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All iPads Do you go for Wi-Fi only or cellular for your iPad
- Thread starter Adeapplephone
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I just asked two of my friends who tried and they said it worked. They used wifi iPads tethered to their phones, and their positions were displayed correctly on Google Maps and Apple’s Maps app.
Why do some people buy the cellular version just for the GPS if the wifi positioning approximation is not that different?
Every iPad I have ever purchased has been WIFI only. I cannot even imagine giving ATT any more of my money.
It can be inaccurate and WiFi is not always available.
Did a test out and about today, when setting it to automatically join hotspots it was always ready when I wanted it, no connection time at all. So for me that don’t need accurate GPS on the iPad it works better in a sense because with my cellular models I always kept it off while at home to save battery so it was actually faster with hotspot.
Disabled cellular on my iPad mini 6 and tried it just now. Normally, for me auto-connect takes 5-10 seconds after waking the iPad but it actually failed completely this time. Had to manually open Personal Hotspot on my iPhone before the mini would connect.
Apart from versatility of GPS+cellular, issues like this are why I buy cellular iPad. I use cellular on iPad for 8-10 hours intermittently a day. My cellular usage is 1-2GB iPhone (mostly background sync tasks) and 15-30GB iPad. Honestly, I've considered downgrading my iPhone plan to ultra cheap $5-10/mo prepaid but then I'd need to pay more for the iPad plan and I lose features like NumberSync, Wi-Fi calling and Visual Voicemail.
My first (and only) iPad 3 was cellular, as I didn't have an iPhone by then and tethering was less easy to connect. But now, planning to get the iPad mini 6, it's gonna be WiFi.
For me it only connects in 5 seconds once when leaving the house, then it stays connected even if I haven’t used the iPad for hours. Picked up the iPad in the car after 3 hours and it was ready instantly.
Cellular, only for the built-in GPS receiver.
Cellular for tracking. I lost a Wi-Fi iPad once while traveling and couldn’t track it or send it a ping or message. Never again.
Also, Verizon & TMo are offering $200 rebates if you activate an iPad. Keep it open for 2 mo and the rebate makes up the difference between the wifi and cellular versions. I’ll move it to the TMO prepaid data plan for $10/5gb/150 day plan once the rebate arrives.
Also, Verizon & TMo are offering $200 rebates if you activate an iPad. Keep it open for 2 mo and the rebate makes up the difference between the wifi and cellular versions. I’ll move it to the TMO prepaid data plan for $10/5gb/150 day plan once the rebate arrives.
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To follow up: I tested with my WiFi-only 2021 12.9 Pro & cellular Mini 6, driving around a dense residential area with Google maps. As expected, the Mini 6 with GPS was right on. The 12.9 tracking was not very good, often off by a couple of hundred feet and with very erratic position updates. I tried both tethered to my 12 Pro Max and untethered - didn't make any difference in position accuracy.
Edit: Driving speed was low, 20-25 MPH.
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Lol, exactly why I updated my dad to a cellular model. He left his iPad at a mall and they spent 2 hours looking for it. My mom was so mad her blood pressure was high when they got home.
In my case, I travel a lot so I do use data. But if you are traveling and lose it or it is stolen you can not tether to it, wifi location is approximate and can be delayed, you can't connect it to a wifi network you weren't on previously. You can't send it a sound or message via Find My.
I left an old WiFi iPad on a plane. Didn't realize it until I got to the hotel. Tired to track via FindMy and it only gave me last location I was at when I was connected to wifi, which was the airport lounge. Called airline to see if the flight crew turned it in as well as general airport lost & found. Filed a report. Never got it back. If it had cellular, I could have sent it a sound, a message of how to reach me or just flat out wiped my info from it.
Probably somewhat irrelevant against buying decision, unless you are trying to max out battery usage.
Against the latest 12.9" Pro, 11.0" Pro, Mini 6 models all say:
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video
Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
Against the latest 12.9" Pro, 11.0" Pro, Mini 6 models all say:
Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching video
Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using cellular data network
I tend to ignore advertised battery life.
Apple always mentions 10 hour battery life. However, actual battery life greatly varied for me. With similar usage, I got around 16 hours on the iPad 4, 12 hours on the OG iPad Air and only 10 hours on the iPad Pro 9.7.
I also get noticeably shorter battery life on the mini 6 compared to the Air 4.
I don't know if you saw the YouTube video of comparing a whole bunch of recent models see here for your amusement.
I tested the battery on my iPad mini 6 by playing a movie on it until the battery failed. It lasted a little over 11 hours. My old mini 5 did not make it to 6 hours (of course it's a much older device).
