In Japan right now with my family, and we tried renting a pocket WiFi so we could use Apple Maps to get around, and it isn’t the best experience.
It limits our ability to split up; whoever isn’t carrying the hotspot loses the ability to navigate or communicate.
It’s also slow, and causes noticeable lag when we’re trying to navigate with our phones, causing a lot of confusion and stress. This was particularly noticeable when passing through train/subway stations underground, where GPS is already an issue.
It also got completely overwhelmed when we were in Sunshine City. It was fine early in the day but as the shopping center became more and more crowded, it eventually just stopped working. I suspect it’s because the one we got connects through SoftBank, which is currently in third place when it comes to connectivity and popularity in Japan.
We ended up buying AT&T’s International Day Pass for roaming, and our phones connect directly to NTT Docomo, Japan’s largest cell provider. $12 per day for the first line, $6 per day for each additional line. They charge you for 10 days and then it’s free for the rest of the month. We have 3 lines, that’s $240. Expensive, but worth it for us. It also gives us the ability to make cell phone calls and send SMS texts.
Our fourth is using an old unlocked hand-me-down phone with an eSIM from Saily, which also roams on Docomo.
The direct cell connection is significantly better than the pocket WiFi. More expensive to be sure, but the pocket WiFi just isn’t cutting it for us first-time travelers. If you’re traveling alone, or without children, it might work better for you.
by GypsySage