Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank hands-on: Power bank and hotspot

Want to know what worries me the most when traveling? It is imperative to find a reliable internet connection. You can imagine my excitement when I received the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank ($129.99 at Amazon) in the mail. The name is certainly a mouthful, but it also hints at some interesting promises.

Not only is it a global hotspot powered by uCloudlink CloudSIM that can keep you connected in most parts of the world, it’s also a portable power bank to keep your devices powered up on the go. To what extent does he achieve these things? I’ve been using it for a few weeks now and I’m ready to tell you all about my experience with it.

Despite promising dual-purpose functionality, the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank keeps things simple in terms of both design and ease of use.

The unit measures just 4.69 x 2.01 x 2.01 inches and weighs about 15.2 oz. Fits comfortably in one hand. I always put it in the bottle holder of my backpack and it actually leaves room. Another nice addition is the carrying ring, which actually works as a USB-C cable. This makes it both easier to carry and adds to the convenience of always having a cable. I really don’t like carrying extra cables around!

Baseus has made a very simple device with a clean look and solid feel. There are three ports on top: two USB-C and one USB-A connection. There is a button and a switch on the side. The switch turns Wi-Fi on and off. The button turns the device on and off and activates the battery level display when Wi-Fi is off. If data is on, you’ll also see the connection and Wi-Fi status.

Of course, design and construction are only part of the experience. It’s a multi-functional accessory, so let’s take a look at how well it works as both a power bank and a hotspot.

Let’s start with the feature that really sets this device apart from the rest. Yes, it’s a hotspot that connects to cellular networks and provides Wi-Fi for your devices.

You can connect up to 10 devices to it. I found it quite a lot since it is a mobile gadget. Most of the devices I had connected to it at one point were a laptop, a tablet, and two smartphones. I doubt many of you will carry more than 10 devices on the go.

One thing I would complain about is its lack of 5G support. 4G LTE is nothing to scoff at, and Baseus notes that you can get speeds as low as 150 Mbps and up to 50 Mbps. That is, these are the maximum speeds, and I have never reached them. Usually, I was running around 60-100Mbps download and around 20-30Mbps download. Of course, this depends on your location, density, etc. will vary depending.

Regardless, I find that I can work comfortably at these speeds. Although I always used it alone. I worry that this may not be enough when you have a full van with everyone using their tablets and smartphones. With kids streaming, teenagers uploading social media videos, and people working on the go, things can slow down a bit.

If you can live with those speeds, you’ll be happy to know that the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank works in most countries around the world, covering over 150 regions.

No eSIM or SIM card: It’s all controlled by a simple app

I feel like it’s important to highlight how data works because this isn’t your typical hotspot experience. For starters, it doesn’t use a physical SIM card, and you can’t add an eSIM profile. This means that you will not be able to simply choose your carrier.

This may be seen as a negative by many, as people often have carriers of choice. However, the way this system works can be useful, especially if you travel to different places frequently. This is because you won’t have to go through the hassle of researching service providers, setting up eSIM profiles, changing SIM cards or signing up for plans every time you go to a new location.

Instead, you’ll have to control it from the official Baseus MiFi app. After installation, you can go there and tap Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank. You will get several options, one of which reads “Buy Package”.

There will be many options here. If you’re only using it in the US, you can choose an annual or monthly plan. Full speeds are also limited to 50-200GB. There are also fixed packages with a certain number of gigabytes and a certain date. Now, if you are planning to use this abroad, you can visit the “Global service” tab, where you will find different plan options for many countries. It’s nice to be able to filter plans by country. If you’re a true country junkie, there are global plans that have you covered wherever you go.

The options here are very flexible. So the plans can be very expensive. I’d say this device is more for convenience than saving money. For example, one-day global passes start at $16, which gets you just 4GB of data at full speed. If you want to upgrade, the most expensive package is $499, which is a 100GB, 30-day global pass. There’s also an annual US pass for $499 that offers 50GB of full speed per month.

I found the prices expensive, but the convenience of being able to access information easily from one device, wherever you go, is really nice. And it is not tied to any carrier. Baseus works with networks all over the world and the device will switch to the best one depending on where you are. He just does everything on his own. I tested it in both the US and Mexico and it worked flawlessly.

It is important to note that the purchase of the device includes a 20GB local data plan which is valid for 60 days of usage. It’s a great starting point for anyone buying a device because you won’t have to start paying for data right away. You will be able to test it. If that’s not enough information for you, you can always buy more.

Customers used to get 1GB of global data per month for a year, but this offer has been discontinued.

As a hotspot, the battery alone is said to provide “up to 114 hours” of Wi-Fi and data. I’ve never been able to test it for that long, but I can tell you that I was able to run it over a 3-day weekend, about eight to 10 hours a day, with over 50% juice left at the end. That means about 24-30 hours of use.

However, this battery isn’t just designed to keep Wi-Fi running. This little gadget also doubles as a power bank, and that’s when all that extra juice came in handy. It comes with a 20,000 mAh battery capacity, which is enough to charge your average phone about two to four times. I found it charged pretty fast at 67W max.

If I had to recommend the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank for $129.99 to anyone, it would be mostly to a few types of people, and it would mostly be users who travel frequently.

For example, I know some RV owners who live on the road and they’d be happy to have this either as their primary internet source or as a secondary backup if the primary (cheaper) internet option doesn’t work.

Also, business people who frequently travel to different countries will be amazed by the convenience it offers. They won’t have to stop at random stores to buy a SIM card for the plan or deal with roaming charges wherever they go.

Campers would also like the flexibility it offers, since they often go to rural areas. The signal can be spotty in isolated areas and the fact that the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank can connect to multiple networks makes it more reliable.

Of course, all these users will also benefit from using it as a power bank. And many good power banks are similarly priced, so why not use them as hotspots?

But one thing is certain. Data plans are not cheap at all. In most cases, if your travel is a few or more times a year, you can save by getting a local plan that covers you wherever you go. This is also the case if you are only traveling within the same country.