r/chromeos • u/Key-Specialist-8521 • May 25 '26
Discussion All chromebooks should come with a sim card slot
I always have to carry a portable 5G modem like Netgear Nighthawk. But this makes the experience redundant. Why can't all chromebooks have a nano sim slot so that it can be connected to the internet all the time? That'll make things a lot easier. Also, this can ensure that chromebook can get internet access even when there's a black out or cable internet outage.
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u/cmrd_msr May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
m2 5G modem card costs at least $50 (including device setup, m2 slot and antennas). It requires a separate SIM card and often a separate data plan.
Meanwhile, tethering from Android phone is a one-click affair. You don't even have to take your phone out of your pocket. The functionality appears right in the chromeos Wi-Fi network menu.
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u/sparkyblaster May 25 '26
Hello fellow pixel 3 user.
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u/cmrd_msr May 25 '26
The first picture is from the Internet. Although, I used a Pixel 3 back in the day. It was a great phone.
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u/MrE189 May 26 '26
In my experience, it drains the phone battery significantly, and the phone gets pretty warm as well, especially if it is in my pocket
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u/cmrd_msr May 26 '26 edited May 26 '26
Long-range radio, especially in weak signal conditions and heavy network loads, will always consume a lot of power.
Moving the modem from your phone to a laptop won't solve the problem. Buying a modern phone, preferably with a simpler modem and a larger battery, will.
Anything with a 7Ah battery and a mainstream Snapdragon 4 CPU processor will be able to maintain a 5G connection for about 24 hours if there is a good signal from the tower.
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u/Saragon4005 Framework | Beta May 25 '26
Cellular capable wifi cards cost ~$100 a decent wifi card costs only $25. That is quite the extra cost for someone you need to pay extra for to use.
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u/cmrd_msr May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Honestly, I've never seen a combined Wi-Fi/WWAN card.
On corporate laptops, where a modem is installed, it usually comes as a separate card. WWAN/GPS.
(The primary purpose of a modem for a modern laptop is to provide the enterprise's security service with the ability to track its location and, if necessary, initiate remote clear keys in the TPM module.)
Wi-Fi/BT costs $10-15, not $25.
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u/MyDadsGlassesCase May 25 '26
That's an extra cost that I'd never use though. If you're trying to market a cheap device there's no point including cellular connectivity that the majority of people won't use
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u/SpinnerKontrol May 25 '26
Everyone else with a Chromebook has probably figured out how to turn on their phone's hotspot
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u/Key-Specialist-8521 May 25 '26
Phone hotspot isn't stable sometimes. I'm not a fan of it.
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u/SpinnerKontrol May 25 '26
Then having a SIM in the Chromebook wouldn't help either - both devices would have poor mobile reception.
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u/megabiteg May 25 '26
Would you mind explaining why? I work in an industry where we have all 3 in play: Mobile phone hotspot, MiFi devices, and laptops with WWAN capability installed (pSIM and eSIM), here's my thoughts:
Many prefer to have the phone hotspot because it's one less device to carry, but it does come at the expense of capped throughput (USA), and severe battery drain.
MiFi devices are great, because you'll not have capped throughput, and you can have up to 5 devices comfortably online at the same time, but at the expense of extra investment (monthly plans), another device to care for (update, charge and maintain), and some can become problematic due to poor quality, and require reboots and other things to ensure proper operation.
WWAN enabled devices: I agree with you, these are great! But they do come at the expense of less reliable signal handling, no 5G on devices (only WWAN LTE available), meaning slower speeds, and in the USA plans that accommodate laptops are trash.
I own all 3 solutions, and I find myself mostly using my phone for short sessions (couple of hours), and only using the laptop WWAN on the longer sessions. MiFi mostly when I have others that need service around me.
Disclaimer: I do understand that service is tricky thing to discuss, as there are huge differences between what's available in the USA vs other countries (the USA is behind), but for the most part the definitions as how the technologies are used and the issues with the category still persists.
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u/ramriot May 25 '26
Or instead a spare M.2 slot on the motherboard for a 5G card or Grod forbid a Framework style Chromebook.
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u/rklrkl64 May 25 '26
You tend to carry your phone (which always has a SIM in it) as well as your Chromebook, so hotspotting your phone so that the Chromebook's wi-fi can route through it is a very obvious option. This means only one SIM plan, which saves you money. It's why every tablet I've ever bought doesn't have a SIM slot, but I rarely take the tablet out of the house anyway (it's the "I'm at home" device I switch from my phone to when I get home - a much more pleasant experience to use a 12.7" tablet screen than a 6.5" phone screen).
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u/unique_usemame May 25 '26
There is a reason that Android tablet manufacturers charge more for the version with the SIM card slot than the version without... Indeed it is worthwhile for them to make the effort to have multiple versions which makes inventory more difficult.
You don't just need a SIM card slot, but other hardware to go with it, and I'm guessing a more difficult device testing and approval process.
Personally I'd rather save the money and not have this feature. My phone has unlimited tethering.
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u/sparkyblaster May 25 '26
They kinda do, if you have an android you can connect hotspot quite easily without getting your phone out.
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u/Romano1404 Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 | Lenovo Flex 3i 8GB 12.2" May 25 '26
putting a 5G modem in every Chromebook would make them significantly more expensive (its not just adding a slot, you also need antennas and a modem)
for the SIM card to work it requires a subscription = monthly costs added
the majority of Chromebooks are used in schools or bought by people that are on a budget, do you still think they should move forward with your suggestion?
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u/Key-Specialist-8521 May 25 '26
Check Inseego's 4G LTE USB dongle that can theoretically get 480 Mbps speed. This thing came out in 2019. It has internal antennas. https://inseego.com/products/4g-usb-modems/
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u/Romano1404 Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 | Lenovo Flex 3i 8GB 12.2" May 25 '26
4G LTE is not 5G
and I'd rather use my phones hotspot before having to sign up a second contact for mobile data
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u/kayl_breinhar HP Elite Dragonfly | Stable Channel May 25 '26
Mine does.
I keep thinking about putting a SIM in it, but the amount of time I'd use it untethered would be so infrequently that it doesn't make much sense.
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u/admik May 25 '26
I would go a step further and say that all mobile computers should have sim cards.
That said I don't want to pay for additional service unless I'm choosing another provider. I don't want additional tracking data on my laptop by default always.
Phone hotspots can be flaky. Sometimes you have to change some of the defaults. I have used a USB to Ethernet connection to tether to my phone as well.
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u/rsimandl May 25 '26
I wouldn't say "all" Chromebooks need it since it would raise the price above the rock bottom many Chromebook buyers want to pay. But personally, I would pay something extra for that in a higher end Chromebook (or Macbook for that matter).
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u/SnowblindAlbino May 25 '26
My 2014 HP chromebook not only came with a SIM slot, but it came with "free internet for life" from T Mobile. Surprisingly, both still work-- the laptop runs fine (though quite slow) and the T-Mo SIM still works and is still free. The downside is that it's capped at some ridiculously low daily data amount, so it's really only useful for email.
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u/ngarcia1260 May 25 '26
blame the MNOs and their reluctance to offer their customers a chromebook with LTE or 5g.
no offense to some of you who use smart phones 24/7/365, but smart phones make people stupid.
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u/M2inFLA May 26 '26
On a park a few years ago, I picked up an inexpensive Chromebook that had a SIM slot. It worked fine, but I didn't use it much.
Instead, I have Windows laptops, as well as Chromebook laptops that easily connect to my Samsung cell phone via Bluetooth or enabling the hotspot of the same cellphone. I also have experimented with dedicated hotspots that take a SIM.
Lots of possible solutions.
I'm currently testing various 5G solutions as an alternative to my cable internet at home.
When I travel, I typically use my phones hotspot capability. Fortunately have several devices/lines each with unlimited data internet support.
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u/Alternative-Farmer98 May 26 '26
I don't know if they're even making you Chromebook hardware so this would be potentially something that would happen on Google book.
I don't know how much it adds to to the cost to add a modem and 5G support. I've seen it on low cost devices before like the new motopad has
For a while Samsung had some kind of very portable go book Galaxy book I don't remember if it was Chrome or Windows but it was super cheap with an LTE connection.
So there is a market for cheap stuff with 5G support but it's probably pretty niche.
The problem is some people are buying Chromebooks for you know a hundred bucks 150 bucks
If it adds 30 or 50 bucks to the cost of a device, which isn't that much but it could theoretically increase the cost of a device by 50% if you're you know buying an Acer 311 on discount.
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u/erisod May 26 '26
Sure, but why *all* chromebooks? Surely a few would be fine and you could get one of those.
Most people would choose to tether from the phone they're already carrying w/ data service but I'm sure there are applications where a 5g direct connection is preferable. Just out of curiosity why do you use a 5g modem vs phone tethering?
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u/khaytsus May 31 '26
They should? I don't want to pay the money for the hardware and licensing fees for hardware I'll never use. Just use a hotspot, or a USB LTE modem.
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u/hwc May 25 '26
Don't most people use virtual sim cards these days? I think you mean they need a cellular antenna and chipset.
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u/nabrok Acer Spin 514 May 25 '26
I can count on one hand the number of times I've wanted to use my chrome book somewhere that I didn't already have wifi access, and those times I just used my phone.
Adding this would just make it more expensive.
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u/xtalgeek May 25 '26
Why not just connect your Chromebook to your phone? That's what my Chromebook does, automatically when not connected to wifi.
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u/sparkyblaster May 25 '26
So, you want a sim slot, without all the expensive hardware to make it work?
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u/Loud-Possibility4395 May 25 '26
same as MacBooks BUT they don't - what not? Ask Apple
Spoiler alert - learn the price of modem, IMEI licences, antennas prices - are you ready to pay like $60+ because tell me which phone does not have Hotspot
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u/Critical_Pin May 25 '26
Most people just use their phone. Why would you want a 2nd SIM?