[SOLVED] How to tell if a 5G Android phone also gives 5G speeds when in hotspot mode?

[Advaitom]

How can I tell if a particular 5G Android phone also gives 5G speeds from its hotspot? I didn't see this info on GSMarena.

 

[SpookDroid]

Hotspot from the phone wouldn't be measured that way. The only spec the phone can guarantee is WIFI specs (generation, bands, speed capability, etc.). When using the phone as a hotspot, the carrier is the one that sets the speeds. Even if your phone is in 5G coverage and gets 5G speeds for mobile data, when using a hotspot, your carrier may limit the speed (most carriers set speed limits and data caps before they drop down to an even slower speed for hotspot use).

 

[Advaitom]

I just found out that some phones have the 5ghz hotspot option. One of my phones has that option so I'll test it and see how it works.

 

[joeldf]

I just found out that some phones have the 5ghz hotspot option. One of my phones has that option so I'll test it and see how it works.

Yes. Most phones made in the past several years with Hotspot capabilities do have the option to select the 2.4 GHz or the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band.

Just know that the Wi-Fi band used by the Hotspot is separate from to the 2G/Edge, 3G, 4G/LTE, or 5G mobile data connection the phone has to the carrier.

You're not going to see the kinds of data transfer speeds on a phone that you would from a dedicated router designed for that kind of thing.

What, exactly, are you hoping to do?

 

[Advaitom]

Yes. Most phones made in the past several years with Hotspot capabilities do have the option to select the 2.4 GHz or the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band.

Just know that the Wi-Fi band used by the Hotspot is separate from to the 2G/Edge, 3G, 4G/LTE, or 5G mobile data connection the phone has to the carrier.

You're not going to see the kinds of data transfer speeds on a phone that you would from a dedicated router designed for that kind of thing.

What, exactly, are you hoping to do?

Yes, the cellular radio is separate from the Wifi radio.

I'm looking to buy a used 5G phone to use as a dedicated hotspot. I'm not a phone geek so I know very little about phone technology. While doing some research I learned about the different hotspot frequencies; 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. So now I know to look for a phone with the 5Ghz option for the hotspot. That bit of info answered my question. (And yes, I now know that a number of other factors will effect the speed I get.)

 

[B. Diddy]

Also be aware that some carriers will set a monthly limit of how much high speed tethering you can use. The limit may depend on the cost/tier of your plan, so if it's a more basic plan, you might only get 3-5 GB of tethered data per month. After you hit the limit, it might throttle the tethering to a lower speed, or pause it altogether.

 

[SpookDroid]

Yes, the cellular radio is separate from the Wifi radio.

I'm looking to buy a used 5G phone to use as a dedicated hotspot. I'm not a phone geek so I know very little about phone technology. While doing some research I learned about the different hotspot frequencies; 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz. So now I know to look for a phone with the 5Ghz option for the hotspot. That bit of info answered my question. (And yes, I now know that a number of other factors will effect the speed I get.)

Also remember that if you're using a PHONE as your hotspot/router, 2.4GHz or 5GHz aren't gonna make the speed difference you may think they will. 2.4GHz will offer longer coverage than 5GHz, but with the phone's antennas, this range difference is not that noticeable as it would be on a router. In terms of speeds, unless you are connecting a ton of devices at once, the speed/bandwidth advantages of 5GHz are, again, almost negated. And to top it all off, like mentioned above, carriers will likely limit the speed/data caps when using a phone as a hotspot, so I wouldn't use this as my main Internet router or you're gonna see that drop pretty fast early in the billing cycle.

(Oh, and also older/cheaper devices just don't support connecting to 5GHz connections, so check that too!).

 

[Advaitom]

Also be aware that some carriers will set a monthly limit of how much high speed tethering you can use. The limit may depend on the cost/tier of your plan, so if it's a more basic plan, you might only get 3-5 GB of tethered data per month. After you hit the limit, it might throttle the tethering to a lower speed, or pause it altogether.

I'm in India and only use pre-paid plans, so monthly rate limits and hotspot limits and throttling do not apply for me (for which I'm very happy). And data plans are very cheap in India compared to prices in US and other countries.

 

[Advaitom]

Also remember that if you're using a PHONE as your hotspot/router, 2.4GHz or 5GHz aren't gonna make the speed difference you may think they will. 2.4GHz will offer longer coverage than 5GHz, but with the phone's antennas, this range difference is not that noticeable as it would be on a router. In terms of speeds, unless you are connecting a ton of devices at once, the speed/bandwidth advantages of 5GHz are, again, almost negated. And to top it all off, like mentioned above, carriers will likely limit the speed/data caps when using a phone as a hotspot, so I wouldn't use this as my main Internet router or you're gonna see that drop pretty fast early in the billing cycle.

(Oh, and also older/cheaper devices just don't support connecting to 5GHz connections, so check that too!).

Yes, the replies here helped me create a checklist of things to look for when I hunt for the used 5G phone. Thanks to everyone who replied for helping me understand what to look for. You've helped me take my first steps toward becoming a novice phone geek.