Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank Hands-On – Power Bank and Hotspot

Do you want to know what bothers me the most about traveling? It’s definitely finding a reliable internet connection. You can imagine my excitement when I got the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank ($129.99 at Amazon) in the mail. That name is certainly complicated, but it also hints at some interesting promises.

Not only is this a global hotspot powered by uCloudlink CloudSIM that can keep you connected in most of the world, but it is also a portable power bank to keep your devices charged while you travel. How well does it accomplish these things? I have been using it for a few weeks and I am ready to tell you about my experience with it.

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

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

Baseus created a very simple device with a clean look and solid feel. It has three ports on the top: two USB-C and a single USB-A connection. On the side there is a button and a switch. The switch turns Wi-Fi on and off. The button turns the device on and off and activates the display, which shows the battery level when Wi-Fi is disabled. If data is enabled, you will also see Wi-Fi connectivity and status.

Of course, design and construction are only part of the experience. This is a multifunctional accessory, so let’s review how well it works as a power bank and access point.

Let’s start with the feature that really sets this device apart from the rest. Yes, this is 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 this more than enough, since it is a mobile device. The most devices I connected at once were a laptop, a tablet, and two smartphones. I doubt many of you carry more than 10 devices while traveling.

However, the only thing I would complain about is that it doesn’t support 5G. Not that 4G LTE is anything to scoff at, and Baseus mentions that it can achieve speeds of up to 150Mbps downstream and 50Mbps upstream. That said, those are top speeds and I never reached them. It typically ran downloads between 60 and 100 Mbps and uploads between 20 and 30 Mbps. Of course, this will vary depending on your location, congestion, and more.

Anyway, I find that I was able to work comfortably at these speeds. Although I always used it alone. I worry that this won’t be enough once you have a van full and everyone is using their tablets and smartphones. With kids streaming, teens uploading their videos to social media, and people working on the road, things can get a little slow.

However, if you can live with these speeds, you’ll be pleased to know that the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank works in most of the world, with coverage in over 150 regions.

No eSIM or SIM cards: everything is managed through a simple app

I feel it’s important to highlight how the data works, as this is not the typical hotspot experience. For starters, it doesn’t use any physical SIM card and you can’t add an eSIM profile. This means you can’t just choose your carrier.

Many may consider this a negative, as people often have carriers of choice. That said, the way this system works can be beneficial, especially if you frequently travel to different places. This is because you won’t have to go through the hassle of searching for service providers, installing eSIM profiles, swapping SIM cards, or signing up for plans every time you go somewhere new.

Instead, all you will have to do is handle this from the official Baseus MiFi app. Once set up, you can go in there and tap on your Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi power bank. You’ll get a few options, one of which says “Buy Packages.”

There will be plenty of options here. If you only use it in the US, you can choose an annual or monthly plan. Maximum speeds are apparently also limited to 50-200 GB. There are also fixed packages with a certain number of gigabytes and a certain date. Now, if you plan to use this abroad, you can access the “Global Service” tab, where you will find various plan options for a large number of countries. It’s nice that you can filter plans by country. And if you’re a true country lover, there are global plans that have you covered wherever you go.

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

I found the prices expensive, but the convenience of having access to data easily, from a single device, almost wherever you go, is really nice. And it is not restricted to any operator. Baseus works with networks around the world and the device will switch to the best depending on where you are. He just does it all by himself. I tried it in both the United States and Mexico and it worked perfectly.

It is important to note that the purchase of the device includes a 20 GB local data plan valid for 60 days of use. This is a good starting point for anyone purchasing the device, as you won’t need to start paying for data right away. You can try it. And if that data isn’t enough for you, you can always buy more.

Previously, customers received 1GB of global data per month for one year, but this offer has been discontinued.

As a hotspot, the battery alone is said to keep Wi-Fi and data running for “up to 114 hours.” I was never able to test it for that long, but I can tell you that I was able to keep it going over a 3 day weekend, 8-10 hours a day, with over 50% juice left over at the end. This is equivalent to about 24-30 hours of use.

That said, that battery isn’t just meant to keep Wi-Fi running. This little device also doubles as a power bank, and that’s when all that extra juice came in handy. It comes with a 20,000 mAh capacity battery, which is enough to charge an average phone two to four times. I found that it charges quite quickly too, at maximum speeds of 67W.

Priced at $129.99, if I were to recommend the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank to anyone, it would mainly be for a few types of people, and they would mostly be users who travel frequently.

For example, I know some RV owners who live on the road and would love to have this, either as a primary Internet source or as a secondary backup for when the primary (cheaper) Internet option doesn’t work.

Additionally, businesspeople traveling to different countries will often be delighted with the convenience it offers. They won’t have to stop at random stores to get a SIM card for a plan, nor will they have to deal with roaming fees wherever they go.

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

Of course, all of these users could also benefit from using it as a power bank. And many good power banks are similarly priced, so why not have the option to use them as hotspots as well?

But one thing is certain. Data plans are not exactly cheap. In most cases, you could save by simply getting a local plan that covers you wherever you go, if your trips only happen a couple or a few times a year. This is also the case if you are only traveling within the same country.