Most laptops don’t have built-in cellular internet. While there is a $95 card you can buy for compatible laptops to add, there’s a free option that beats it. Here are your options if you want to add 5G to your laptop.
Laptops can already have built-in 5G
It’s just rare
You can order niche, built-to-order laptops from Lenovo (with their ThinkPad T14/T14s), HP (in their EliteBook line), and certain Dell Latitude laptops, but most consumer laptops don’t 5G built in.
Why built-in 5G never caught on in laptops
Hint: you already have a 5G modem in your pocket, and Wi-Fi is enough for most
Besides the additional cost and complexity of adding a 5G modem to a laptop, manufacturers realize that for most people, Wi-Fi is enough, and it’s pretty much everywhere you use your laptop.
If not, most people have a 5G modem in their pocket they can tether to in just a few clicks via their phone, and most have unlimited data plans (but read the fine print on those) and the lowest-friction thing to do when your laptop needs an internet connection is just to hotspot to your phone. In addition, most people, if given the option, don’t want a second data plan for the laptop that only gets used on a rare occasion when Wi-Fi or tethering is not an option.
But off-the-shelf, you’re not likely to find 5G-enabled laptops for one simple reason: certification. Every cellular device sold needs to get certified by numerous regulatory bodies such as the FCC, plus per-carrier certifications. Not only that, but each separate SKU a company has with cellular must get certification — in the case of laptops, this can be a sprawling number of models, each with different configurations.
Another big reason that laptops rarely have built-in cellular is because most laptop chips are not built with integrated modems, unlike tablets, which are basically just big phones that are built from the ground-up with modems in mind.
But what if you want to add 5G to your laptop anyway?
You still have options
Here’s how you can use 5G with your laptop today
For most people, your best path to using 5G on your laptop is to just tether to your phone. Most Androids can do it with a compatible data plan, and while hot-spotting does drain your phone’s battery, you can defray that by plugging into your laptop or using a power bank. This can be done by going to Settings > Network & internet > Hotspot & tethering.
iPhones and Mac laptops can connect in a brilliant way, whereby your iPhone hotspot shows up as a wireless access point when browsing the Wi-Fi network menu under “Personal Hotspots“.
But some laptops have a dedicated slot for an add-on 4G or 5G modem with a special slot.
Buy an M.2 WWAN card
Some laptops have an M.2 slot for a cellular modem — but it’s not the same M.2 slot your SSD uses. SSDs sit in an M-keyed slot; cellular modems need a B-keyed one, which carries the extra signals a modem needs, like SIM data and radio power control. The antennas connect separately, through tiny coax connectors on the card itself.
It’s not enough to have an M.2 slot if you want to add a cellular modem. In order for the modem to work effectively, the laptop must also have an antenna system that can plug into the modem. Check online to see if a laptop has the proper antenna cabling.
One thing to look for from your laptop’s manufacturer is the term “WWAN Ready.” Some models that include this configuration include the Lenovo ThinkPad P16s, the Dell Latitude 5350 and 7350, among others.
If your laptop doesn’t have an M.2 slot, and you want to use an M.2 modem anyway, you can buy a USB enclosure in order to use the WWAN card as an external modem. But honestly, it becomes quite cumbersome to use an enclosure as it must have accompanying antennas, which makes the whole package unwieldy as it’s the size of a small drone once fully functional.
It’ll cost you about $95 to buy an M.2 modem, like the one above.
One more caveat: it’s not enough to just have a modem. You must also get a SIM from your carrier, physical or eSIM, so that you can activate the modem with your carrier.
If you don’t have an M.2 slot and still want to add a modem via hardware, you have another option.
Buy a USB modem
Your next best option is to buy a USB modem for your laptop. These can be more pricey in terms of up-front cost, since these devices must have special hardware inside to enable the 5G, such as a Qualcomm Snapdragon modem, like the model below, which is paired with an ARM processor as well in some cases. The option below is one of the more pricey models that has the more brawny internals and will run you $295, but can work on T-Mobile and AT&T.
Adding 5G to a laptop isn’t easy, but it’s doable
Here’s the good news hiding under all those caveats: the best way to get 5G on your laptop is also the cheapest, and you already own it. The phone in your pocket is a 5G modem, and tethering to it takes a few seconds and there are no fees beyond the plan you’re already paying for. For most people, that’s not a compromise — it’s the answer. Going the hardware route is more hassle than it’s worth, which is why most people just use their phone as a hotspot and call it a day. But if you have a WWAN-ready laptop with an M.2 slot and the correct internal antenna system, adding 5G might take an afternoon and about $95.
Newer ARM platforms like Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 have 5G capability built into the chip — but it’s still up to the manufacturer to wire in the antennas and turn it on. Plenty of flagship X2 laptops, like the Asus Zenbook A16, still ship Wi-Fi-only. As demand grows, expect more makers to flip the switch.
Until then, stick with the 5G modem in your pocket.