The Huawei AI Cube B900 (Three’s 4G Hub with Alexa) offered unlimited 4G home broadband with a built-in Amazon Alexa smart speaker.

The Huawei AI Cube B900 is no longer available on Three. The Huawei AI Cube B900 was previously offered as Three’s 4G Hub with Alexa. It has now been replaced by a newer 4G Hub along with optional add-on devices like a smart TV, smart speaker and smart display.

In the UK, Three previously offered the Huawei AI Cube B900 router with unlimited data (also known as the 4G Hub with Alexa). Customers purchasing the device also received a free Amazon Echo Dot with their purchase.

Working as a two-in-one device, the AICubeB900 has an integrated Amazon Alexa smart speaker as well as giving you unlimited 4G home broadband on up to 64 devices at one time. This is all delivered without the need for a phone line or cable, making it a good alternative to fixed home broadband.

In this article, we’ll review the Huawei AI Cube B900 router from Three, including the price plans available and the capabilities of the device. We’ll also compare it to the Huawei HomeFi Plus B535 router from Three.

Huawei AI Cube Price Plans

For many people, 4G technology now provides a viable alternative to fixed home broadband that’s delivered through a phone line or cable. As it uses mobile network technology, you can get a high-speed broadband connection without being limited by the speeds you can get through a phone line or cable. You can also get your broadband connection set up quickly without an engineer visit, and there’s the flexibility to bring your broadband connection with you to other places.

Three previously offered a choice of two 4G-powered home broadband routers: the Huawei B535 HomeFi+ and the Huawei AICubeB900.

As the more expensive of the two devices, the Huawei AI Cube B900 gives you a built-in Amazon Alexa smart speaker. This means you can use it to control your smart home devices, for listening to music or for making internet-based phone calls. This is in addition to the router capabilities, with support for Category 6 LTE download speeds (up to 300Mbit/s) and dual-band Wi-Fi (802.11ac).

If you replace your fixed-line home broadband connection with an AI Cube router, it may be possible to cancel your landline connection. This can save you in the region of £20/month, offsetting much of the cost of getting an AI Cube router. However, you’ll need to find an alternative way to make phone calls if you do this (e.g. using your mobile phone instead of a landline, or making internet-based phone calls using your AI Cube).

As an alternative to buying your AI Cube from Three, you can also buy the Huawei AI Cube from Amazon for around £69. You can then buy a SIM card separately for your AI Cube if you decide to do this (e.g. Three offers an unlimited data SIM card from £20 per month).

Three 4G Hub

As of 2021, Three no longer offers the Huawei AI Cube B900 to new home broadband customers. Instead, you can get their newer 4G Hub router on the following price plans:

ServiceData AllowanceContract LengthUpfront PriceMonthly Price

Three 4G Hub
Unlimited Data24 month contract£0£22/month
with 6 months half price

The new 4G Hub supports Category 12/13 LTE speeds on the Three network. This means you’re able to get download speeds of up to 600Mbps and upload speeds of up to 100Mbps.

Huawei AI Cube B900

The Huawei AI Cube B900 is Three’s 4G home broadband router with a built-in Amazon Alexa smart speaker (4G Hub with Alexa). The router supports Category 6 LTE speeds (up to 300Mbit/s download and up to 50Mbit/s upload). Most users, however, will get more realistic download speeds of around 10-20Mbit/s depending on their location. The AI Cube’s home broadband service can be used on up to 64 devices at one time with dual-band 802.11ac wi-fi connectivity. There’s also an Ethernet socket for connecting a wired device to your network.

In addition to working as a 4G router, the AI Cube also doubles up as a smart speaker solution. It has four built-in microphones with far-field voice recognition and a 360° speaker. This means you can use it in much the same way as you would an Amazon Echo. For instance, you can control your smart home devices, make internet-based phone calls or listen to music through online steaming services. The AI Cube’s interface allows you to control everything by voice, simply by asking Alexa to do something for you.

Compared to the Huawei B535 HomeFi Plus router, you get fairly similar router specifications. Both routers support a maximum download speed of 300Mbit/s and have dual-band Wi-Fi connectivity on up to 64 devices at one time (including 802.11ac wi-fi). You do, however, lose some connectivity options. For instance, there’s no external antenna support. The AI Cube also has just a single Ethernet socket for connecting wired devices to your network, whereas the Huawei B535 has 4 Gigabit Ethernet sockets. The AI Cube also offers slower uploads (up to 50Mbit/s rather than 100Mbit/s).

The AI Cube can be used to control your home and to listen to music, in addition to being a router.

Being a 2-in-1 device with an integrated Amazon Alexa speaker, there are some trade-offs to be made in the AI Cube’s design. Most importantly, the optimal location to place a smart speaker in your home is normally fairly centrally in your living room. This may differ from the optimal location for a 4G router which is often closer to a window sill (to maximise the signal strength of your 4G connection).

For customers living in an urban area with fairly good mobile coverage, the trade-offs getting an AI Cube might be fairly small (as you possibly didn’t want to use an external antenna anyway and coverage might be better in the middle of your living room). However, for customers living in a suburban or rural area, a more mainstream router like the Huawei B535 will be a much safer bet.

The following table shows a side-by-side comparison of the Huawei B535 HomeFi Plus and the Huawei AI Cube B900 routers:

Three 4G Hub (2019)
(Huawei B535 HomeFi Plus)
Three 4G Hub with Alexa
(Huawei AI Cube B900)
Mobile Connectivity
4G Connectivity:Category 7 LTECategory 6 LTE
4G Download Speed:Up to 300 Mbps downloadUp to 300 Mbps download
4G Upload Speed:Up to 100 Mbps uploadUp to 50 Mbps upload
4G Bands:LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28, 32 & 38LTE bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 32 & 38
External Antenna:Yes, 2x SMA connectorsNo
Home Network Connectivity
Dual-Band Wi-Fi:YesYes
Wi-Fi Connectivity:802.11a/b/g/n/ac802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Wi-Fi Devices:Up to 64 devicesUp to 64 devices
Ethernet:4 Gigabit Ethernet ports1 Gigabit Ethernet port
Other
Model:Huawei B535 HomeFi PlusHuawei AI Cube B900
Colour:WhiteWhite
Other Features:-360° Alexa smart speaker. Free Amazon Echo Dot.
Review:Three 4G Hub (2019) ReviewThree 4G Hub with Alexa Review

You can see the full specifications for the Huawei AICubeB900 on Three’s website.

As an alternative to the AI Cube, you can combine the Huawei B535 router with something like a standalone Amazon Echo speaker. This is available for about £90. The advantage of having a standalone Amazon Echo speaker is that it can be placed anywhere in your home: it isn’t necessary to balance this against where you’ll get the best 4G network coverage.

Alternatives

The closest alternative to getting a Huawei AI Cube B900 router is getting Three’s newer 4G Hub router.

The following table shows a list of price plans available with the 4G Hub:

ServiceData AllowanceContract LengthUpfront PriceMonthly Price

Three 4G Hub
Unlimited Data24 month contract£0£22/month
with 6 months half price

If you’re also looking at 4G-powered home broadband solutions from other mobile networks, you can consider Vodafone’s GigaCube and EE’s 4GEE Home Router.

For more information, see our full guide to 4G home broadband and 5G home broadband services in the UK.

Coverage

Three offers 99.8% population coverage on their 4G network and 98.7% population coverage on their 3G network.

Before purchasing a Huawei AI Cube from Three, it’s strongly recommended that you check the coverage in your area. You can do this by entering your postcode on Three’s online coverage map.

Check Three Coverage (three.co.uk) →

If you’re travelling abroad, it’s also possible to use the AI Cube router in other countries through the Go Roam offer.

For more information, see our in-depth guide to the coverage on Three. Alternatively, find out coverage compares across different mobile networks in the UK.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Huawei AI Cube?
The Huawei AI Cube is a two-in-one device. It works as a 4G home broadband router, giving you fast broadband internet on up to 64 devices. As well as this, it functions as an Amazon Alexa smart speaker, allowing you to control your smart home devices and to listen to music.
How does the AICubeB900 compare to the B535 HomeFi+ router?
Both devices function as a 4G home broadband router, with the AI Cube B900 also having a built-in Amazon Alexa smart speaker. With the AI Cube, you’ll lose out on external antenna support which is often useful for improving coverage and download speeds. You’ll also get fewer Ethernet sockets and slower maximum upload speeds. For many people, a better option will be getting a Huawei B535 for £22/month and pairing this with a standalone Amazon Echo speaker.
Does the Huawei AI Cube support 5G?
No. The Huawei AI Cube B900 only supports 3G & 4G, with up to Category 6 LTE speeds (up to 300Mbit/s download and up to 50Mbit/s upload). See our guide to 5G home broadband if you’re looking for a router that supports 5G coverage.
Does the Huawei AI Cube support Bluetooth?
Yes. You can use the Huawei AI Cube as a Bluetooth speaker for listening to music from other devices. Alternatively, you can listen to music directly on the AI Cube by connecting it through the relevant Alexa apps and skills.
What coverage can I get with the AI Cube?
You can get 99.8% population coverage when using the AI Cube on Three. You should check the coverage in your area by entering your postcode on Three’s website.
Can I use the AI Cube when travelling abroad?
Yes. It’s possible to use the Huawei AI Cube when travelling abroad in other countries. With Three’s Go Roam offer, you can use the AI Cube at no extra charge in 71 destinations (including most of Europe, the USA, Australia and more).

More Information

For more information about the Huawei AI Cube, please see Three’s official website.

Your Comments 133 so far

We'd love to hear your thoughts and any questions you may have. So far, we've received 133 comments from readers. You can add your own comment here.

  • I want to add ethernet switch and feed other devices to the AI cube, is this possible? In other words use the mobile broadband signal to feed hardwired devices

    • Hi Allan,
      Thanks for your comment. Yes, it should be possible to connect an Ethernet switch to the AI Cube using an Ethernet cable. This will mean it functions as just a 4G router and smart speaker, with your switch distributing the connection onto other devices.
      Ken

  • Jennifer Edwards said:

    Hi there,

    I just ordered the Huawei AICubeB900 from three. I intend to use it with an amazon fire stick that is Alexa enabled.

    My question is: will the two Alexa’s get confused?

    Better yet: can I disable Alexa on the cube as I have no interest in streaming music, asking about the weather, or getting my horoscope. I just ordered the thing for basic WiFi to feed the fire stick.

    • Hi Jennifer,
      Thanks for your comment. To answer your questions:
      1. I believe the Alexa device in closest proximity to you should be the one that responds to your voice command. However, I haven’t actually tried this so I don’t know how well the feature actually works!
      2. You can mute the AI Cube’s microphone which will essentially disable the Alexa smart speaker functionality.
      Hope this helps,
      Ken

  • Hi Ken,
    Can you use the AI cube without a SIM card and as a stand alone Alexa enabled speaker? Our 3 contract has ended and we now have BT broadband

    • Hi there,
      Thanks for your comment. Yes, I believe it should be possible to attach your AI Cube to your BT Smart Hub using an Ethernet cable. This would allow you to use it as a standalone Amazon Alexa device.
      Ken

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