Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Why are iPad cellular models almost never discounted?
- Thread starter Adelphos33
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I don't travel that much out of the country (USA), but when I do, I just buy a local sim card and pop it into my unlocked iPhone and then tether it to my MBA and my iPad Air.
What is the reason for the disconnected issues you have? I tried tethering from iPhone 6s+ to iPP 12.9" 2017 for about 20 minutes. Did you have such issues.
Yes. I have no idea what causes it. My biggest problem is failure to establish a link to the hotspot in the first place.
It automatically disconnects to save battery. If the iPad is continuously active, it doesn't disconnect. If you use it intermittently, connection times out and you need to reconnect.
If you don't tough the iPad, how long will it take before the connection is disconnected?
I guess also disconnect to save money in case the user forgot to turn it off.
On my iPhone, I have no data plan whatsoever, only voice with cellular data turned off. I use the phone during cycling where Google Maps tracks my location via GPS. Most apps can use GPS without a cell phone data connection. But I’m not sure if GPS works with cell connection completely turned off.
Last edited:
Correct, for GPS you need an LTE iPad.. (Though location determination via WiFi works on WiFi-only devices if WiFi is available.)
Lol, dad had a scare earlier. He lost his wifi-only iPad in the mall. Couldn’t find it via Find My iPhone because it doesn’t have its own internet. They eventually traced it (after 1 hour of searching). Mom has decreed that he’s not allowed to bring the iPad with him anymore.
That extra peace of mind is partly why I get LTE for my iPads (highest capacity models). Mind, I often use my iPad where there’s no fast, reliable wifi so I do get good mileage from the LTE.
Although not nearly as convenient as an LTE iPad, I have used bluetooth GPS on my wifi only iPad in the past and it worked perfectly fine for navigating with offline maps.
Maybe because they fill a far bigger need? Don’t think I will ever buy just a WiFi only iPad how. Using data is quite big these days when you need it
Tethering sucks. It disconnects after a very short while, and is a lot slower than having built in LTE.
For me it's the unlimited data on my iPad 5G vs only 10GB a month on the iPad if I use my phone as a hotspot.
For some reason, even after all these years, Apple doesn't provide a GPS chip in their wi-fi only models.
This. I have owned one cellular iPad in my life--the original Air model. It was nice to have that capability built in, but I never used it. These days I stick with iPad Pro wifi only models. I always either use a Comcast hotspot or tether to my iPhone when I'm out and about.
I pay $20 a month thru AT&T for 2GB data, which I've never exceeded. No contract. Don't have or need an iPhone since I can make and receive calls with my iPad mini 4. The screen size is perfect and its GPS is invaluable. I can't imagine buying an iPad without cellular.
Yeah, but can you turn your $20 off and on if you don't need it for a month or so? Also, seems a bit awkward to make calls when you're out and about. GPS on a iPad mini would seem unsafe while driving. Do you keep it in your lap? I just click my iPhone onto a vent on the car and it's almost like having GPS built into the dash.
Disregarding all of the above, I will have to admit $20 is cheaper than the lowest iPhone plan, so there's that...
1. Yes, you can. For $5 a week, though, seems easier to just keep it on all the time. Plus, better chances of Find My iPhone working if you forget it somewhere.
2. Headset.
3. There are car mounts available for iPads/tablets.
My cellular usage is daily; can't imagine not using it for a month. For driving, I have a dash mount for my mini 4. Re phone calls: it's like a speaker phone (much handier than FaceTime). Came in handy when a relative was in Seoul, SK attending university.