While the travel and tourism sector may have started to recover post-Covid 19, there’s no doubt that this global industry is bracing itself for an evolutionary and potentially uncertain future.
From the coronavirus recovery to the continual issues created by climate change, there’s no doubt that aviation companies will have to embrace considerable change in the coming years and decades.
One thing that won’t change, however, is the demand for global travel. However, people are increasingly security-conscious when heading overseas, especially in terms of their smartphone and the networks that they connect to when online.
Using a VPN for your Android or iOS device is a great way of securing your mobile connection. But what should you look for in a mobile VPN client? Let’s get into it!
#1. Is Your VPN Paid?
As consumers, we tend to be creatures of habit, while the so-called “psychology of free” (which works on the principles of commitment and reciprocity) often compels us to prioritise complimentary products over paid alternatives.
However, it’s also particularly important to consider the importance of value when dealing with services such as those provided by a VPN, and paid products tend to offer a superior range of features and considerably higher levels of security.
In addition to offering minimal features and restrictions such as data caps (which can be highly detrimental to gamers or regular VPN users), free VPN clients may also look to monetise your web traffic and data to create a viable source of income that sustains them.
More specifically, free VPNs can fund their ‘complimentary’ service simply by tracking and capturing key datasets and selling these directly to interested third-parties. This immediately compromises your privacy, partially negating the reasons for using a VPN in the first place.
So, be sure to compare the market in detail and ensure that you prioritise value before making an informed decision.
#2. Is There a Free Trial Available?
While it’s fair to say that independent reviews on platforms like Trustpilot and similar first-hand user accounts can be insightful, the best way to appraise any paid VPN client is by using it for real.
The issue here is that you don’t really want to pay for a subscription (even though the market leading VPN clients offer flexible subscriptions that are often priced at less than £3 a month), making it hard to gain practical experience or get to grips with the product in question.
The good news is that some VPNs offer access to a free trial, while this is certainly true among the best Android VPNs (and those for iOS). Although these are only usually available to users for a limited time, they afford you first-hand experience of your chosen VPN and enable you to determine whether it’s right for you.
Of course, it’s also key to understand precisely what you need from your mobile VPN and how products can meet your expectations.
#3. Excellent Performance and Bandwidth Speeds
There are several elements that should be considered as part of a VPN’s performance, with two of the most important being coverage and speed.
Often, you’ll use a VPN on your Android or iOS device to stream content through sites such as Netflix, which features different libraries in alternative countries due to licensing terms. As a result, some content is restricted depending on where you travel in the world, potentially preventing you from accessing your favourite shows.
Sure, a paid VPN will mask your IP address by connecting to a remote server, but the key is to identify clients that operate multiple server locations internationally.
This way, you can access a dense network of coverage while travelling, enabling you to maintain a safe and consistent Internet connection even when moving in-between different countries.
Different VPNs also use variable security protocols, which govern precisely how data is captured and used by products. Each protocol offers different features and advantages to users, particularly in terms of speed, security and compatibility.
Typically, the best mobile VPNs combine OpenVPN with WireGuard protocols, which optimise the speed of your connection and guarantee the best possible bandwidth performance in real-time.
The Bottom Line
VPN usage is clearly on the rise in the developed world, particularly among younger users and travellers. This also explains the increased popularity of mobile VPN clients, which are commonly used for streaming and similar applications.
By choosing the best VPN for your Android or iOS device, you can optimise your experience when surfing online without compromising on the speed or security of your network connections!
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