Travel gadget review: GlocalMe G2 portable wi-fi hotspot

What is it?

The GlocalMe G2 is a portable wi-fi hotspot. In short, you turn it on, top it up and it creates a wi-fi network you can log into from your phone or other device, just as you would with a normal internet connection.

Unlike some similar devices, it doesn’t need a sim card, though there are two sim slots if you prefer to buy and top up a local sim instead of paying through GlocalMe.

Where can you use it?

According to the manufacturers, it works in “100+ countries”, including all of the EU, holiday favourites like the US, Canada, Australia and Thailand, and some more surprising destinations such as Guam.

What does it look like?

Measuring 117mm x 63.8mm x 20.9mm, it’s a pretty chunky thing. It looks a bit like an older-generation iPhone, but twice the thickness, and fairly heavy at 224g (by comparison, an iPhone 6 weights 129g).

How much does it cost?

The device itself costs £199, and while it can be bought online in the US, in the UK it’s only available by phone or email order, which seems a little old-fashioned for a tech company.

You can choose an amount to top up (priced in euros) or select from the data packages, some of which are heavily discounted. Top ups are made via a smartphone app, not using the device itself.

With the price of mobile calls and data within the EU now capped and roaming charges set to be scrapped altogether next year, it’s hard to see the need for a device such as this in Europe. Indeed, GlocalMe charges the same as the current EU cap for mobile providers (€0.05 per megabyte).

Globally, however, it makes a little more sense. A 1GB worldwide package costs €29.90 and is valid for a year. By comparison, my mobile network, EE charges £40 (€52) for a data bundle of half that size, valid for one week in the US.

Low-cost alternatives include 3’s Feel at Home deal (no extra charges for calls or data in 19 countries worldwide) and buying a local sim.

But if you’re happy with your current setup, and you’re a frequent long-haul traveller – or you’re planning an extended trip to multiple destinations – GlocalMe represents good value.

What’s the verdict?

I tried out the GlocalMe G2 on a recent trip to Taiwan, while researching 48 Hours in Taipei.

I started out with €50 credit and used it frugally, turning it on only when I really needed it. This was still a few times a day though, and I came home with €24 remaining. The battery life was also good, lasting around three days.

While sometimes a little slow to pick up a signal, the device was very reliable once it got going, and worked well for all my essential travel apps: Google Maps, Uber, Whatsapp, Skype and, slightly less essentially, YouTube.

Calls made using Whatsapp and Skype were clear with no time delay, maps loaded quickly and were never lost, and videos (watched while bored on the bus back to the airport) streamed smoothly.

The device does use data while on standby, so I felt like I was turning it on and off a lot, plus the extra weight in my bag was noticeable. If the manufacturers are working on a third-generation device, I’d recommend slimming it down.

Overall, though, it was an extremely useful gadget to have in a city like Taipei where English isn’t that widely spoken – I was glad to be able to find my way around without making terrible attempts at speaking Mandarin. But I’m not sure I’ll be rushing to buy one until the price comes down, and it can be ordered online.

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