Tablet with SIM card: Is the surcharge for the 5G module worth it?

Mobile Internet
Tablets with SIM card 2022: The best models with LTE or 5G

08/12/2022, 16:06

5 min reading time

Are tablets with a SIM card slot or eSIM even necessary if the smartphone can also serve as a router? Yes, because the mobile phone module on the tablet offers a decisive advantage.

The vast majority of smartphone users now know how to convert their mobile phone into a router in order to share the mobile Internet with laptops, tablets and the like. This raises the question of whether a 5G or LTE module is even necessary on the tablet. Not really, but improperly it’s not a bad thing. There are two reasons for this. On the one hand, sharing the mobile connection noticeably draws power from the smartphone battery.

So the fun is over sooner than you might think. Secondly, with the vast majority of mobile phone contracts, it is possible to activate a second SIM or eSIM free of charge to use the data volume on the tablet. The surcharge compared to the tablet without a module is therefore worthwhile, especially for users who travel a lot and have a reasonable mobile phone contract on their smartphone.

Danger: The surcharge refers to the prices of the in-house shops of Apple, Samsung and Microsoft August 11, 2022. Prices from other dealers may vary.

iPad with SIM card

Apple offers the upgrade option of a cellular module for all of its iPads. Buyers recognize the models by the “Cellular” identifier. As usual for the manufacturer, the surcharge is quite generous. 140 euros Apple requires in the in-house shop for the mobile radio module normal iPad. Unfortunately, the iPad only connects to the LTE network. The surcharge falls even more heavily iPad mini from: The version with a mobile radio module costs here 170 euros more. The same applies to iPad Pro and iPad Air. In return, you get the option of surfing the 5G network with all of the iPads mentioned, if your contract allows it. Nevertheless, it should be cheaper for the vast majority of Apple users, in a reasonable power bank to invest and then share the Internet from iPhone. Even if that’s a bit more cumbersome.

Samsung tablets with SIM card

The main competitor, Samsung, takes a similar approach to Apple and offers the option of a cellular module for all of its tablets. However, the South Koreans do not hide the identifier behind the code word “cellular”, but call the tablet child directly by its name. “5G” or “LTE” are emblazoned behind the models that can connect to the mobile network.

Traditionally, the tablet division of Samsung is divided into the Galaxy Tab S– and Galaxy Tab A-series one. Samsung’s Tab S models are more expensive and are aimed at users who need more performance because they are editing photos or videos, for example. The Tab A models serve the entry-level segment. They are correspondingly cheaper and somewhat less powerful. This is also noticeable in the mobile radio module. Tab-A tablets do not connect to the 5G network.

The surcharge for the cellular module is much more humane than Apple’s, although the chips are usually the same. At least if it’s a 5G module. That delivers for iPads as for Samsung Galaxy Tabs S8 Qualcomm in the form of its Snapdragon’s X60. Samsung requires its likeness of the iPad Pro, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra, in the in-house shop but only 150 euros extra. As a reminder: At Apple it was 170 euros.

It gets strange when Galaxy Tab S8+. Samsung only charges an additional 124 euros for the 5G module Galaxy Tab S8 on the other hand 154 euros. That Galaxy Tab S6 Lite on the other hand, it can only connect to the LTE network. And that for a mere 20 euros more compared to the version without a module. Unfortunately, 5G enthusiasts are left behind with the manufacturer’s cheaper entry-level models. Here you can connect to the LTE network at most with the LTE network. But that only for an additional charge of 44 euros Galaxy Tab A8 and 30 euros at Galaxy Tab A7 Lite.

Value for money tablet with 5G module

If you are looking for a tablet with a 5G module that offers good value for money, it is worth taking a look at the previous models from Samsung. That Galaxy Tab S7 FE 5G currently costs around 500 euros. The Snapdragon 778G works in it, the performance of which is in the middle class. The display resolution is 2560×1600 pixels, which is fine for the price. The battery life, on the other hand, is nice. According to Samsung, the tablet lasts up to 13 hours.

It’s even cheaper, but slightly less powerful LenovoTab P11 5G. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 750 G works in it. Its display resolution is 2000×1200 pixels. Thus, the 11-inch display of the Lenovo tablet has a slightly blurrier resolution than the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 FE. 212 pixels per inch (ppi) are against 243 ppi – but the Lenovo Tab P11 Plus 5G also costs 70 euros less.

Microsoft tablet with SIM card

At Microsoft, the situation is somewhat confusing. The manufacturer sometimes offers the option of an LTE upgrade. Why partially? Well, at Surface Pro X and Surface Go 3 the manufacturer offers an LTE upgrade in the configuration tool on its website. This costs 121 euros for the Surface Pro X and 140 euros for the Surface Go 3. But you also get more RAM and system memory. Theoretically, there is also a Surface Go 2, a Surface Pro 7+ and a Surface Pro 8 with an LTE module. In practice, however, this is reserved for the business versions of the laptops. Why Microsoft refuses the upgrade option for the three models to private buyers in the online shop remains the manufacturer’s secret. None of the tablets can connect to the 5G network. The only Surface model that can do this is the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 folding tablet.

Help, my tablet doesn’t have a SIM card slot

Most modern tablets do without the classic slot into which you insert a SIM card. The devices use so-called eSIM for this. Apple fans know them from the iPhone, for example. An eSIM is nothing more than a chip that makes it possible to use the mobile phone contract without a physical SIM card. Setting up the eSIM is very easy. First you need to apply for an eSIM from your mobile operator. In most cases you will then receive a letter or email with a QR code. On the iPhone or iPad, navigate to “Settings”, “Cellular” and click “Add Cellular Plan”. The smartphone or tablet will then ask you to scan the QR code. Finished.

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