Mobile Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi Phone?
How to stay connected while you travel in Ireland
The internet is the most important form of modern communication. It’s now the way we do almost everything when we travel: from booking accommodation to looking at maps, using social media and keeping in touch with our loved ones.
Yet when we plan our travels, very few of us think about how we will get ourselves a stable internet connection in the country we want to visit. We know we can use the cafe and hotel internet but what to do when out and about in the city and countryside? Data roaming with your existing mobile provider is expensive and limited and not the best cost-effective or practical option.
One of the most commonly used, popular and simplest solutions to this problem is to use a mobile Wi-Fi unit. With the ability to connect up to 10 devices using a local mobile provider it has been the first choice for many travellers. However, there is an alternative!
First, let’s get to know both devices:
Mobile WiFi units are internet access points that can generate a Wi-Fi network to which you can connect using your computer, smartphone or another device while away from your own network. These devices use the same 4G and 5G networks as your phone, so you need a SIM card in order to use them. They are also similar to phones in that they also need to be charged: some have a built-in battery, but most need to be plugged in, (something else to charge) which makes them clumsy and difficult to travel with. Dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot devices (as their name suggests) serve one purpose: to create a Wi-Fi network that you can connect to with multiple devices.
The alternative, a Wi-Fi-enabled phones also use 4G and 5G networks, also creates a WiFi network and can be shared with up to 10 devices. But they are also, above all, smartphones, so they can perform all the known functions (including making phone calls and browsing the web). The multi-functionality of these devices makes them more useful while travelling.
You can use other apps
Perhaps one of the biggest advantages of Wi-Fi phones is that they can be used for much more than just the sharing of the internet connection. By taking one of these phones with you on your hikes, you don’t need a separate wifi hotspot, you can access all of your useful apps from one device! This solution makes it easy for you to use your favourite maps (e.g. Waze or Google Maps), music or video streaming sites (like YouTube and Spotify), and browse the web pages you need to make reservations.
You can make local calls and texts
When you use a Wi-Fi-enabled phone, you kill two birds with one stone: not only can you access the internet with one of these devices, but you can also make and receive local calls, which is especially useful for longer journeys.
Need to make or change a booking or reservation? Need a Cab? Just dial the number
With international calls enabled, (on request) you can always keep your relatives back home up to date with your adventures.
Wi-Fi phones are great alternatives if your phone can not be unlocked
If you have a phone that you bought through your mobile carrier, in most cases it is locked, so you can only use it with that carrier’s SIM card. Because of this, you may not be able to use your own mobile phone with a provider that is available in the country you are visiting, which could leave you not only without internet access but also unable to make or receive calls during your trip.
Some mobile carriers in the US, for example, require you to sign a separate contract to use your SIM card in Ireland, which is essential to accessing the internet. As well as being expensive, these contracts can also mean a lengthy paperwork process before we travel, when our days are already busy with planning.
Wi-Fi Phone is great for families or groups
Another big plus point of a Wi-Fi phone solution is that it makes it easier to keep in touch with each other. If everyone in your group or family has one of these phones, you can easily reach each other, either via the internet or a traditional phone call, so you don’t lose your companions in a foreign country and it’s much harder for you to get lost too.
As you can see above, the Wi-Fi phone solution is simple, fast and very efficient. Not only will you have fewer devices to carry (and one less thing to watch and charge), you’ll be able to do even more than if you were using a single dedicated Wi-Fi hotspot. In addition to being able to use our familiar map apps, you can also use this method to instantly access your social media and even to make the necessary reservations. Perhaps the biggest plus is that you can make direct phone calls from these devices, even abroad, making it really easy to stay in touch. Since it is often cheaper to rent these phones than to take out a special contract with your own mobile phone carrier, you can even save money.
Renting a Wi-Fi phone will definitely help you to stay connected while you travel to Ireland!
WiFi mobile unit or WiFi phone? Got to be a WiFi phone