Best Prices Today: Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank 20000mAh 67W

Power banks free us from the need to be constantly near a power socket to recharge our devices, be that phone or laptop. A new breed of power banks is starting to add extra features to the basic battery-charging function.

The Baseus EnerGeek GX11 4G MiFi Power Bank is 20,000mAh battery pack with other super powers—in this case a built-in 4G hotspot for travelers that can automatically connect to premium local networks upon arrival without the need for a physical SIM or even eSIM in your iPhone. Now you can leave home with extra power and easy access to affordable, reliable local data.

What is MiFi and why would you use it instead of your phone hotspot?

MiFi is mobile WiFi (sometimes a more personal “My Wi-Fi”), usually found in a portable wireless router acting as a mobile hotspot that enables you to connect devices to the internet using cellular data.

Such a travel router combines a cellular modem (to connect to nearby 4G towers) and a Wi-Fi router (to broadcast that signal to your device) a battery-powered unit. With the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 that power unit is also a high-capacity iPhone power bank or mid-capacity MacBook power bank.

The GX11 can support up to 10 simultaneous 4G connections, so you can share its broadband power with friends, family or colleagues on the move.

You can of course use your iPhone as a hotspot and/or install a physical local SIM card or connect with a virtual eSIM, but the benefit of a MiFi router is that it has its own power source, so reducing battery drain on your phone—especially for groups connecting multiple devices. See our sister publication Tech Advisor’s reviews of the best eSIMs for phone-based alternatives.

How does the GX11’s SIM-less global MiFi work?

The EnerGeek GX11 4G MiFi Power Bank is based on uCloudlink’s CloudSIM technology, with support for 13 global frequency bands—including FDD-LTE, TD-LTE, and WCDMA.

First, you download the Baseus MiFi app. Once you have installed the app and registered an account, you can activate it by scanning the QR code on the back of the power bank. Then you can purchase a data plan or top up through the Baseus MiFi App.

As a bonus, when you first register the device, you get a free 20GB local data plan included that is valid for 60 days.

After that you can choose from multiple flexible roaming plans for a variety of standard durations: there were 150 listed when I registered. To take a few at random: a 15GB 7-Day Package for North America or Southeast Asia, Day Passes for Japan and Korea, 50GB or 100GB 30-Day Global Packages, or Monthly/Yearly Passes for Spain or Italy.

The MiFi is compatible with more than 350 networks across 150 countries and regions. In the U.K., for example, you could connect to EE, O2, Vodafone or 3. In Germany with O2, Telekom or Vodafone; in France with Orange; in Brazil with Claro or Oi; or China Mobile or Unicorn in China. In the U.S. networks include Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint; in Canada Rogers, Bell and Telus.

You should be able to stay reliably connected most places in the world.

Download speeds depend on the destination but Baseus lists 150Mbps as the max for global 4G WiFi, with 50Mbps max for uploads.

How good is the GX11 as a power bank?

The power bank’s 20000mAh (milliamp hours) capacity is rated at 73Wh (watt hours), which means it is airline friendly as carry on.

In our tests, we recharged a flat 14-inch MacBook Pro to just under 90%, which is impressive for a power bank of this capacity. Only a 25K power bank has supplied over a full charge to our test MacBook.

20K should be enough to recharge an iPhone around three times.

Design and portability

The Baseus EnerGeek GX11 measures 4.7 x 2 x 2 inches (12 x 5 x 5cm) which is about the size of a soda can and weighs 15.2oz (431g).

A slide MiFi Switch button on one side is used to toggle MiFi on and off. You’ll save battery power with MiFi turned off.

Below that, the Power button can be used to turn on and off power to devices and also manage the display at the front of the power bank.

What ports and charging speeds does it support?

At the top of the power bank are three ports: two USB-C and one legacy USB-A.

Both USB-C ports can supply 67W of power and the USB-A 33W, although note that max output is 67W, so when using more than one at a time, that power will be shared between the ports. Using all three simultaneously seriously limits total power to 15W.

The power bank itself can be recharged at 67W.

It comes with a detachable braided USB-C cable of 10 inches (25cm) length, which can be used for input and output purposes.

Price and availability

The Baseus EnerGeek GX11 4G MiFi Power Bank is priced at $129.99 and €149.99. It is not available to buy in the U.K., but you can certainly use it there; the U.K. is included under the Europe region.

Check out our reviews of the best MacBook power banks and best magnetic iPhone power banks for MiFi-less options.

Should you buy the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 4G MiFi Power Bank

Super compact, the Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank offers a decent battery top-up capacity for your iPhone, iPad or even MacBook. Its simple-to-use integrated 4G MiFi function and available international plans are a real bonus for sharing with colleagues on a business trip abroad or staying in touch with family and friends when traveling.

Best Prices Today: Baseus EnerGeek GX11 MiFi Power Bank 20000mAh 67W

Author: Simon Jary, Contributor, Macworld