I stopped using my iPhone’s hotspot after testing this 5G router – and that won’t change

Acer Connect M6E mobile hotspot

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.

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A few years ago, I had a vision of never needing a mobile hotspot again. After all, my iPhone — a gadget that's never more than an arm's length away — has that feature, and connecting to it is a doddle if all your devices have the Apple logo.

But it's a poor experience. Try as I might, the connection is almost always unstable and slow (especially when streaming or connecting to a remote system). It's a massive pain if you have any Android devices because they continually disconnect, which hammers the iPhone's battery.

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Over the years, I've tried a few different mobile hotspot devices, but most have been underwhelming, especially given the price tag of some. 

When Acer offered me the chance to test out their new mobile hotspot, my expectations weren't high. Yes, on paper, it looked great, but they all look great on paper.

But it didn't disappoint. In fact, the Connect M6E blew me away.

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). 

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

The unit has rubber bumpers on the corners and has been built to IP68 standards, which means it is completely dustproof and can withstand continuous submersion in water up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. 

It also meets the MIL-STD-810H standard, a global benchmark for testing device durability under a range of extreme conditions, including intense heat, high humidity, and physical shocks. This hotspot has clearly been built to last.

What's powering the unit

On the inside is a MediaTek processor with 4GB of DDR4 RAM and 16GB of storage, so your mobile hotspot is actually a pretty powerful computer. You're unlikely to feel it lag when the pressure is on (the only time I felt the hotspot was a bit laggy was when I was updating it while also messing about in the settings). 

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.

But messing with SIM cards is old school. Today, it's all about eSIM, and the Connect M6E can be used with any eSIM. You just enter the details, and you're away.

For those who don't want to mess with SIMs or eSIMs, you can also use the built-in global SIMO virtual SIM, which works in more than 135 countries. 

To use this, you have to download the SIMO app (iOS/Android), register, add the device, and you're away. Once you've added a new device, you get up to 20GB of data to use over the first six months, and you can top up your account in the app. There are gigabyte bundles for countries and regions, as well as 24-hour unlimited passes. And the prices, from what I've seen in the app, are pretty reasonable. 

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To ensure you get the best possible internet connection, the hotspot includes a SignalScan feature that automatically scans for and connects to the strongest available network. I found this feature particularly useful when the hotspot was used in a vehicle, and I was moving rapidly between cellphone cells or inside a building.

By now, I've put over 50GB of data through the Connect M6E, and it's performed flawlessly. Connection speeds have always been as good, if not better, than what my iPhone could deliver, and it could always outperform my iPhone when I was using it as a hotspot for streaming, video conferencing, or connecting to a computer. I definitely wish I'd had this when I was traveling in Spain last year and was getting frustrated using my iPhone as a hotspot.

Who's this really for?

If you only ever occasionally connect a second device to your smartphone, you definitely don't need a mobile hotspot. 

But there are plenty of people who would benefit from one, such as frequent travelers, remote workers, people who live in areas with limited broadband options, people who are security-conscious and won't just connect their laptop to any old scabby Wi-Fi offered by a cafe (or hacker), folks who have a lot of devices, or those who organize groups of people, especially if they travel out to locations and need internet.

ZDNET's buying advice

At $300, the Acer Connect M6E 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).