All iPads Do/did you buy your iPad(s) with Cellular or Wi-Fi Only?

[Yebubbleman]

With the sole exception of the first generation 12.9-inch iPad Pro, Apple has sold every single model and configuration of iPad both with Cellular connectivity options and without. I've owned more Wi-Fi models of 9.7 and larger iPads than I have cellular models; but the vast majority of my iPad minis over the years have been cellular. What has been your connectivity preference when buying your iPad(s)?

 

[sparksd]

I usually only buy WiFi iPads - M1 12.9 is current - but I bought the Mini 6 with cellular as I didn't want to hotspot my iPhone and I wanted GPS in a small form factor.

 

[Supermallet]

I used to buy wifi only because I didn't see the point in paying more for cellular options and then also having to pay a cell company for the cell service. When I got my latest iPad however, I decided to get it through my cell provider as they had a deal on it and man I wish I had been getting cellular models from the start. It makes the iPad SO much more useful to have easy internet access anywhere without using my phone as a hotspot. I wish MacBooks came with a cellular option honestly.

 

[Yebubbleman]

I used to buy wifi only because I didn't see the point in paying more for cellular options and then also having to pay a cell company for the cell service. When I got my latest iPad however, I decided to get it through my cell provider as they had a deal on it and man I wish I had been getting cellular models from the start. It makes the iPad SO much more useful to have easy internet access anywhere without using my phone as a hotspot. I wish MacBooks came with a cellular option honestly.

This was basically my experience getting cellular on an iPad for the first time. That said, I am not the biggest fan of carting around an iPad larger than the mini all over the place. And for places where I do want to take one, there is usually a Wi-Fi network that I can hop onto. But a mini? Give me cellular on that thing always!

 

[Yebubbleman]

I usually only buy WiFi iPads - M1 12.9 is current - but I bought the Mini 6 with cellular as I didn't want to hotspot my iPhone and I wanted GPS in a small form factor.

Maps is pretty amazing on a cellular mini, especially in a car and with the right mount.

 

[Supermallet]

This was basically my experience getting cellular on an iPad for the first time. That said, I am not the biggest fan of carting around an iPad larger than the mini all over the place. And for places where I do want to take one, there is usually a Wi-Fi network that I can hop onto. But a mini? Give me cellular on that thing always!

I sometimes use my iPad Pro as a laptop replacement when I'm out, so having cellular makes a big difference if I'm in an area with poor wifi coverage or good coverage but slow because the network is oversaturated with users.

 

[Mike330R]

Wifi for me. Why pay for 2 cellular services? The iPhone is always there anyways.

 

[Shirasaki]

I used to buy wifi only because I didn't see the point in paying more for cellular options and then also having to pay a cell company for the cell service. When I got my latest iPad however, I decided to get it through my cell provider as they had a deal on it and man I wish I had been getting cellular models from the start. It makes the iPad SO much more useful to have easy internet access anywhere without using my phone as a hotspot. I wish MacBooks came with a cellular option honestly.

I never even think about wifi only option when I bought my first iPad back in 2018. To me a mobile device must have cellular and a backup connection is always a must have for me. Same wish for Mac to finally have cellular but that won’t happen anytime soon.

I can’t count how many times cellular iPad has benefited me and in what situation. One of such example is during various times of my work where I need to lug my iPad around to collect data, and carrying a phone with me is too cumbersome.

Oh and hotspot doesn’t work well all the time but cellular is another story entirely. So much better. Yes, my monthly phone bill is expensive, but I am happy to pay for that for the freedom and privilege.

 

[FeliApple]

Always Wi-Fi for me, and I’ve never felt the need for cellular. I have my iPhone for that.

 

[ericthered926]

I can always just use my phone’s hotspot, it’s always with me anyway so why pay the extra premium 🤷‍♂️ I do always buy the cellular watch because if I go for a run without my phone; even without paying for a plan I can contact emergency services if I need to.

 

[rui no onna]

Oh and hotspot doesn’t work well all the time but cellular is another story entirely. So much better. Yes, my monthly phone bill is expensive, but I am happy to pay for that for the freedom and privilege.

Yep, for me it’s totally worth the convenience.

Also, I’ve noticed hotspot data is deprioritized compared to native connection. If you use hotspot data 8+ hours every day, you’d probably need to fix or restart it at some point during the day.

 

[Supermallet]

I can always just use my phone’s hotspot, it’s always with me anyway so why pay the extra premium 🤷‍♂️ I do always buy the cellular watch because if I go for a run without my phone, even without paying for a plan, I can contact emergency services if I need to.

Hotspots are more finicky and often slower in speed, plus you’re now draining the batteries of two devices more quickly. Cellular on device is far more convenient and effective in my experience.

 

[Crow_Servo]

I find it more useful on the iPad Mini, since I can easily fit it in a bag when I go out. The larger iPads pretty much just stay at home where there’s WiFi. But I suppose if money were no object, it’s nicer to have cellular on all of them.

 

[mtngal]

In the past I always bought the WiFi only models. But I found that I sometimes didn’t have much signal with my phone carrier, so I decided to buy a cellular iPad that has a data account with a different carrier. Yes, it’s more expensive that way, but it meant I had data in places that I didn’t have it before.

My cellular iPad developed battery issues this winter and rather than replace it with the current one, I decided to wait until the new ones were released (still waiting….). I bought a small WiFi only iPad Air to use for the several months I would have to wait, figuring that since I now have Starlink. That’s when I discovered that the location services (like weather) doesn’t work when you are out in the middle of nowhere and the only WiFi network is the Starlink router.

So I’ll be ordering a new cellular iPad as soon as they are announced.

 

[TechnoMonk]

I stopped buying cellular model, I have WiFi only iPad Pro, which tethers from iPhone 13 PM.

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Cellular Mini 6 because- with VOIP app & buds- it also covers my telephony needs. In other words, cellular iPad Mini is also my phone... one device instead of two:

• Hardware costs less,
• tends to have a longer useful life (so less frequent replacements) and
• the same 5G cellular is much cheaper than phone plans.

Been doing this for a decade now (Mini 2 before it) and don't feel like I'm missing a thing. In fact, the bigger screen seems to make pretty much all other apps better IMO.

Is this for everyone? No. Nothing is for everyone. But it works very well for my purposes. If apps can make your iPhone stand in for a map or a camera or a tape measure or a flashlight, a telephone app can make an iPad (or even Mac) into a phone.

Doubt it? Download a free VOIP app to your existing iPad (wifi or cellular). They will usually give you a free number. Use it to text your iPhone number and then reply back to yourself from your iPhone. Use some buds and call a friend with it. Then have them call you at the VOIP number. It "just works."

 

[Matcha]

Cellular, I get iPads thru my carrier I prefer having it especially doing power outages or visiting elderly family without internet

 

[Abazigal]

Cellular, because there was a time when my school's wifi was rather unreliable and I liked the idea of having my own infrastructure that was independent of what my workplace could provide. It has been particularly helpful in certain dead zones in my school where I am still able to access the internet on my ipad while. my colleagues have no wifi on their work laptops.

 

[Lynxpoint]

I bought one ipad with cellular, with the idea that I would not have a cell phone (iphone), but at the time I found the phone apps and services on ipad to be lacking, so I gave up on it.

I still will consider cellular on the next one though, just because I do believe, even if for a minor number of people, tech changes will enable ditching the phone, and I look forward to it.

 

[zapmymac]

Went all in on my 2018 ipad pro 12.9" as I had an inkling it was going to last several years, I guessed correctly.

BUT

Only on 2 trips did I buy 1 month of service, so I am not sure if it was worth the extra...probably not (YMMV)

 

[Arctic Moose]

Always cellular! The marginal increase in cost is far outweighed by the convenience.

 

[Tevosn]

Wi-Fi only. Never been in a situation where I needed cellular, maybe have been tethering once or twice, so it’s not really worth it.

 

[svish]

Have bought WiFi + Cellular versions only and will only buy Cellular models in the future. Using hotspot will drain the battery on iPhone. Also good to have GPS on the Cellular models.

 

[filmgirl]

I’ve purchased many iPads over the years (ten for myself, probably four or five for others) and I think only 3 of them have been WiFi only. When the iPad mini was revived in 2021, I got it as WiFi-only because I had a 2018 11” iPad Pro with LTE (since replaced with a 2022 11” with 5G) and having cellular on two iPads is almost as ridiculous as having two iPads, but I pay the $20 a month to Verizon to get unlimited data on it (with whatever data caveats that means) and it is worth it for me for tethering if nothing else because the battery on an iPad versus an iPhone for tethering really does make a big difference. And at least twice a week I’m furiously working on my laptop in the backseat of a car en route to a meeting. It’s also killer at hotels when the hotel wifi (even the “premium” stuff) is hot garbage and you need to upload large files for work and also watch non-pixelated content on the TV, meaning that you’re ideally using the hotspot of your phone and your iPad at the same time for different devices.

Likewise, my mom, who I buy a new iPad every few years, always gets the one with cellular because it is often her primary computer. She had an iPad before she had a smartphone and so for her it’s just sort of an expectation.

The one year I did avoid getting cellular on my iPad, thinking I could suffice with using my iPhone as the data source, I regretted it. I don’t know if it is because I’ve had a cellular iPad since day 1 (technically the iPad 3G came out a few weeks after the original iPad, which meant I had to buy two and sell the WiFi one to my now-husband after 3 weeks of use) or if I am just reliant on having connectivity no matter what, but for me, it’s a necessary expense.

 

[jo-1]

iPad without cellular makes no sense at all ( for me )

let me elaborate on that a bit:

1. This is a mobile device - in case it would exclusively be used as a home device I can understand the notion of not buying the cell option e.g as a POS terminal in a shop or as a logistics device for in company usage or as a home automation interface but none of that is a normal use case for an iPad in private hands
2. When using it tethered via another mobile device you're draining two batteries and it's cumbersome at times especially when the connection gets weaker
3. The surcharge is close to nothing considering a maxed out device - which is my preferred solution
4. Network service costs nothing in my mobile subscription - I can add as many mobile data devices as I like to have - I currently own two iPads and a data access point in my man cave and 2 cell phones and an Apple Watch and I pay only one subscription - no-brainer to order the iPads with cellular option
5. The value preposition of the iPad is ultra mobile computing - being forced to carry a cellphone and an iPad is IMHO pointless - when I am sitting in a cafe on the weekend I carry my Apple Watch for being accessible via GSM and the iPad mini for Inet browsing in case I want to - but hardly any cellphone - just too cumbersome
6. Emergency backup - in case the cellphone would fail the iPad is the mobile backup for data - simply because the Apple Watch can't be used for tethering the internet connection
7. The iPad virtually lasts forever for tethering data to the LapTop in case needed - thus I am using it as the main tethering device

All in all I think the iPad is ( almost ) the perfect mobile computing device - with a few shortcomings that will hopefully be sorted out over time. It hardly makes any sense without the cellular option for me. Especially considering the homeopathic surcharge for the option.