Top News

I ditched my iPhone’s hotspot for this 5G travel router – and I’m never going back

46

img-3694.jpg

Acer Connect M6E mobile hotspot

4 / 5

Very good

pros and cons

Pros

  • Very portable mobile hotspot with a long battery life
  • Can accept SIM and eSIM, and also has a built-in virtual SIM
  • High speed 5G modem with MU-MIMO support.
Cons

  • SIM card tray is awkward to remove without a tool
  • Charging it is on a slow slide.

more buying choices

Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source blew me away.

Best wifi range extenders deals of the week

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Built to last

The Connect M6E is a rather odd-looking mobile hotspot. It’s a white box measuring 5.5 x 3.4 x 0.8 inches and weighing 10.5 ounces. It reminds me more of an external hard drive or an iPod (remember those?) than a mobile hotspot. It features a 2.4-inch color touchscreen that controls the entire device (no app needed). 

Also: How I squeeze more power from my portable solar panels: 11 ways to get up to 30% extra

There’s a simple on/off button, a slot for a physical nano-SIM card, a reset button, and a USB-C charging port. 

Here is the Acer Connect M6E mobile hotspot out in the hail.

Here is the Acer Connect M6E mobile hotspot out in the hail.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The 8,000 mAh battery allows the hotspot to deliver high-speed internet for 28 hours of video streaming or 36 hours of regular web browsing—a claim it totally delivers on. The hotspot uses MU-MIMO (Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) multiple-antenna technology to send and receive data simultaneously, increasing Wi-Fi speed, reliability, and efficiency, and supporting up to 20 devices. 

Wi-Fi supports 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz for the best possible performance, no matter how new or old your devices are.

Securing your data connection involves a host of technologies, including WPA3 encryption, built-in firewalls, and VPN support. For connecting Wi-Fi devices, you have the standard SSID and password, QR codes to scan, and NFC “Touch-to-Connect,” which allows instant pairing. 

SIM, eSIM, and a Virtual SIM

So, how does it connect to the internet? Inside is a 5G modem capable of delivering 3.27Gbps of cellular throughput, giving you a number of connectivity options.

First off, there’s a nano-SIM card slot on the side of the unit. Pop out the SIM tray (it can be a bit nail-breaking without a tool), pop in your SIM, and it will connect to your network provider, a great option for those who don’t want to pay extra.

is competitively priced, especially compared to Netgear Nighthawk mobile hotspots. But the Connect M6E is superior — far superior — to other mobile hotspots I’ve tested. It has excellent battery life, the 5G modem is fast and stable, and the ability to use SIMs, eSIMs, and virtual SIMs gives me excellent flexibility, all in a package I can slip into my back pocket (or shirt pocket if I’m wearing a cargo shirt). 

Send this to a friend