Here I am, playing with my new iPad, checking mail, facebooking, surfing, etc... everything I "used" to use my iPhone for when not at home. And I wonder... why am I paying the extra costs of a smart phone (data plan, bloated texting costs) ?? The bigger screen on the iPad is much more usable than the smaller iPhone screen... am I nuts, or can I get away with a cel phone that is just, well, a phone?
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Do I really need a smart phone now?
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True... but my question becomes... do I really want my email when I do not have my iPad with me? I mean, its not like I take my phone on my morning run... but I see your point.
(I don't know you, nor do I know what you expect out of a phone.)
If it were me, I wouldn't be able to do it. Sure, I would be alright for a few weeks but I would start finding reason to go back to a "smart" phone. I love being able to check my mail, facebook, ect from wherever I am. I own an iPad, and it servers its purpose around the house, and when I am traveling, but the iPhone comes in handy when I do not have or want to carry my iPad with me.
To me, the a "smart" phone and a tablet are 2 different things, and are used for 2 different purposes. Sure, the iPhone and iPad have a huge gray area in the fact they run the same OS, but there are things I can do on my iPad I can't do on my iPhone and vise-versa.
Hope that helps.
If it were me, I wouldn't be able to do it. Sure, I would be alright for a few weeks but I would start finding reason to go back to a "smart" phone. I love being able to check my mail, facebook, ect from wherever I am. I own an iPad, and it servers its purpose around the house, and when I am traveling, but the iPhone comes in handy when I do not have or want to carry my iPad with me.
To me, the a "smart" phone and a tablet are 2 different things, and are used for 2 different purposes. Sure, the iPhone and iPad have a huge gray area in the fact they run the same OS, but there are things I can do on my iPad I can't do on my iPhone and vise-versa.
Hope that helps.
fair enough... I am considering a life "experiment" here. I am thinking about picking up a "go-phone" or cheap equivilent, setting my iPhone to forward all calls and leaving it plugged in at home. Run that way for a couple weeks and see if I have issues.
If I didnt need e-mail in my pcket for work, I wouldnt have a smart phone anymore.
I love the iphone and it is very convenient - but my primary use for a smartphone is the e-mail. I do love having my music with me and the internet is a benefit/distraction.
I love the iphone and it is very convenient - but my primary use for a smartphone is the e-mail. I do love having my music with me and the internet is a benefit/distraction.
What I'm finding is that I check messages on my 3GS but delay replying to them until I get back to the Pad where the bigger form factor makes the user experience totally different - and much easier.
I asked myself the same question shortly after I got my iPad. I use my iPad all day long at work, and all night at home. Do I really need the iPhone? I kept asking myself that again and again. I finally decided that I didn't, but I still wanted it. So there I am, I still have both and no intention of changing it. I did however compromise, I have not upgraded to the iPhone 4 since I wont be eligible until January, 2011. If I didn't have an iPad, I would have done it already and paid the full price.
I see I'm not the only one that has been thinking about this because I also use my iPad at work (sometimes) and all the time at home due to the Mini being connected to the TV for PLEX.
The only reason I still have this iPhone (and why I got a WiFi Only iPad) was due to not being able to purchase an unlimited data plan for the iPad. I have unlimited on the iPhone. Using the iPhone 4 as a WiFi hotspot when none is available would be a great option. But I would need a jailbreak for iOS4.2.
The only reason I still have this iPhone (and why I got a WiFi Only iPad) was due to not being able to purchase an unlimited data plan for the iPad. I have unlimited on the iPhone. Using the iPhone 4 as a WiFi hotspot when none is available would be a great option. But I would need a jailbreak for iOS4.2.
You know, I have a jailbroken 3G iPhone with MyWi installed. Its a great tool - that I barely EVER use. I thought I would use it more, I really did, and I admit, it has been handy on a couple of occasions. It is, like you say, one place a smart phone comes in handy.
I'm confused too!
Here you are asking yourself this question after you have both devices. I have neither, my company is asking me to get a smartphone so that I can communicate by email and maybe also txt WHEREVER I go, and I am confused as aych-ee-double-ell as to which one to go with. I've tried them both at the stores. I love the iPhone for it's portability, cameras, retina display, 512MB ram, etc., and love the iPad for it's huge touch display, etc.
Somebody please decide for me!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm going crazy! Here's a thread I started a couple days relating to this issue:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1032359/
Do I really have to buy both? The cost is a hard sell to my wife. So, half of me thinks the iPhone 4, other half iPad 3G + dumb phone. ???
Here you are asking yourself this question after you have both devices. I have neither, my company is asking me to get a smartphone so that I can communicate by email and maybe also txt WHEREVER I go, and I am confused as aych-ee-double-ell as to which one to go with. I've tried them both at the stores. I love the iPhone for it's portability, cameras, retina display, 512MB ram, etc., and love the iPad for it's huge touch display, etc.
Somebody please decide for me!!!!! AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I'm going crazy! Here's a thread I started a couple days relating to this issue:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1032359/
Do I really have to buy both? The cost is a hard sell to my wife. So, half of me thinks the iPhone 4, other half iPad 3G + dumb phone. ???
What the OP was getting at was whether he now needed the "smart" bit of his phone. I don't think anyone here is suggesting that the iPad has made the cell phone redundant, just that against an iPad, a smartphone's physical limitations for non voice apps become more obvious. Which in turn makes it just that bit less likely that iPad owners are going to chase the latest IPx.
Maybe the question is not "is the iPad just a big iPhone" but "is the iPhone just a small iPad that makes calls". Cue Apple's new watch phone - billed as the iPad companion.
There must be thousands or millions of people asking themselves the same question.
I'm making the switch to iPad + dumbphone in early November. It will work for me because I carry an iPad-sized journal with me where ever I go and the iPad has apps that will take the place of keeping my notes in the journal (I'm a corporate trainer/consultant).
I'm making the switch to iPad + dumbphone in early November. It will work for me because I carry an iPad-sized journal with me where ever I go and the iPad has apps that will take the place of keeping my notes in the journal (I'm a corporate trainer/consultant).
I find myself almost always using internet access "out in the field" or killing some time with apps/games. I always have my phone with me wherever I go, so, no, I couldn't live without it. The iPad is great but I don't have it with me everywhere all the time.
Lots of people already live happily with an iPod Touch/dumbphone combination, and this would be the same thing, only with a bigger screen and 3G access. It would be a no-brainer if it weren't for the portability issue. If I were a woman and carried a purse everywhere anyway, I'd absolutely can the cell phone data plan and go iPad-only. But as it is, I'm only willing to spend my $30 data plan on something I can stick in my pocket.
I had a verizon smartphone with a $30 data plan, then got a wifi iPad. Used my phone as a hotspot for awhile, then decided I needed the gps function of the iPad 3G, so I sold my wifi iPad and got the 3G model. Then, decided to replace my smartphone with an old basic flip phone, which terminated my smartphone data plan. So far, I have not missed my smartphone and have only needed the 250 mb iPad data plan. Now I am paying $15 less a month. It works for me.
I got the ipad because I didn't want to get a smartphone. I'm not in a position where I NEED to be connected all the time, but I do need access when I am on the road. I don't need a laptop but I do need email and internet on the road and the ipod touch and the iphone screens are just too damn small to be productive. The ipad 3g is the best travel companion I've ever had.
If you NEED email in your pocket you need a smartphone. I don't need that kind of access at this time.
If you NEED email in your pocket you need a smartphone. I don't need that kind of access at this time.
I think you hit on something there for me... it's not necessarily a need, but has certainly grown to be an "expectation." Quite frankly, I am a little tired of being that accessible. When I am not working, having the ability to receive and email can occassionally be a critical matter. But more often than not, the emergency nature of the email was the senders emergency. But, that's my world.
Here's what I did: I cancelled my iPhone service and got the Samsung Intercept and signed up for Virgin Mobile service. It's $25 a month with unlimited web, txt and 300 minutes. The phone is a POS and service is tolerable (Google Voice helps). I will wait for the next gen iPad, whenever that is, and will buy the 3G version. So, my monthly bill will be $40 to $50 a month. About $30 less what I paid with the iPhone.