In our daily lives, most of us have ready access to the internet both in and outside the home. When travelling, the need for easy internet access continues.
A lot of people feel that internet access is even more important when travelling as you want to share your experiences on social media with family and friends. Also, access to the internet makes travelling in an unfamiliar foreign country so much easier. For example, with ready internet access, you will be able to find your way round transport systems more readily, research where you want to go, and communicate more easily with people who don’t speak your native language.
This article has been written to save you time and help you choose the Hong Kong pocket wifi rental option that will best meet your needs. Instead of having to research multiple websites, we’ve compared some of the best wifi rental devices in one article.
Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you book after clicking on one of these links then we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Click below to check out and book your pocket wifi through our recommended providers:
- Click here to order your Skyroam Solis (use discount code PRETRAVELLER to get a 10% discount) – ships world wide – includes VPN
- Click here to check out and book your Song Wifi through Klook – collect in airport after arrival
What is a Pocket Wifi Router?
A pocket wifi router (shortened to pocket wifi) is a small battery-powered gadget that is very light and small. Most of them could fit in the palm of your hand. They use mobile phone networks to create a wireless access point or hot spot which allows wifi devices like phones, iPads and other tablets, cameras and laptops to connect to the internet. Depending on the pocket wifi you rent, anything from five to ten devices can be connected at the same time. Connecting a device to the pocket wifi is just as easy as connecting a device at home. All you need to do is go into the device settings and enter a password.
Why you should choose Wifi Rental Hong Kong
If you are looking for fast, secure and reliable internet access when visiting Hong Kong pocket wifi rental is a great option. Another excellent option is to purchase a Hong Kong sim card.
Hong Kong Pocket Wifi Rental vs Hong Kong SIM Card
Both products have their advantages and disadvantages. Broadly speaking, pocket wifi devices are better if you are travelling with more than 1-2 people, need to connect multiple devices, need higher data allowances and want ease of setup. SIM cards are generally better if you are only travelling with 1-2 people, don’t have many devices to connect and are looking for something slightly cheaper.
Later in this article, I will also look at three other options for staying connected: free public wifi, global roaming, and internet provided by your accommodation.
Pocket Wifi Hong Kong vs Hong Kong Wifi Egg vs Hong Kong Portable Wifi
When you are looking at wifi options for your trip to Hong Kong you may also come across rental options for ‘Wifi Egg Hong Kong’ or ‘Hong Kong Portable Wifi’. They are not yet another different type of device. They are simply other terms used for a pocket wifi unit.
Hong Kong Pocket Wifi Rental Options Compared
The comparison table compares our recommended products by cost, speed, data allowance, and delivery and return options to help you quickly decide which option suits you best. Below this comparison table, we provide further information for each product including: rental periods, battery life, connected devices and further detail on how to pick up and return your chosen device.
Note that pricing was accurate as at 25 September 2020, however is subject to fluctuate due to changes in pricing and exchange rates. This article will be periodically updated to reflect the latest prices.
Comparison Table – Pocket Wifi Rental in Hong Kong
| Provider | Cost | Speed and Data Allowance | Delivery and Return |
|
Skyroam Solis X / Solis Lite Click here to book direct through Skyroam Use discount code PRETRAVELLER to get a 10% discount
|
You can either purchase outright or rent per day, plus shipping costs. Unlimited Day passes, pay per data used or monthly subscription options are available. Add on services include a VPN and much more! |
4G LTE WiFi Hotspot Up to 10 connected devices Works in over 130 countries | Can be delivered to your home (rental and purchase options) and returned by mail (if rental option selected) |
| Klook (Song Wifi) for Hong Kong
Click here to check out and book your Song Wifi through Klook |
US$4 per day (Unlimited) Battery Life 14 hours | 4G
Unlimited Data Up to five connected devices Works in Honk Kong, Macau and Mainland China | Pick up and return at Hong Kong Airport |
Solis Pocket Wifi – Worldwide Delivery
An alternative option you may wish to consider if you wish to get a pocket wifi delivered before you depart or are travelling to multiple countries, is a product such as the Solis (use discount code PRETRAVELLER to get a 10% discount). It offers either unlimited wifi (speed is throttled when you use over 500MB/day) or Pay as you go data in over 130 countries, including South Korea and includes a VPN.
You can either order a short term rental or purchase a device outright if you are a frequent traveller. You can check out the pricing for both options using the above link.
If you choose to purchase the unit, the price is $US149.99, and you then either pay for day passes for $US9 per day or their monthly subscription service for $US99 per month. If you are more interested in the option to rent a Solis, pricing is $US 9.95 per day of rental. You will also need to add the cost of shipping in to the price for both options.
While the Solis is more expensive than the other options I have provided above, the convenient delivery options and the option of using the unit for multiple countries may be a great option for your trip.
Click here to check out and book a Solis pocket wifi for delivery to your door
Klook Portable Wifi (Song Wifi)
Here are some further details on the Klook (Song) portable wifi.
Rental Period: Minimum 3-day rental period
Battery Life: 10-12 hours
Connected Devices: Up to 5
Pick Up and Return: You can pick up the portable wifi from Hong Kong International Airport (Terminal 1, Level 5, Arrival Hall, Counter A05) open 24 hours (daily). Return the portable wifi to the same counter.
Compensation Charges (Loss, Damage, Breakage): Compensation charges for loss, damage or breakage are as follows: pocket WiFi (HK$1,000 / US$127.90); USB cable (HK$50 / US$6.40); 4 x USB charger (HK$150 / US$19.20); and wifi case (HK$30 / US$3.80)
Click here to check out and book your Song Wifi through Klook
Data Allowance Requirements
When comparing the different products you might be wondering how far 500MB or 1GB of data will get you. This handy calculator helps you work out what you can do with a certain data allowance so you won’t be left wondering whether a certain data allowance is sufficient or whether you will run out.
Booking online versus Hong Kong Airport Wifi rental
You can rent portable wifi devices once you arrive in Hong Kong. Although wifi devices can be rented once you arrive, there are a lot of benefits to ordering online before you arrive.
Here are just some of the benefits of shopping online. Firstly, during peak periods supplies can run out if you wait until you arrive at the airport. Secondly, it’s time-consuming. You’re likely to arrive in Hong Kong exhausted. It’s not a great time to compare the different options from various physical shops particularly when faced with long queues.
Buying online means you can do your research and compare products in a leisurely fashion from the comfort of your home, then simply pick up the device when you arrive. Thirdly, costs from a physical shop at the airport can be higher compared to buying online, particularly when the online travel agencies offer discounts or coupon codes. Finally, when you buy online, conversion to your home currency is made easy. When at a shop at Hong Kong airport, you have to do currency conversions on the spot to compare products and work out the best deal.
Other Options for Staying Connected
Both pocket wifi rental and SIM cards are very cheap. For example, wifi rental is about US$3.50 per day. For my family and I, such a low price makes renting a pocket wifi device or buying a SIM card an easy choice.
There are three other alternative internet access options that may be worth considering. Here’s an outline of these choices including a quick summary of their advantages and disadvantages. I have also written a much more detailed article on the pros and cons of each of the internet access options for travellers.
Free Public Wifi
If you’re looking for basic internet access at no cost in Hong Kong free wifi is a reasonable choice (if your internet needs are basic and don’t involve your personal data). Hong Kong is one of the more connected cities in the world. A common public wifi brand called Wi-Fi.HK has been set up by the Hong Kong SAR Government to make it quite easy to access the internet and many organisations participate in this program. To be part of this program, organisations must guarantee at least 30 minutes of free internet access, ensure there is no registration process and that no personal data needs to be provided. This means that it won’t be hard to find free internet access.
My main concern with using free public wifi hotspots is security. I would simply not feel safe using any website or application which involves personal data when connected to a free public wifi hotspot. For anything that involves banking, using a credit card, logging into email, or using social media, your sensitive personal information is at risk using a public wifi connection as it may be unsecured. For me, the benefit of saving a few dollars a day is just not worth it compared to the risk involved. Here’s an interesting article which looks at the risks associated with free public wifi.
Some of the other issues with free wifi connections include the inconvenience of having to look for public hotspots, low-speed connections, small hot spot coverage areas, and restrictions on usage time. When on holiday, I want to spend my time travelling not having to deal with these issues.
Internet Provided by your Accommodation
Many accommodation providers now offer free wifi to guests. This is a handy option when you are actually at the hotel but it’s of limited help if you want to stay connected when you step outside.
Some accommodation providers also offer portable wifi devices which can be used outside your accommodation. Some hotels are also offering smartphones such as Handy smartphones which you can take outside and use to access the internet.
If your accommodation offers a portable wifi device or smartphone during your stay, do some further investigation to make sure it will meet your internet needs.
Global Roaming through your Phone Provider
When you travel overseas, you can turn on global/international roaming in your phone settings. When this is turned on you can make and receive calls, send and receive texts messages and use mobile data. Be aware however that you will be connecting through a foreign mobile carrier’s network. Your home network has set up roaming agreements with these carriers and costs can vary greatly from quite cheap to very expensive (e.g. $3 per MB of data used). If you’re not careful you may return home with excess data usage charges amounting to thousands of dollars.
Most mobile phone carriers now also offer international data packs to help manage costs. However, these don’t always represent good value. For example, Telstra (an Australian mobile phone network) offers an international day pass costing AU$10 which offers 200MB of data per day. Verizon (an American phone network offers a travel pass costing US$10 per day which allows you to use your domestic data allowances but only the first 512MB per day is high speed then speed is reduced to snail-like 2G speeds.
It’s definitely worthwhile looking at global roaming options through your phone network before heading overseas and then comparing what you get with options like Hong Kong pocket wifi rental are a Hong Kong SIM card. Often renting a pocket wifi device or buying a SIM card will be cheaper and you will get more for your money. For example, many of the pocket wifi rental options for Hong Kong cost less than US$3.50 per day.
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