But many have said here they prefer not doing that so it's really user-dependent.
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All iPads Do/did you buy your iPad(s) with Cellular or Wi-Fi Only?
- Thread starter Yebubbleman
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But many have said here they prefer not doing that so it's really user-dependent.
Yes, definitely user-dependent.
My biggest gripe with the wifi only iPads is the lack of a GPS chip. I’m an RVer and I have Starlink for internet instead of using my phone or a hot spot. A WiFi only iPad will give me the weather from somewhere else, and the map location will be wrong, very annoying when I’m looking at options for routes for the next few days. While that’s important to me, many would care less about it.
My biggest gripe with the wifi only iPads is the lack of a GPS chip. I’m an RVer and I have Starlink for internet instead of using my phone or a hot spot. A WiFi only iPad will give me the weather from somewhere else, and the map location will be wrong, very annoying when I’m looking at options for routes for the next few days. While that’s important to me, many would care less about it.
Having GPS was a big reason for me getting cellular on my Mini 6.
That’s what I’ve been doing for all of my iPads that I’ve owned over the years.
I travel a lot, for me it was the only reason.
Normally I would buy WiFi only, it was by total accident I bought a cellular ipad this time. Bought it second hand and it made no mention on the listing whether it was WiFi only or not. I won’t be sticking a SIM card in it though or buying a plan. I have WiFi at home and at work, the only 2 places I use it.
That is a good point for me it would be Rock Springs Wyoming 256 miles to the west of me here in Cheyenne.
Only Wi-Fi and I can't ever see that changing. I have no desire whatsoever to pay for another data line for an iPad when I have large amounts of hotspot data available for the times I'm not within easy access of a Wi-Fi network. I always have my phone with me, so I always have Wi-Fi.
Using phone in a hotspot mode barely drains the battery at all.
For these few times I use iPad outside of WiFi, the hotspot works perfectly fine.
For these few times I use iPad outside of WiFi, the hotspot works perfectly fine.
In the US, iirc the minimum was $10-15/month even way back when the iPad was first released.
There's a T-Mobile PAYG plan for $10/5GB/150 days.
I use Tello (T-Mobile MVNO) on some of our iPads as T-Mobile has made the PAYG somewhat of a hassle to renew early. We often use it up in a month or two.
Tello custom plan (data + text only)
$5 1GB
$6 2GB
$10 5GB
$15 10GB
$20 15GB
Thank you very much! Tello is the way to go.
Don't need much data - just GPS for the Foreflight app to run during flight and to show other planes in the area.
I do all the pre-flight planning on Wifi.
I use the T-Mobile PAYG plan for $10/5GB/150 days on my Mini 6 - works well for my usage.
Do you (or anyone) know if this plan is still an option for the newest Pros (i.e., the M4) or Airs? This is what I have been using on my 2018 Pro.
My iPad mini 7 (A17 Pro) still has the plan available so I would assume at least the M4 would have it. Chances are the M3 Air should have it too.
Since MacBooks hold more confidential data, the security risk is higher, but my Lenovo laptops all have sim trays which I never used.
Maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with it, but after purchasing a 2TB only WiFi and a 1TB cellular M2 iPad Pro, the cellular one has the best LCD screen I’ve ever seen.
The base 128GB WiFi M2 iPad Pro I previously owned had a bluish LCD screen, but I was able to use it confortably. The 256GB WiFi, as well as the 2TB WiFi that I purchased because I needed more storage, I just had to return them because, even to their screen was warmer, and reds were slightly more saturated, I experienced eye strain. Mind you, those were 11” LCD iPads so no PWM, but I couldn’t use them comfortably.
Then, I finally purchased a new 1TB cellular M2 iPad Pro and, damn, the LCD screen looks fantastic! And no eye strain whatsoever. I’m very happy with this Cellular 1TB M2 iPad Pro and I hope it to receive many more years of support. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
Oh, yes, I also purchased the cellular in order to have a giant GPS screen if someday I want to put it in my car, of course.
But maybe, just maybe, some day I’ll try to ask my carrier for an extra eSIM slot to use it with my iPad Pro. For now, using my phone as a WiFi hotspot is more than enough.
The base 128GB WiFi M2 iPad Pro I previously owned had a bluish LCD screen, but I was able to use it confortably. The 256GB WiFi, as well as the 2TB WiFi that I purchased because I needed more storage, I just had to return them because, even to their screen was warmer, and reds were slightly more saturated, I experienced eye strain. Mind you, those were 11” LCD iPads so no PWM, but I couldn’t use them comfortably.
Then, I finally purchased a new 1TB cellular M2 iPad Pro and, damn, the LCD screen looks fantastic! And no eye strain whatsoever. I’m very happy with this Cellular 1TB M2 iPad Pro and I hope it to receive many more years of support. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻
Oh, yes, I also purchased the cellular in order to have a giant GPS screen if someday I want to put it in my car, of course.
But maybe, just maybe, some day I’ll try to ask my carrier for an extra eSIM slot to use it with my iPad Pro. For now, using my phone as a WiFi hotspot is more than enough.
From a security perspective I'd much rather connect to my cell provider's network than public wifi-fi.
Intuitively I definitely agree, but then I remember that China found and is using the network back doors implemented at the behest of our own government, so maybe it’s a wash on that score. On the other hand public wifi is often very slow, and cellular data usually isn’t (at least in my experience). So I usually go with speed. 🤷♂️
I wish the poll had some type of option like "Used to just buy cellular, but just switched to Wi-Fi only." All my previous iPads: iPad 2, iPad 4, & iPad Pro 12.9" (2015) were cellular, but for my M1, I found a deal on a Wi-Fi only model and tried the switch. I figured I rarely used my cellular in the past models (even with the defunct FDFL T-Mobile plans on two of them) or am traveling with my iPad, but not my phone, so now if I don't have access to Wi-Fi, I use my iPhone as a hotspot.
I have a large enough screen in my vehicle for CarPlay, so there’s no reason for me to use my iPad mini for GPS, which I considered before buying. I stuck with WiFi only and saved more money, which was smart, as I barely use my iPads now and would be wasting money on another data line with Verizon or with T-Mobile. I have hotspot with my iPhone through Verizon and the free yearly 100GB of free hotspot data with my portable hotspot with T-Mobile made the decision to stick with WiFi that much easier.
I use a VPN regardless of whether I'm on cell service or public wifi. And I agree that usually cell service is faster than public wifi.