Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank Practical: Power Bank and Hotspot

Do you want to know what I find most frustrating about traveling? This is of course finding a reliable internet connection. You can imagine my excitement when I received the Baseus Energetic GX11 MiFi Power Bank ($129.99 on Amazon) in the mail. The name is certainly a mouthful, but it also hints at some exciting promises.

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

Despite promising dual-purpose functionality, the Baseus Energetic 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 approximately 15.2 ounces. It fits easily in one hand. I always keep it in the bottle holder of my backpack, and it really leaves extra space. Another really cool addition is the carrying loop, which actually works as a USB-C cable as well. This makes it easy to carry and provides the convenience of always having a cable. I really don’t like carrying extra cables around!

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

Of course, design and construction are only part of the experience. This is a multifunctional accessory, so let’s find out 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 is a hotspot that connects to the cellular network and provides Wi-Fi for your device.

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

However, one thing I do complain about is that it doesn’t have 5G support. It’s not that 4G LTE can be scoffed at, and Baseus mentions that you can get speeds of up to 150Mbps and up to 50Mbps. As said, those are maximum speeds, and I’ve never been able to reach them. Typically, I was running at around 60-100Mbps download and around 20-30Mbps upload. Of course, this will vary depending on your location, congestion, and more.

Despite this, I think I was able to work comfortably with these speeds. However, I was always using it alone. I’m worried that once you have a whole WAN, and everyone is using their tablets and smartphones, it won’t be enough. With kids streaming, teenagers uploading their social media videos, and people working on the road, things can be a little slow.

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

No eSIM or SIM card: it’s all controlled by one simple app

I think it’s important to highlight how the 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 cannot choose your career easily.

This may be considered a negative by many, as people often have a choice of carriers. That said, the way this system works can be beneficial, especially if you frequently travel to different locations. This is because you won’t have to go through the hassle of researching service providers, setting up eSIM profiles, swapping SIM cards or signing up for plans whenever you move to a new place.

Instead, you just have to handle it with the official Baseus MiFi app. Once set up, you can go there and tap on your Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank. You’ll get a few options, one of which says “Buy Package”.

There will be a whole bunch of options here. If you’re using it only in the United States, you can choose an annual or monthly plan. Full speed also seems to be limited to 50-200GB. There are also fixed packages with a fixed number of gigabytes and a set date. Now, if you are planning to use it abroad, you can tap on the “Global Services” tab, where you will find different plan options for multiple countries. It’s nice that you can filter plans per country. And if you’re a true country hopper, there are global plans that cover you wherever you go.

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

I found the prices expensive, but the convenience of easily accessing data, almost anywhere, from a single device is really nice. And it’s not locked to any one carrier. Baseus works with networks around the world, and the device will switch to the best network depending on where you are. It does everything automatically. I tested it in both the United States and Mexico and it worked flawlessly.

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

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

As for the hotspot, the battery is said to last “up to 114 hours” over Wi-Fi and data alone. I wasn’t able to test it for that long, but I can tell you that I was able to keep it running for about eight to 10 hours a day, over a 3-day weekend, with over 50% juice saved at the end. That means about 24-30 hours of usage.

That said, that battery isn’t just there to keep the Wi-Fi on. This little gadget also works as a power bank, and that’s when all that extra juice came in handy. It comes with a battery capacity of 20,000mAh, which is enough to charge your average phone about two to four times. I found that it also charges quite fast at a maximum speed of 67W.

Priced at $129.99, if I had to recommend the Baseus Energetic GX11 MiFi Power Bank to anyone, it would mostly be to certain 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 would be thrilled to have it as a primary Internet source or as a secondary backup when the main (cheaper) Internet option isn’t working.

Also, businessmen who frequently travel to different countries will be thrilled with its convenience. They won’t have to stop at random shops to get a SIM card for a plan, or deal with roaming charges wherever they go.

Campers will also love the flexibility it offers, as they often visit rural areas. Signal can be spotty in different locations, and the fact that the Baseus Energek GX11 MiFi Power Bank can tap into multiple networks definitely makes it more reliable.

Of course, all these users will also be able to benefit from using it as a power bank. And many good power banks cost the same, so why not have the option to use them as a hotspot too?

However, one thing is certain. Data plans are not exactly cheap. In most cases, you can save by simply getting a local plan that covers you wherever you go, if your travels are only twice or a few times a year. The same is the case if you are traveling only within that country.