Updated 5pm PT on 10/16: SkyRoam will not let me send daypasses from my account to others account, so you will no longer be able to get a free daypass if you use my referral link, but I still appreciate your support.
Full Disclosure: SkyRoam contacted me a few weeks ago and asked if I would be willing to try out their new SkyRoam Solis Global WiFi Hotspot. SkyRoam also included 15 free WiFi day passes. I get to keep the device and all remaining day passes. The following review and photos are mine and have not been approved or solicited by SkyRoam.
Good morning everyone, happy Friday. Last week, I was in Iceland and had the opportunity to test out the new SkyRoam Solis Global WiFi Hotspot (referral link and coupon code at the bottom of this post). I used the SkyRoam Solis during my 5 day roadtrip around Iceland and at 4 different Airbnbs. I fully charged the SkyRoam Solis before the first day of use so I had a full day of battery. One of the really cool features of the SkyRoam Solis is that in addition to being a hotspot, it doubles as a USB power bank, that can charge phones, cameras, tablets, and other USB devices. Caution: If you use the SkyRoam Solis as a USB power bank, you will deplete the battery used to power the hotspot, so keep that in mind. Luckily, I was able to charge my iPhone in the car and use the SkyRoam Solis as a hotspot only.
SkyRoam Solis Features
I will go over the features of the SkyRoam Solis and show an unboxing of the hotspot, but here are the highlights from their website. The USB power bank has a 6,000 mAh battery which can fully charge several devices before running out of battery. The hotspot works in 100+ countries and piggy backs on the local 4G / 3G / 2G data networks. Once you create the hotspot, you can connect up to 5 devices (I only tested 2 at a time, but I am fairly confident you can connect more than 5 devices if you are not consuming a lot of data). Last but not least, a fully charged hotspot has enough battery to run for 16+ hours (you can also turn off the device and hotspot when not in use to conserve battery).
Unboxing the SkyRoam Solis
The SkyRoam Solis box is roughly 5 x 5 x 2 inches and weighs less than a pound. You can easily take the device with you in your carryon bag.
The SkyRoam Solis is pretty simple. Turn on the device and then press the WiFi button to create the hotspot. If you want to use the USB power bank feature, plug the USB adapter into the back and then connect a USB cable. To charge the SkyRoam Solis, remove the USB adapter and plug in the USB charging cable. The device takes a few hours to fully charge, so I always charged the device every night before bed.
Once you open the box, you will see the SkyRoam Solis on one side and the USB charging cable and USB adapter on the other side. There is also a quick start guide with helpful instructions for setting up and using the SkyRoam Solis.
Here is the SkyRoam Solis quick start guide. I followed the instructions and had the hotspot ready in under 5 minutes.
The SkyRoam Solis is a little bigger than a hockey puck and can easily fit into a jacket pocket, purse, backpack, or car cup holder. It is very portable and durable. On the back of the SkyRoam Solis, is the WiFi network and password. Unfortunately, you cannot change either the network name or password.
Here is the USB charging cable and USB adapter. The USB charging cable is a little longer than a foot. The USB adapter is about an inch long. Plug the USB adapter into the SkyRoam Solis and then connect any USB cable to the USB adapter. Then turn on the SkyRoam Solis to act as a USB power bank.
Connect to the SkyRoam Solis Hotspot
After you set up the SkyRoam Solis for the first time, all you do is turn on the device, turn on the WiFi hotspot and connect to the SkyRoam Solis network (using the password on the back of the device). Then you sign into your SkyRoam Solis account and you can activate a daypass (good for a full 24 hours) or purchase more daypasses ($9 per day). After you connect to the hotspot and activate a daypass, you can view your data speed and time remaining on the daypass. Here are screenshots I just took from my apartment in San Francisco.
SkyRoam Solis Speed Tests Around Iceland
Iceland is a beautiful country, but the 4G LTE networks do not extend very far away from the “big” cities. During the roadtrip, depending on where we were, the SkyRoam Solis had 3G / 2G / no service. Every time we would stop (food, gas, waterfall, hot spring, glacier, etc.), I would run a speed test using the SpeedTest app. Here are a few speed tests that I ran from all over Iceland. Speeds vary quite a bit based on remoteness and distance away from a major city. As far as data usage, we used Google Maps for directions, Google Search to find cool things to see, and then email, SnapChat, Twitter, Facebook, etc.
Purchase a SkyRoam Solis and WiFi Daypasses
If you are interested in purchasing a SkyRoam Solis, click here. If you use my referral link, you can get $20 off your purchase price and I will earn 2 free WiFi daypasses, worth ~$20. You will also get a free WiFi daypass with your purchase. Additional daypasses can be purchased online and through the SkyRoam Solis hotspot ($9 / day). To thank you for using my SkyRoam Solis referral link, I can send you an extra daypass. Just leave a comment below using the same email address you used to purchase the SkyRoam Solis and I will send a daypass code to your email address.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. Have a great weekend everyone!
Hi Grant,
The link above takes me to the Skyroam GlobalHotspot, not the Solis. Would you please supply the Solis link?
Thanks!
Mara
At the top of the page, there is a link for the Solis on the left side.
Thanks!
Hey Grant,
I just made my purchase! Thanks for your review. Really informative! I look forward to being well connected this fall when I go to Europe. Thanks again.
Mara
Awesome, when you get your SkyRoam Solis, let me know and I can send you a free daypass to use in Europe :)
Will do. And thanks!
Hi Grant–My Solis arrived last week and I tried it out…works great! Am traveling in the country right now, so won’t really need it till November when I head to Germany. Let me know when that gratis day pass is available.
Thank you!
Hi Mara, I am trying to send you a SkyRoam Solis Daypass, but I am having some trouble. Did you sign up for SkyRoam Solis with your icloud email address?
I did use my iCloud email for my registration. Thx
Got it, I’m trying to send you a code but their website is not working at the moment. Let me try again on Monday.
Hey Grant, thx for the detailed article.
I could have used it a few hours ago while trying to get help with connecting… The tech people were basically useless… :(
But, I was testing it out for the first time at my office, which has a crappy signal, so I again tried it at home, and voila! It works.
My only problem is with the Skyroam app. I cannot get this to work, and I’ve tried to put in password/user a dozen times… I keep getting an error message saying that I’m not connected, when clearly I am.
Any thoughts on this?
Would love a free day pass, thx !!!!
Hi Kristen, I do not use the SkyRoam app, I just connect to the WiFi hotpost through my iPhone, just like any other WiFi network. Same for my laptop. I will email you a SkyRoam Solis daypass today.
I cruise a lot. I know that I can connect while on a island but can I connect at sea?
I think it would depend what countries you cruise next to or through. If you are crossing an ocean, I am not sure if the SkyRoam Solis would work well. I would recommend reaching out to them directly and asking.
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$140 + $9 a day is way too rich for my blood. In Icleand, we just rented one from the car rental spot for around the $9 a day and it worked great. Another country that “needs” a hotspot (Japan) we did fine without it, but to each they’re own I suppose. Hopefully, there’ll be more cost effective options.
Yes, with more competition between hotspot providers, prices should get cheaper over time. Thanks for commenting and safe travels :)
Grant
Does this really work well? also you buy the unit and they charge for the number of day you use it and how does this link up to wifi in Europe since there isn’t a sim card or service. I can’t find how this work on any review or what you said on yours.
It works well, assuming you are near 4G LTE networks. You do not need a sim card to use the SkyRoam Solis. It will automatically connect to the best/closest network and create a hotspot for you.
What I was really hoping to see in your review was what speed you get after they severely slow down speeds after 500mb is used in 24 hours. From their terms page:
If there is high usage (over 500 MB) within 24-hours, the connection with go to a lighter 2G speed, which is great for e-mail, web surfing, social media, apps, messaging, and WiFi calling
We were on the road most of the day, so I don’t think I got anywhere near the 500 MB limit. If you aren’t streaming videos or downloading apps, you should not hit that limit.
Really? Maybe check it next time you go out with it, towards the end of your time. 2G is pretty painful. I wish they were more up front with the “unlimited” and it’s worth mentioning in your review.
Unfortunately, I don’t have any international trips planned until January, so that would be the next time I could use the device. If you plan on using more than 500 MB of data everyday, then maybe you need a different device with more 4G LTE data.
For me, yeah it probably wouldn’t work. But I meant to make your review more accurate, it would be good and honest to add a disclaimer of this fact, to help others before they buy and are upset.
Grant, thanks for the great Solis review. I just ordered one using your promotion code and received the $20’s off.
I’ll look forward to its arrival.
Thanks again
Awesome, thank you David. I will send you a free daypass soon. I hope you enjoy your SkyRoam Solis :)
Hi Grant. Thanks for the helpful article. I purchased a Solis using your referral link.
Awesome, thank you. I will send over a free daypass in the next few days.
HI Grant!
Just used your coupon code to buy a Solis! I would love the free day pass you were offering for going through your referral link.
Let me know!
Thank you,
Brandon
Thank you Brandon, I’m working with SkyRoam to get a few daypass codes, so I will send that over to you as soon as I can. Thank you.
Just purchased mine for an upcoming trip to Europe! Look forward to the free daypass!
Awesome, thank you Gillian. I will send over a daypass soon. Have a great day :)
The website is down so I can’t order it just yet but as soon as it’s up I will
Ok, let me know if it works the next time you try :)
How do you know when the Solis is fully charged? Is the blinking green light under the power logo/symbol turn to solid green or something similar? Thank you
The battery level is indicated by the white ring on the top of the SkyRoam Solis. When it is a complete circle, then it is fully charged. I think it takes 3-4 hours to fully charge.
Agree that 500mb isn’t much in today’s world. Recommend the option to purchase more.
I’m not sure if this works, but you might be able to start another day passes if you blow through 500MB in data in 24 hours. It should last you awhile if you are not streaming video or games.