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iPad Pro - with or without LTE

prymitywista

prymitywista

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 12, 2014
47
86
Hi guys,

I wanna buy iPad Pro 12 for my painting/drawing stuff, but I'm wonder is it necessary to buy extra LTE option. I mean, I know it's not necessary, but does it make any sense right now?

63b5a8cf0f036.png

img source: iMore

​
I've got an iPhone 7 so anytime I want I can make wifi-hotspot and using lte from my phone on the iPad. Calling or answering for call I can do simillar like from macbook - using iPhone as "cellular-provider".
And with LTE (currently I'm working in Poland) I can't use e-SIM (no carrier for that in PL) so I'll forced to buy another nano-sim card only for internet - and that stupid when I've got 20GB per month.

ipad-97_6.png

So my question is - are you really using LTE in yours iPad pros? LTE option is a bit expensive and maybe I'm not seeing how great that option is : D

cheers!
Lucas​

ps: it's about iPad Pro 12 64 LTE+Wifi vs iPad Pro 12 256 Wifi
 
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All my iPads, including the 1st gen. 12,9 have LTE.
It is great to be able to show something and have internet.
You don't have to ask for a WiFi password.
Your App Documents are stored on iCloud immediately etc.
It's also great for maps, because of the screen.

I simply don't have to care about connectivity, I know I have it.
You obviously don't have to go LTE, but I really like it.

PS: Personal Hotspot via iPhone is OK, but you drain two batteries and use your data tarif of your phone.
PPS: Free and Public WiFi are not really popular here.
 
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I got the LTE version for the first time and was hoping I’d use it more but the entire time it’s been a waste. I didn’t realize how often I was on WiFi and that the few times I’m not, I can just tether to my phone anyway.

I regret it. And the data plan isn’t worth it considering how little I use it. $20 a month X even 12 months is $240. That’s insane when you think about it.
 
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Hey pmau,

thanks for your answer. I'm not exactly know what do you mean by "here" in term of Free and Public Wifi. I saw many free hotspots in Warsaw right now.



Ghost31,

yea, that what I'm talking about. For me, living in Poland now, it's necessery to buy another simcard and another data plan.
Thanks for your reply mate : )
 
I use it all the time on my mini, as I take it with me everywhere. But no, not on my pro (even tho I do have the LTE model). I would say go for the wifi only and save the money.
 
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If you are often going to be on Wifi (and reliable Wifi) most of the time, and occasional tethering to your phone is enough for your needs, then you don’t need LTE. I live in the US, and I’ve found that most hotel Wifi spots and coffeeshop Wifi are too slow/unreliable/insecure for my needs. For me, the LTE option is very much worth it at $20 / month as an addition to my unlimited plan.
 
With regards to the plan, I just use the T-Mobile a-la-cart option.

For $10 they've been offering 5GB of data that's good for 6-months. No contract.

I just keep buying that. It gives me LTE data when I need it (which admittedly isn't often with WiFi in so many place). It's particularly useful when traveling, since yeah, hotel WiFi can be awfully slow.

It's also nice to have my Verizon phone and T-Mobile tablet. Different providers, sometimes one works better than the other.

I don't use LTE enough to justify a monthly plan.
 
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I use my LTE quite a bit more than I thought I would and Im glad I have it. Hard to imagine an iPad without it, honestly. But.... everyones use case is different! If you travel a lot with your iPad then IMO its well worth the LTE support. If you use your ipad mostly at home then no, not worth it. Thats my 3 cents.
 
I have LTE on my ipads, and I'm constantly torn if I really need it.. I only use it 4-5 times a year, when I'm not connected to wifi somewhere. And even then, I'm only paying for the t-mobile 5GB for six months plan for 10$, so it's not the MONTHLY but rather the 129$+tax upfront cost.

Frankly, if you have a hotspot on your phone and can share that with the ipad in the cases where you need it, I would just do that.

Also, the WIFI only models are often discounted much more than the LTE+ models.
 
prymitywista said:
I wanna buy iPad Pro 12 for my painting/drawing stuff, but I'm wonder is it necessary to buy extra LTE option. I mean, I know it's not necessary, but does it make any sense right now?
Click to expand...

It’s not necessary to buy LTE model if your primary use for the iPad Pro is painting and drawing.
 
I have had a cellular iPad since the original pad (got the legacy AT&T unlimited plan, which actually is now the same as other available AT&T plans). I found that I used lots of data in the early days, but now that I can tether to my phone, I have cancelled my iPad plan and just tether. Not as convenient, and sometimes the tethering times out. But I'm saving $30/month. I now have a Samsung Tab S3 without LTE, and I'm surviving just fine.

However, if you travel a lot or work away from WiFi la lot, then the LTE version might be a good idea. Tethering can slow you down.
 
I love having a cellular connection on my ipad air. Much more secure than public wifi at the coffee houses, cafes, airports. No need to be on the hunt for a wifi signal when out and about. Also since cable internet is not available at home, I use cellular exclusively.
 
The LTE version has true GPS which is more accurate using maps. Wifi only has assisted GPS. I prefer LTE models
 
If you're on the fence about buying the LTE version, i say go for it, at least once. If you get it & never use the LTE, then you'll know for the future when you go to replace it. My first iPad was wifi only. My second an all subsequent iPads have had LTE. I don't use it often, but it's very nice to have when you need it.
 
It depends on how well connected your daily routines are. Even with my iPhone, I hardly use my LTE data since it only takes 20 minutes to travel from home to work, where both locations are well equipped with 5GHz WiFi. I do find myself wishing I had bought LTE with my 10.5" on the road, but the slight inconvenience is not worth paying extra 100 dollar and a 2 year SIM contract to solve, in my use case.

That said, like the others mentioned above, if and when you tether from the iPhone to the iPad, despite Apple advertising how seamless it is, the reality is it seldom works 100% reliably. Once the iPad goes to sleep / smart cover closed, the connection drops after a timeout, which can happen frequently if you are on foot shuffling around other stuff.
 
Chancha said:
It depends on how well connected your daily routines are. Even with my iPhone, I hardly use my LTE data since it only takes 20 minutes to travel from home to work, where both locations are well equipped with 5GHz WiFi. I do find myself wishing I had bought LTE with my 10.5" on the road, but the slight inconvenience is not worth paying extra 100 dollar and a 2 year SIM contract to solve, in my use case.

That said, like the others mentioned above, if and when you tether from the iPhone to the iPad, despite Apple advertising how seamless it is, the reality is it seldom works 100% reliably. Once the iPad goes to sleep / smart cover closed, the connection drops after a timeout, which can happen frequently if you are on foot shuffling around other stuff.
Click to expand...

Is there anyway to increase the timeout for when the iPad goes to sleep when tethering please ?
 
max2 said:
Is there anyway to increase the timeout for when the iPad goes to sleep when tethering please ?
Click to expand...
Some say the issue is with the source, the iPhone in this case. Once the connected device (iPad) is disconnected and reconnect upon wake, it looks for known active WiFi networks as always, the problem is the iPhone actually stop broadcasting itself after an unchangeable amount of timeout. The only way to solve this without jailbreaking is to leave the iPhone on, not locked not slept, literally on with the screen active, definitely not ideal on the road when phone is in pocket or bag. The iPad itself seems to stay connected to other forms of mobile hotspots fine, like an Android phone or an LTE router, which is quite ironic.
 
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If contract is an issue, another option is to buy the LTE version but leave the SIM tray empty, and only use e-SIM or pre-paid SIMs whenever you need to. The extra added cost in the iPad can be recouped whenever you sell it.
 
I think it depends largely on where you live and what kind of plans are available. I have unlimited LTE where I live so being able to stay connected no matter where I go with the iPad is pretty nice.
 
I had LTE on an iPad mini and barely used it. I opted for the IPP without LTE and tbh, I'm not missing it at all.

My use case is such that I can live on wifi
 
I also think LTE is unnecessary (data usage, data plan, and higher iPad cost). As others have said, home WiFi provides free internet access and in public there are more and more free hotspots. I can see LTE only for urgent access or business requirements. In the meantime, everything you need can be stored on the device while travelling.
 
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