Yes, many of the best cell phone plans let you use your phone as a mobile hotspot, and that can be helpful in a pinch. But a standalone hotspot offers you a more persistent connections.

Our cost estimates assumed that anybody who wanted to use their phone’s mobile-hotspot feature to share their LTE or 5G bandwidth for any sustained period wanted to do so at its full speed.

TCL, in partnership with T-Mobile, has launched the Linkport IK511, a portable 5G hotspot. This device utilizes 5G RedCap technology, offering a more affordable way to connect to T-Mobile’s 5G ...