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max2

macrumors 603
Original poster
May 31, 2015
6,421
2,044
Any advantage of having a iPad with cellular too if you never use it ?
 

Ludatyk

macrumors 603
May 27, 2012
5,971
5,140
Texas
Does anybody use an iPad as a GPS? I can see an applicable use case for the iPad mini.
I know for me, I use my iPad for maps when driving. I prefer the larger screen. And I noticed… when someone uses their WiFi model iPad, their location isn’t as solid as mine. However, I’m not sure if that has something to do with spotty WiFi whereas I use cellular. But that person was using Verizon hotspot to connect to their iPad.
 

TKNDWN

macrumors newbie
Mar 18, 2021
9
17
London, United Kingdom
Other than the obvious, I personally don't see any other advantages of having cellular. For me, if I need to connect my iPad to something while out, I'd tether it to my phone. However, this is my personal experience and others will definitely differ.
 

LibbyLA

macrumors 6502a
Jun 16, 2017
825
857
Does anybody use an iPad as a GPS? I can see an applicable use case for the iPad mini.
I used my Mini 5 this weekend with HuntStand to map landmarks, trails, drainage channels, and food plot perimeters at our camp. The GPS is not pinpoint accurate but close enough for what I was doing.
 
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LibbyLA

macrumors 6502a
Jun 16, 2017
825
857
I use mine for navigation when I travel, for streaming music, for staying in touch at our camp and my parents’ house (no WiFi either place, hotspot is not a good option in those places because of signal and my limited Verizon plan). I have a cellular iPad Pro 11 and a cellular Mini 5.

I carry the Mini 5 with me when I’m out so it’s handy to look things up, respond to emails and messages, etc.

I haven’t flown my drone much, but cellular is more functional for that than WiFi.

When the power goes out (thunderstorms, hurricanes, the ice storm in February), having cellular is really useful.

A lot of people don’t need cellular, but I have been surprised by how much I use it. I even bought the cellular version of the Surface Go 2. I haven’t gotten a cellular plan for it but it is cellular capable should I need that capability.
 
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ericwn

macrumors G5
Apr 24, 2016
12,119
10,912
Yes, but he wanted to know if there is any use for it. And you never know what the future will bring. It’s up to him. Don’t even know why even ask if he’s not gonna use it.

Probably thinking of buying from a carrier with a financing plan.
 
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Global_traveler

macrumors member
Aug 24, 2020
58
30
I once was able to connect to my older iPhone SE from my upstairs living room, with my wifI-only iPad Pro, when the phone was outside in the cup holder of my car. I think that is awesome! But even when the phone is near, I commonly make and receive calls on the iPad. Better sound quality, and I’m always using it.
 

ericwn

macrumors G5
Apr 24, 2016
12,119
10,912
I once was able to connect to my older iPhone SE from my upstairs living room, with my wifI-only iPad Pro, when the phone was outside in the cup holder of my car. I think that is awesome! But even when the phone is near, I commonly make and receive calls on the iPad. Better sound quality, and I’m always using it.

So your answer to the question is no cellular needed?
 

Jimbo Limbo

macrumors regular
Aug 13, 2015
141
137
Toronto
I just used a LTE iPad mini for years, without even owning a phone. That changed when I added in the Apple watch. I still like using my iPad mini 4 when I am out and about.

You usually will have faster internet connection if the iPad has LTE built in that using the hot spot on your phone. Also, battery life is better on iPad than many phones.

I plan to buy the next iPad Pro 12.9 when it comes out. I will definitely get the cellular functional version once again instead of just the wifi.
 

PBG4 Dude

macrumors 601
Jul 6, 2007
4,364
4,645
I used my Mini 5 this weekend with HuntStand to map landmarks, trails, drainage channels, and food plot perimeters at our camp. The GPS is not pinpoint accurate but close enough for what I was doing.
Consumer GPS signals have purposeful error put into the location. This was a concession to the military in order to use the GPS satellites because they didn’t want anyone being able to use GPS to guide missiles. It also cuts out if it determines you’re going over a certain speed or height as those would indicate you may be a missile.
 

abhi182

macrumors regular
Apr 24, 2016
175
124
For many years, I brought various variants of the wifi iPad under the assumption that I can always tether it to my phone when out & about.
Guess what - I inevitably ended up using the phone instead ?

On my last upgrade cycle, I decided to get the LTE variant of the iPad Pro 11 (2018) - and I think this iPad easily gets way more usage than my previous iPads combined.
Granted not all of it is because of LTE but it's sizeable enough that I got the LTE mini for the wife for her upgrade - and she now tends to use it a lot more than her older tablets

Even while at home, despite a decent mesh (Orbi) - there are areas where the wifi can get flakey (looking at you, my WC :D)
It's a lot easier to just switch to LTE in such scenarios than trying to grapple with the latency of weak wifi

I think my answer was clear. I wrote “next one will be lte and at least 256 gb” ;)
In the past, I have brought the higher capacity versions.
Now I buy the lowest capacity variant for the iPad, iPhone as well as Mac.
Not sure about you - but the biggest capacity drain on my devices was and is my large photo library - and that's best kept on iCloud for cost as well as data loss reasons
 

stanza.richi

macrumors 65816
Dec 5, 2019
1,108
1,700
Italy
In the past, I have brought the higher capacity versions.
Now I buy the lowest capacity variant for the iPad, iPhone as well as Mac.
Not sure about you - but the biggest capacity drain on my devices was and is my large photo library - and that's best kept on iCloud for cost as well as data loss reasons

I use iPad at work and in my hospital we haven’t got good wifi network. Most of use is read (and find and download) books and papers, edit operative video, write papers. That’s why I realised that maybe next one will have both.

And which question of the op are you addressing? He’s not asking for storage advice, although you seem eager to tell us.
What’s your problem with me, man?
 

LibbyLA

macrumors 6502a
Jun 16, 2017
825
857
Consumer GPS signals have purposeful error put into the location. This was a concession to the military in order to use the GPS satellites because they didn’t want anyone being able to use GPS to guide missiles. It also cuts out if it determines you’re going over a certain speed or height as those would indicate you may be a missile.
I know consumer GPS isn’t accurate. It was just annoying to be at a spot on the map (satellite image, but with too many tree shadows to be able to figure out the exact location) and see the iPad think I was a reasonable number of feet away. We’re the only ones using the maps, though, and we know where things are. My map is probably more accurate than many prescribed burn maps.

I can guarantee that I was not tromping around fast enough or high enough off the ground to be mistaken for a missile ?.
 
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