get straight to the data costs. Continuous global Wi-Fi costs US$99 /UK£126 for 30 days. That’s not a bad deal if you’re travelling constantly, but the most of us that’s going to be overkill. A single size global day pass costs nine dollars, (you get one for free when you buy a Solis), five days a costs $45, 10 days costs $90, and for 20 days it costs $180. So there’s no cost saving for buying in bulk before 30 days, which is a shame; the unlimited monthly subscription for $99 is by far the best deal, but $9 per day for unlimited data … that’s pretty sweet. It works globally in 110+ countries.
Simple to use
For our test, a 10 day Solis Global Day pass was added, worth US$90, and during a week’s business trip covering the UK, Switzerland and Spain, that 4G data worked a treat everywhere we went. It’s really simple to use; you just switch it on, find the network on your laptop or phone, and enter the password on the back of the device. Then you visit the Skyroam website, create an account, and it gives you 20 minutes to buy a day pass. Then you’re in. It works for up to five devices, so it’s great for small teams working collaboratively on business trips.
Easy to travel with
Physically, the device is easy to live with. Aside from that garish orange colour, it weighs just 203g, and is small enough to go in a pocket or a laptop bag. However, it does use the new USB-C cable, which may be slightly annoying if that’s not already the cable used by your smartphone. Happily, there is a small adapter in the box that enables the Solis to be charged-up using a regular USB cable, and its 6,000 mAh power bank to be connected to by any phone. 6,000 mAh is about good enough for one full charge of most big smartphones while still leaving enough juice for the hotspot to work for hours.
Fully featured and easy to use and to travel with, this great little 2-in-1 one device is perfect for business travellers everywhere.