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AdonisSMU

macrumors 604
Original poster
Oct 23, 2010
7,298
3,047
Should Apple just enable tablets to have the phone calling feature at this point instead of limiting it to just iPhones?
 

cynics

macrumors G4
Jan 8, 2012
11,959
2,154
Should Apple just enable tablets to have the phone calling feature at this point instead of limiting it to just iPhones?

With iOS 8 you can carry a phone conversation with an iPad. It does require you having an iPhone though.

With the introduction of that feature thats as close as you'll get to Apple implementing their own phone calling features. There are 3rd party apps that you can use to make phone calls though.
 

s2mikey

Suspended
Sep 23, 2013
2,490
4,255
Upstate, NY
Not sure that's in apples best interest. I realize that using an iPad as a phone is a little awkward but some people could get away with it or in certain situations and they would no longer buy an iPhone. Not what apple wants.... The iPhone is apples cash moose.;)
 

iPadDad

macrumors 6502
Sep 8, 2014
313
156
Imagine being able to simply tap a button, answer an incoming call and carry on with what you were busy with, I.e..email, pages, keynote, iphoto, all while you are on the phone!!! Instead of having to run to your phone or having to put down the ipad and get up to answer the call....how convenient and with iSO 8 and Multi tasking I am sure this will be the case.
 
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kevink2

macrumors 68000
Nov 2, 2008
1,842
294
Most iPads are Wi-Fi only. And once you start supporting the full phone experience, then you get into contracts, calling plans, text plans.
 

bniu

macrumors 65816
Mar 21, 2010
1,120
303
What I would like is for my cellular iPad to have full access to voice calls independent of my iPhone. This means, if my iPhone is broken, I can use my iPad as a spare phone in the meantime. What I also want is on the carrier end to allow me to have multiple devices that all answer calls to my cell number. Remember back in the landline days where a call comes in, all phones in the house ring? I want that! I also want a cellular chip in my MacBook Pro. Sometimes, it's just easier to answer a call there or make a call there and not have to worry if my phone is connected to the same network. It should all just work!

Plus with carriers doing away with contracts, and VoLTE being no different than data over LTE, it's high time where any device with a cellular chip should have full phone capabilities. Sure, it looks goofy using an iPad as a primary phone, but there are plenty of times where using the iPad as a phone is awfully convenient. Just like how I sometimes use my iPad as a camera, because it's already in my hands and I don't want to have to go fish for my phone!
 

ElectronGuru

macrumors 68000
Sep 5, 2013
1,656
489
Oregon, USA
Market segmentation is 20th century. Every product should be form + features. With the ability to put in whatever features you want. I mean, how long is it going to take to add SIM cards to MacBooks? All devices will eventually be shaped the same. Form follows function and as functions merge, so will forms. The longer we resist, the artificial the separations will feel.
 

Fzang

macrumors 65816
Jun 15, 2013
1,315
1,081
Market segmentation is 20th century. Every product should be form + features. With the ability to put in whatever features you want. I mean, how long is it going to take to add SIM cards to MacBooks? All devices will eventually be shaped the same. Form follows function and as functions merge, so will forms. The longer we resist, the artificial the separations will feel.

I partly agree. Eventually they're going to converge into one, with only the physical size setting limitations. But the physical size will still exist to support different degrees of portability, ruggedness and computational ability.

Remember when we had dedicated DVD players, MP3 players, calculators, phones and GPS units?
 

DavesIknow

macrumors member
Jul 5, 2012
52
31
Canada
check out the app Hushed...its an app that gets you a local number (at a cost) that you can make and receive phone calls and texts...i have tried it and it works great (on iphone and ipad)... i now use this when i talk to people on kijiji. enjoy!
 

LucasLand

macrumors 6502a
Mar 6, 2002
756
92
New England
facetime audio

get a pair of EarPods and chat with your apple friends using FaceTime audio. thats what its there for. you can also download a VOIP app
 
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