Why are cellular laptops and tablets (Surface style Windows tablets) so exotic?

[Invincible Sugar]

Boy. Trying to work with cellular Windows devices is really not easy. They're, apparently, really niche.

 

Below is a short version of my journey, read if you're interested.

Spoiler

First just trying to find a model to buy is challenging. In my experience many laptop and tablet PCs offered with cellular are hard to buy. Lists on XDA, Windows Central, Laptop Mag... etc, half the options are "offered" with a cellular option but when you click the affiliate link the cellular model is out of stock, or not even mentioned. Sometimes less than a week after the article goes up.

 

Ok so you find an option you like. I've got two Lenovo laptops with 4G or 5G, a X1 Gen 8 and a P1 gen 5. Love them both. I have the Surface Pro X SQ1, and the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 i7 model. I even have an HP Folio with LTE. Support for them sucks.

 

I have a second Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 which I sent to an artist here in the US. They work with me on my comics. It got a Windows 11 update and now the cellular is just... gone. I asked for help, got a few replies but no solution. Asked Dell for support, they want to warranty replace it, but with a different XPS model. To Dell's credit they're allowing me up to $2500 to spend replacing this $1500 device... but nothing they have fits what I need. This artist doesn't have home internet. Their cell phone is on a cheaper pre-paid plan without much hotspot data. This device NEEDS cellular, full stop. And Dell won't replace it with a cellular model.

 

Before I had a Surface 3 tablet with LTE. I got it used on eBay as my first foray into cellular Windows PCs when I moved to this rural place where I live now, because all home internet options at the time were super slow, like >20 Mbps but cellular would often be >60 Mbps and unlimited tablet plans are cheap, I got one for $12.50/mo with T-Mobile, taxes and fees included. Way worth it to have a fast connection for my PC. But the LTE died on me. Microsoft did nothing to help, even though I was willing to pay for an out of warranty repair. Bought a second one, and in less than a month its LTE died too.

 

So. Why is this so niche? Why are so few people interested in a cellular laptop? I blows my mind that so few people want this feature, everything we do these days is online, why would you want a laptop or tablet that requires an expensive phone plan on your smartphone just to share... at most 150 GB for really expensive plans, but most phone plans offer 60 GB or less. Or if you don't pay for an expensive phone plan you are limited to WiFi? Constantly signing in to the WiFi network at each business or location, singing up for god knows how many places to email you spam because you wanted to use their free WiFi that one time, losing internet any time you move too far away from the WiFi... I just don't get it.

 

Spoiler below is my rant on why cell plans for tablets/laptops are actually pretty cheap and could save money for some people...

Spoiler

You can get unlimited tablet plans for as little as $15 with taxes and fees included, sometimes less when promos are running on T-Mobile. If you need AT&T or Verizon they both offer $20 options + taxes/fees, and Verizon offers a $10 option with some voice plans. This is not expensive, and if you don't use premium features on the $70-$100/mo plans the three carriers offer, if you just need hotspot for your laptop or tablet... you could get a cell plan for $25/mo or less, taxes and fees included, on Verizon or T-Mobile MVNO's, then get a tablet plan with unlimited data for another $15-$20, and still pay a lot less for both than you'd pay for one expensive cell plan with limited hotspot data, with the perk that your laptop or tablet works online even when your phone is not with you or not on... you can even mix and match, get your phone on a Verizon MVNO, get your laptop/tablet on a T-Mobile plan, increase your total coverage so at least one thing you carry has a signal in more places.

 

I am interested in your thoughts. Please share!

[Donut417]

38 minutes ago, Invincible Sugar said:

Boy. Trying to work with cellular Windows devices is really not easy. They're, apparently, really niche.

 

Below is a short version of my journey, read if you're interested.

  Reveal hidden contents

First just trying to find a model to buy is challenging. In my experience many laptop and tablet PCs offered with cellular are hard to buy. Lists on XDA, Windows Central, Laptop Mag... etc, half the options are "offered" with a cellular option but when you click the affiliate link the cellular model is out of stock, or not even mentioned. Sometimes less than a week after the article goes up.

 

Ok so you find an option you like. I've got two Lenovo laptops with 4G or 5G, a X1 Gen 8 and a P1 gen 5. Love them both. I have the Surface Pro X SQ1, and the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 i7 model. I even have an HP Folio with LTE. Support for them sucks.

 

I have a second Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 which I sent to an artist here in the US. They work with me on my comics. It got a Windows 11 update and now the cellular is just... gone. I asked for help, got a few replies but no solution. Asked Dell for support, they want to warranty replace it, but with a different XPS model. To Dell's credit they're allowing me up to $2500 to spend replacing this $1500 device... but nothing they have fits what I need. This artist doesn't have home internet. Their cell phone is on a cheaper pre-paid plan without much hotspot data. This device NEEDS cellular, full stop. And Dell won't replace it with a cellular model.

 

Before I had a Surface 3 tablet with LTE. I got it used on eBay as my first foray into cellular Windows PCs when I moved to this rural place where I live now, because all home internet options at the time were super slow, like >20 Mbps but cellular would often be >60 Mbps and unlimited tablet plans are cheap, I got one for $12.50/mo with T-Mobile, taxes and fees included. Way worth it to have a fast connection for my PC. But the LTE died on me. Microsoft did nothing to help, even though I was willing to pay for an out of warranty repair. Bought a second one, and in less than a month its LTE died too.

 

So. Why is this so niche? Why are so few people interested in a cellular laptop? I blows my mind that so few people want this feature, everything we do these days is online, why would you want a laptop or tablet that requires an expensive phone plan on your smartphone just to share... at most 150 GB for really expensive plans, but most phone plans offer 60 GB or less. Or if you don't pay for an expensive phone plan you are limited to WiFi? Constantly signing in to the WiFi network at each business or location, singing up for god knows how many places to email you spam because you wanted to use their free WiFi that one time, losing internet any time you move too far away from the WiFi... I just don't get it.

 

Spoiler below is my rant on why cell plans for tablets/laptops are actually pretty cheap and could save money for some people...

  Reveal hidden contents

You can get unlimited tablet plans for as little as $15 with taxes and fees included, sometimes less when promos are running on T-Mobile. If you need AT&T or Verizon they both offer $20 options + taxes/fees, and Verizon offers a $10 option with some voice plans. This is not expensive, and if you don't use premium features on the $70-$100/mo plans the three carriers offer, if you just need hotspot for your laptop or tablet... you could get a cell plan for $25/mo or less, taxes and fees included, on Verizon or T-Mobile MVNO's, then get a tablet plan with unlimited data for another $15-$20, and still pay a lot less for both than you'd pay for one expensive cell plan with limited hotspot data, with the perk that your laptop or tablet works online even when your phone is not with you or not on... you can even mix and match, get your phone on a Verizon MVNO, get your laptop/tablet on a T-Mobile plan, increase your total coverage so at least one thing you carry has a signal in more places.

 

I am interested in your thoughts. Please share!

I would say cost. I mean look at this, we are paying $92 a month for home internet with Comcast. Then I pay $162 a month for 3 lines with T Mobile (Family Choice plan, not offered any more). I frankly dont want to pay anymore. My phone works fine on the go for internet. I can access all the same information and site on my phone. Also Its not like I'm taking my Macbook everywhere I go. My phone I always have on me. 

[Invincible Sugar]

37 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

I would say cost. I mean look at this, we are paying $92 a month for home internet with Comcast. Then I pay $162 a month for 3 lines with T Mobile (Family Choice plan, not offered any more). I frankly dont want to pay anymore. My phone works fine on the go for internet. I can access all the same information and site on my phone. Also Its not like I'm taking my Macbook everywhere I go. My phone I always have on me. 

Wow... our HINT is a lot less than $90. That's kinda crazy to me. You're on Family Choice/3 lines/$162? That's a lot... have you looked recently at better deals T-Mobile offers?

[Donut417]

42 minutes ago, Invincible Sugar said:

Wow... our HINT is a lot less than $90. That's kinda crazy to me. You're on Family Choice/3 lines/$162? That's a lot... have you looked recently at better deals T-Mobile offers?

My plan is the cheapest. All the newer T Mobile plans are more. The issue is we have 3 iPhones and we have insurance on each. Insurance on 2 of the phones is like $18/m for each and the SE my dad has is like $13/m I think. 

 

43 minutes ago, Invincible Sugar said:

Wow... our HINT is a lot less than $90.

Comcast charges $92 a month with a 1.2 TB data cap for 400/10. We could get cheaper if we did auto pay with bank account but my mom doesn't trust Comcast with her banking details.

[ToboRobot]

Because tethering is easy and available.  And cell network companies are greedy.

[Invincible Sugar]

27 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

My plan is the cheapest. All the newer T Mobile plans are more. The issue is we have 3 iPhones and we have insurance on each. Insurance on 2 of the phones is like $18/m for each and the SE my dad has is like $13/m I think. 

Oh oof. There are free insurance options with some cards you can use to pay the bill... and other hacks to save $$$ in the T-Mobile Discord server, but I don't know them all...
 

29 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

Comcast charges $92 a month with a 1.2 TB data cap for 400/10. We could get cheaper if we did auto pay with bank account but my mom doesn't trust Comcast with her banking details.

That's rough... but 400 Mbps is faster than all 5 options where I live combined... so I suppose that's not so bad. Although we don't have a cap on ours.

[Invincible Sugar]

21 minutes ago, ToboRobot said:

Because tethering is easy and available.  And cell network companies are greedy.

They do be greedy. But I currently have one of mt tablets on a free line, and the others are on very cheap lines... deals are possible. c:

[Donut417]

2 minutes ago, Invincible Sugar said:

Oh oof. There are free insurance options with some cards you can use to pay the bill... and other hacks to save $$$ in the T-Mobile Discord server, but I don't know them all...

Not sure you are up with current events. If you pay with a credit card T Mobile will charge you more per line, because they are no longer willing to pay the extortion fees from the credit card companies. Huntington Bank does not offer and such insurance on devices via my Debit card. You're pretty much up shits creek without insurance on an Apple device because they are not easy to repair. 

 

The only other way to get cheaper insurance is to buy your device directly from Apple and pay monthly for Apple care. This will likely be the option I choose when I upgrade in the future. 

[Invincible Sugar]

1 minute ago, Donut417 said:

Not sure you are up with current events. If you pay with a credit card T Mobile will charge you more per line, because they are no longer willing to pay the extortion fees from the credit card companies. Huntington Bank does not offer and such insurance on devices via my Debit card. You're pretty much up shits creek without insurance on an Apple device because they are not easy to repair.

They would charge you $15 more for your 3 lines, right? That's how much extra they charge for Go5G, Magenta, One, Simple Choice, Select Choice... not sure about your plan.

 

If it is $15 more, but you save $49 on insurance... is that not worth it?

2 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

The only other way to get cheaper insurance is to buy your device directly from Apple and pay monthly for Apple care. This will likely be the option I choose when I upgrade in the future. 

Mmm, no there are more options but I don't know them off the top of my head. 3rd party insurances.

[ToboRobot]

9 minutes ago, Invincible Sugar said:

They do be greedy. But I currently have one of mt tablets on a free line, and the others are on very cheap lines... deals are possible. c:

I think they failed to gain traction because cell phone networks didn't sell them early, perhaps because a dispute over money.

And then cell phone tethering became ubiquitous and there wasn't any point in paying for an extra plan and cell radio for most people outside of business/enterprise use case.

Tablets are basically big phones.  Computers are a different thing.

[Donut417]

6 minutes ago, Invincible Sugar said:

They would charge you $15 more for your 3 lines, right? That's how much extra they charge for Go5G, Magenta, One, Simple Choice, Select Choice... not sure about your plan.

 

If it is $15 more, but you save $49 on insurance... is that not worth it?

Mmm, no there are more options but I don't know them off the top of my head. 3rd party insurances.

T Mobile insurance is 3rd party insurance. Asurion is the provider, you have to contact Asurion directly to use the insurance. Squaretrade is the other big provider, and I would say they probably are just as expensive. The cheapest insurance I saw was Apple Care directly thru Apple, but you have to purchase the device and insurance thru Apple directly. 

 

7 minutes ago, Invincible Sugar said:

f it is $15 more, but you save $49 on insurance... is that not worth it?

I'm pretty sure its $15 per line. I remember it was something ridiculous. Furthermore the most my credit card offers is maybe 2 years worth warranty. That doesn't mean it covers accidental damage (which is why I have insurance in the first place) or theft. I'm not in the market for a different credit card. The economy is about to have a stroke, it's not the time to be using credit. 

[Selle]

As a field service technician I love the fact that my Lenovo laptop has built in cellular. I open the lid and it is online instantly. All of our technicians have laptops with cellular, but we usually buy the cellular module separately and install it ourselves. 
 

I only have one phone plan, but two SIM cards. One normal and one data only. 

[aisle9]

Two things come to mind immediately:

1. Wifi is ubiquitous at this point in time. For example, in the US, Comcast subscribers can use any of Comcast's access points free of charge, nationwide, as part of any internet package. Areas that don't have Comcast access points probably have a different one nearby (airports, hotels, etc.).
2. Tethering is a thing, and phone providers (and the phones themselves) are calling a lot of attention to it.
3. A cell phone can do 90% of the things your average person will want to do with a laptop, so there's no reason for them to spend more on a laptop that uses cell data directly.

It's a good idea in concept, and 15-ish years ago there were mobile-enabled laptops coming out (on 3G...ew). They were all niche devices then, and they remain niche devices that most people don't need today.

[seanondemand]

99% of people, on a daily basis, go from home, to school/work, back home, and have wi-fi at all their destinations. Why would they pay extra for cellular hardware/plans when they would nearly never use it, and have the hotspot for the extremely odd time they would need to?

 

There are certainly a small number of people out there who like cellular - folks who work in the field, serious road warriors, or families who live rurally. But for a small number of people, there will be a small number of products.