So you cant make normal calls now. This is not a new phone. FAIL OP!!!
Yes, you can. VOIP has been able to make any calls (mobile or landlines) for many years now. Post your number and we'll call you via VOIP on an iPad Mini.
No one can just call him up. It's not a true solution
Wrong. When we call the first guy via our iPad Mini's, he can be the test to see if he can call us back. It's easy to get calls from mobile or landlines via VOIP. It works just like an iPhone (minus vibration options).
I would look like a darn fool
"hey what's your number"
"Oh, I'm sorry I don't have a phone anymore, I just use my iPad Mini, do you want my iPad Mini number?"
"Uh, nah that's ok I'll just tell you later"
None of that. You just give the number. It's got the same number of digits as any mobile phone. It will be completely transparent to anyone calling you (they'll never know you are receiving or making calls on an iPad unless YOU tell them).
As to "looking like a darn fool": for those where this makes sense, we enjoy saving about $1,000 or more per year. If we're trying to go this way, we probably don't care what other people think (I don't). In the few times when someone has noticed that I'm calling with iPad, they've asked about it. I explain VOIP, how I can both make and take calls from mobiles or landlines (just like they do), how I can text and receive texts (just like they do), etc and then I explain how I save more than $1,000/year doing things this way vs. using an iPhone. Believe me, they pay attention to
that advantage (and want to know the exact details of apps & setup so they can do it too) and I'm seen as "tech savvy" vs. "darn fool". Recently, I saw that one of those people who asked me about it had already made the same change. I guess he wanted to be a "darn fool" too.
If "darn fool" is the narrow-minded view of someone holding an iPad up to their ear, think earbuds with microphone or bluetooth headset. Lots of people with iPhones use those too so they can see their screen while talking to someone. This just yields a bigger screen to see with iPad-formatted apps.
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You guys so against this: why feel threatened? If you're happy with the iPhone and giving AT&T or similar a big toll every month, great! More power to you. We're choosing to enjoy much of the same benefit without giving AT&T or similar as much as you do. It works good enough for us. In doing so, it doesn't hurt you at all... so why the "Fail" and similar?