Question Does turning on hotspot for your laptop use up more data than if just your phone was using mobile data?

[ShangWang]

If you loaded up a website on either the phone or the laptop using data/hotspot, would they take the same amount of data to do so?

Is hotspot slower than using the mobile data on the phone itself, or should it be the same?

In general are laptops faster in loading sites compared to phones if they are using the same wi-fi network?

 

[SkyNetRising]

If you loaded up a website on either the phone or the laptop using data/hotspot, would they take the same amount of data to do so?

Phone would load mobile version of the site (most likely). So not necessary the same amount of data.

Is hotspot slower than using the mobile data on the phone itself, or should it be the same?

What?
Did you mean available bandwidth on phone and hotspot connected laptop?

Depends on connection between phone and laptop. If connection between them is same bandwidth (or greater) as incoming internet,
then they would get same max bandwidth.

In general are laptops faster in loading sites compared to phones if they are using the same wi-fi network?

Depends on particular hardware.
There are some very anemic laptops and phones with very good specs.
So - it's not guarantied for web page to load faster on one type device than on other.

 

[USAFRet]

Too many variables.

Given the same data, a laptop would be "faster", because it is more powerful (given a non crappy laptop).
However...a lot of sites tailor the html and delivery differently, based on the client. Phone or PC/laptop.
Literally, different content.

The mobile phone page may be lighter (less data) than one served to a laptop.

 

[Newtonius]

You use more data when loading pages on your desktop as opposed to mobile simply because desktop website versions have more elements to load since you have a bigger screen that can allow more content, most websites are just designed to have different appearances for mobile and desktop. But this varies on the website itself.
Also the laptop's operating system would be requesting extra data traffic on the side for other purposes, for example; telemetry data, getting system updates, etc. This can also aid in slowing down webpage loading via a hotspot.

Just use your mobile for web surfing, unless you really need/want to use your laptop.

 

[sethiol]

Too many variables.

Given the same data, a laptop would be "faster", because it is more powerful (given a non crappy laptop).
However...a lot of sites tailor the html and delivery differently, based on the client. Phone or PC/laptop.
Literally, different content.

The mobile phone page may be lighter (less data) than one served to a laptop.

I dont know that I agree with this as a whole. Cell will use less data as most pages are optimized for cell networks, meaning less data is required to load the same "essential" experience. Full pages in desktop mode, are going to include additional "background" information, cookies, and ads. PCs running over a hotspot can reduce data usage if in the network settings, Metered Connection is set. This reduces some background applications from running. This includes apps like OneDrive, Windows Update, Adobe Update, etc... I have never actually tested this, but considering the basic understanding of how cell phones, PCs, webpages, etc work, this makes sense.

 

[ShangWang]

Phone would load mobile version of the site (most likely). So not necessary the same amount of data.

What if it loaded the desktop version of the site? Would you still use up more hotspot data on the laptop?

What?
Did you mean available bandwidth on phone and hotspot connected laptop?

Depends on connection between phone and laptop. If connection between them is same bandwidth (or greater) as incoming internet,
then they would get same max bandwidth.

Thank you, yes. I think that's what I meant.

So a laptop using hotspot from a phone will have the same internet speed as the phone's own mobile data speed only if the connection is good? I'm assuming in most cases the laptop's speed would be slightly slower.

 

[USAFRet]

I dont know that I agree with this as a whole. Cell will use less data as most pages are optimized for cell networks, meaning less data is required to load the same "essential" experience. Full pages in desktop mode, are going to include additional "background" information, cookies, and ads. PCs running over a hotspot can reduce data usage if in the network settings, Metered Connection is set. This reduces some background applications from running. This includes apps like OneDrive, Windows Update, Adobe Update, etc... I have never actually tested this, but considering the basic understanding of how cell phones, PCs, webpages, etc work, this makes sense.

"tailored" is exactly what I meant.
Different content, tailored for different devices.

 

[ShangWang]

You use more data when loading pages on your desktop as opposed to mobile simply because desktop website versions have more elements to load since you have a bigger screen that can allow more content, most websites are just designed to have different appearances for mobile and desktop. But this varies on the website itself.
Also the laptop's operating system would be requesting extra data traffic on the side for other purposes, for example; telemetry data, getting system updates, etc. This can also aid in slowing down webpage loading via a hotspot.

Just use your mobile for web surfing, unless you really need/want to use your laptop.

Hi again, thanks for the reply! I was wondering if using desktop mode on mobile would use the same amount of data as being on an actual computer. Maybe it would use slightly less?

 

[Newtonius]

Hi again, thanks for the reply! I was wondering if using desktop mode on mobile would use the same amount of data as being on an actual computer. Maybe it would use slightly less?

As I said before, this would depend on the website itself. My guess would be yes, it will use more data since you're now loading more elements intended for a larger viewport, but this will vary from site to site. You can use a browser like vivaldi for example to show you EXACTLY how much data loading a webapge takes.

 

[ShangWang]

As I said before, this would depend on the website itself. My guess would be yes, it will use more data since you're now loading more elements intended for a larger viewport, but this will vary from site to site. You can use a browser like vivaldi for example to show you EXACTLY how much data loading a webapge takes.

I understand desktop mode makes more elements load, my question was whether or not an actual computer loading the same site would use less data or not which I assume it would.

 

[USAFRet]

I understand desktop mode makes more elements load, my question was whether or not an actual computer loading the same site would use less data or not which I assume it would.

If it is the same content, it is the same amount of data.

It is rarely the same content.