Myth or Fact? Using Mobile Phone as Wifi Hotspot Kills It

NYSpeed Automotive NYSpeed Off Topic
1

This topic came up today and I was wondering if anyone here had the answer.

I use my phone as a hotspot for hours a day. Even talking on it while my computer is connected, downloading, etc. I’ve never had an issue. Been doing this for years on devices I’ve kept for years.

Today a Verizon rep was saying that if you do this it’s “frying the inside of your phone” with no other explanation. Searching online, it seems like this is might be a Verizon thing that they just say… maybe to get you to buy a hotspot in addition to your phone when that’s not needed? This was in reference to an iPhone X too.

So whatcha think?

I can’t see any reason why this would fry your phone. I can see if maybe prolonged use would kill a battery quicker, but that hasn’t been my experience. Maybe if you have a shitty phone?

2

I guess its possible if the phone is working harder? I doubt there is any measurable impact.

3

If anything, the phones are frying the Verizon employee’s insides.

From what I remember Josh, you always had phones that were not the norm. No IPhone or Galaxy for you, amiright?

I would imagine that these guys are trained to say whatever they can, just shy of committing a crime to make a sale.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

4

@BOBBYGRV yeah, I’ve always had off phones but might switch to iPhone X. So I need to know if it’s going to bake itself to death if I use it, lol.

5

Jesus fucking Christ. Fake news. I use hotspot while talking nearly daily. I have an X, and I did the same on my 6s. That kid is just regurgitating what he heard some
other slimeball say to try and sell another line for a hotspot.

6

lol :tup:
@King

7

On most long trips my phone runs as a hotspot, gps and music streamer. It’s gets a little warm but never remotely near thermal shutdown so I’m sure it’s fine. Like others said, just BS trying to sell you a hotspot.

8

This. I used be a manager at att and that line is a slime-ball way to sell you a hotspot. New lines is the only thing that pays them anymore.

9

I have the X and use it on a daily basis as a hotspot and I have never had an issue.

10

What are your guys’ data plans like? I know people have unlimited but I thought the speeds slow down considerably after 10GB or something like that. Doesn’t that just eat through it if you’re downloading/streaming, etc?

11

6gb shared family plan (3 people) for me and we’ve never come close to going over. Wifi most places I’m at and only hotspot for my kid’s ipad/ipod in the car. She knows no video streaming allowed.

12

I don’t actually have Verizon, but my T-Mobile plan has only been slowed down once. And that was when I spend a week traveling in Canada, streaming TV to my phone, lol.

13

Ok because I once kicked the idea around of replacing my Spectrum internet by using my phone as a hotspot but I knew I would far exceed “unlimited” data limits and wind up with slower speeds very quickly. For about a year I had a mobile hotspot line that I used but for internet but kept exceeding limits on that as well.

14

No, but increased throughput would degrade the battery faster (more cycling). Warmer temperatures are typically not that bad for battery life, although charging at cold temperatures can cause lithium plating.

15

I’m still can’t get by the part where @Onyx_Z32 is going to buy an iPhone. Thought you loved your Nokia bricks.

16

I’m stuck at the moment. MS gave up on phones, at least for the time being. Rumors of foldable Surface with phone capability are just that.

The Nokia name has been licensed out but there are actually still Nokia phones. They run Android right now.

The choice be basically just Android or Apple at the moment.

Fortunately the Lumia 950xl I’ve had for 2 years still has better specs than an iPhone X, so there really isn’t a rush.