Best Cell Phone To Use As Hotspot? T-Mobile

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Lake Elmo MN
We are in need of a new phone to use as a hotpot on our T-Mobile service. We currently are using an iPhone 5 (battery is bad and are not going to fix) but it doesn't matter if it's iPhone or Android? We just need a phone that will be the best one for connectivity. Suggestions?
 
Why use another phone? Can't you just use a dedicated hotspot device?

https://www.t-mobile.com/landing/mobile-hotspots-and-connected-devices.html
 
If you use a dedicated hot spot then you need to pay for an additional line.

I use a Samsung S-8 I think at this time Works great. Has Wi-Fi Sharing.

What does that mean?

Well where I am not much since the "House" is router is connected direct to the park but in 2 weeks the park has a "portal" I can not get past with the house router.. Directly.

So I connect the PHONE to the park with Wi-Fi and turn on the Hot-Spot (my older S-5 Could not do this) with Wi-Fi Sharing on.

THe phone acts as a sort of repeater. The house connects to the phone so everything works.
 
For what it's worth, I just had the battery replaced on my iPhone 5. It was 30 bucks, including labor, at a franchise phone repair place.

Drop a grand on a new phone? Nope.
 
for what its worth, I too would look at changing the battery if it's just a hotspot and occasional or spare phone

but I'm sure you have good reasons... I wouldn't likely if it was meant to also be my high use phone

We have a t-mobile plan....I don't really have a specific phone suggestion, but I'll point out something I've observed...
some phones have better antenna than others.  I used to have an older (2nd gen I think) motox and my son had an iphone, can't remember which model it was... but his phone would routinely have a usable data signal when mine didn't.
Now, he has a newer iphone 6S and I have a motox pure.  Just the opposite...I have signal when he doesn't, but I still don't feel like mine is as good as some...
 
I have used... Samsunmg Galay line.. S-3 I'd no longer recommend,, S-5, Better but still no.
Currently use an S-8.  Happy customer.  Some reasons.

As time progressed more and more frequency bands have been added. and the new bands have higher bandwidth as well.. often stronger signals. the newer phones (S-8) use the newer bands....

Now one thing I liked about my S-3 and 5 was they had an I/R emitter so I could use 'em as a "universal Remote Control" for TV's and such. working as I did in a "Thrift" store this came in very handy for testing TVs without a remote.. but the S-8 does not have it. This of course has nothign to do with Wi-Fi.

The S-8 has a feature the S-5 did not.. Wi-Fi Sharing.
Here is how that eorks.. Just now the phone is connected to the park Wi-Fi.. THis computer is too but it could just as easily connect to the phone and still use the park Wi-Fi because the phone will "Share" its wi-fi connection with other wi-fi devices..

You ask why would you want to do that?
Some parks say "just one wi-fi device" ok, got you covered.

One park I stay at for some reason my Nano-Station won't connect to the park.. but the phone will. and the Nano will connect to the phone (in face depending on where I'm parkd THIS park is that way) and then the "Whole house" has Internet.. via the phone.

Very handy.. Very nice

So an Galaxy S-8 or newer would be my recommendation.

Oh some handy "Apps" for all smart phones
Holy Bible (KJV)
Catholic Bible (The Word, you will have to make some setting adjustments on this one else it's annoying)
US Constitution (Serveral versions of that app)
Declaration of Independence.

The last two are short reads...  Install and read.. Interesting reading.

And finally

Radar Now or NOAA weather apps
Kindle.
 
I use the verizon jetpack and  hughesnet.  The verizon i got when i was mobile and then since the unlimited plan only gives you 15GB then it slows you down for the rest of the month, i got hughesnet when i decided to sit still for awhile.  The hugesnet allows me to compensate for the verizon downside..  It has fast downloads and also has a 2am to 8am time that you can still get highspeed even if your plan is maxed.  But you cant play multiplayer games on hughesnet, the response time is too slow, one day you will be able to.  Single games are fine its just MP that sucks.

Hughesnet sucks because if it gets cloudy or rains its no different than sat tv your net goes down.

I bought a two input push button switch. Both cables go into the switch and then i just click one button or the other depending on which net i want to use.

So with both of those i am able to pretty much always have  high speed  however with the phone, and both net plans it costs me about $200 a month.  Next year if i get property ill be on the established local line so i can get internet cheap.

I hope that helps :) 
 

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