Exactly. People are crapping on an OPTION. Don't like it, don't buy it. I won't buy it, but I'm sure others will.
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Apple Still Investigating Cellular MacBook as Microsoft Ships Surface 5G
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It makes me chuckle to see people make objective claims like “no one needs this” or “there’s no added value”. Just focus on yourself. Maybe there’s no added value for YOU or YOU don’t need it. Other people have needs and wants different from you.
That's EXACTLY what consumers shoudl be asking instead of a cellular laptop.
In Europe, personal hotspot is free and unlimited based on your data plan, if you have a mobile subscription.
Given Apple is going to be making their own chips now for all of this, I wonder if it would just be easier for them to make one chip that does everything including cellular and just throw that in every device. Let customers decide if they want to use it or charge a bit extra for it to unlock it.
Also, why are some people concerned about how others spend their money? If I want to drop $ 3k on a cellular MacBook, why does it matter? It’s not your money. Some people buy a couch for $ 10k if they have the money, and that’s where their priorities are. Then, fine. Don’t be secretly jealous about people buying expensive things that don’t appeal to you.
This is like EV users asking EV car companies to include petrol generators on their vehicles that extend the range, instead of asking the government to widen the charging stations nationwide.
Ask your governments to regulate mobile operators to offer larger data plans for cheaper prices and free & unlimited HS.
Ask your governments to regulate mobile operators to offer larger data plans for cheaper prices and free & unlimited HS.
No need for anyone to snoop on why "hotspot is not working?" I live in
except i have unlimited data on whatever device i insert my sim card on (iphone and ipad) but my hotspot is limited to 15gb a month. with a cellular mbp I can just swap my sim like i do w my ipad and iphone
Look, I have direct line of sight into the supply channel of almost every laptop manufacturer that goes through typical B2B sales. I can see what sells and doesn’t at any time. The segment that wants cellular variants on a laptop is incredibly minuscule.
The standard use case is using a phone as a hotspot and has been for a very long time. Most people who need remote access have any number of other options as well, and businesses are loathe to set up a separate line/account with a carrier when the user will have their phone with them anyway. It’s time to stop trying to make fetch happen and let this one die already.
The standard use case is using a phone as a hotspot and has been for a very long time. Most people who need remote access have any number of other options as well, and businesses are loathe to set up a separate line/account with a carrier when the user will have their phone with them anyway. It’s time to stop trying to make fetch happen and let this one die already.
MacBook Air with a Cellular connection built in = dream setup
I refuse to buy a mac without cellular, ever since I've bought a surface pro with 5G a few years ago. The lack of drain on your phone battery, the potential unreilability of the hotspot connection (yes, even apple's implementation can have bugs), and the constant reminder that a hotspot has to be set up, phone charged, is not ideal for me and many who have been using 5G devices (including ipad pro and surface pro in my case) for some time.
My surface 5G gives me unlimited data for $10 bucks a month, for a smooth seamless internet connection, is very worth it. Where my phone plan has limits where data will be severely throttled if I go over a certain amount, to the added inconvenience in my case.
An option to have 5G on the mac, and its only an option so no one needs to be "offended", is definitely a good move in their part.
My surface 5G gives me unlimited data for $10 bucks a month, for a smooth seamless internet connection, is very worth it. Where my phone plan has limits where data will be severely throttled if I go over a certain amount, to the added inconvenience in my case.
An option to have 5G on the mac, and its only an option so no one needs to be "offended", is definitely a good move in their part.
To understand how far behind the industry Apple is: the first laptop with a built-in cellular modem was the ITC 286 CAT, released in 1988 by the Intelligence Technology Corporation
I agree
With most cellular plans including the use of personal hotspot now, I don't get who really benefits from this
Change your carrier or carrier plan then. And data not working also happens on devices with native SIM support. Cellular data is always less reliable than broadband(Wi-Fi) in my experience
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Exactly. It's a hassle to enable a hotspot. Having an Internet connection without the need for an iPhone would be welcomed.
It's a wildly more convenient thing to have it built in.
I only purchase iPads with Cellular for this reason.
If it doesn’t add a lot to the price, I’d seriously consider it. Even when just using my MacBook in the garden, the wifi can be pretty ropey here. Connecting it to my cellular iPad isn’t a big deal but I’m getting to the stage where I need to replace my iPad and I’d rather not have to solely consider more expensive cellular iPads. I’d rather have a regular iPad and have cellular built in to my MacBook. I could, theoretically, not bother with an iPad at all.
I remember years back my Asus eeePC 901 had a SIM slot for internet connectivity. That was cool. And there used to be all those USB mobile data sticks you’d just plug in. I don’t really understand why, in 2025, we can have cellular on just about all portable devices, but not the MacBook.
I remember years back my Asus eeePC 901 had a SIM slot for internet connectivity. That was cool. And there used to be all those USB mobile data sticks you’d just plug in. I don’t really understand why, in 2025, we can have cellular on just about all portable devices, but not the MacBook.
Wouldn’t need a cellular MacBook if the hotspot function in my iPhone worked well.
I should be able to just click the phone in the WiFi list without having to toggle the hotspot in my phone to make it either show up in the list or actually connect.
Super unreliable and inconsistent performance.
iPhone 16e and M2 MacBook Air.
(had this problem, its is nothing new, with my 6S, SE2 as well).
I should be able to just click the phone in the WiFi list without having to toggle the hotspot in my phone to make it either show up in the list or actually connect.
Super unreliable and inconsistent performance.
iPhone 16e and M2 MacBook Air.
(had this problem, its is nothing new, with my 6S, SE2 as well).
Is it that hard to put the antennas and a m.2 slot for an optional cellular modem card, like HP/Dell/Lenovo's business laptops?
Apple has removed that flexibility on the latest iPads by removing the physical SIM slot
Here is why:
- Seamless connectivity: Connects automatically on boot or wake, no manual steps.
- Better battery life: Saves power on both the Mac and the phone.
- More reliable: No disconnections when the phone sleeps or moves.
- No setup friction: No need to enable hotspot, wait for connection, or re-pair devices.
- Stronger security: Avoids unsecured hotspots and Wi-Fi-based attack vectors.
- Bypasses carrier limits: Avoids tethering-specific data caps or throttling.
- Optimised performance: Built-in networking stack is faster and more stable.
- True mobility: Works better in transit or low-reception environments.
- No dependency on phone: Keeps working if your phone dies or is unavailable.
- More professional: Ideal for frequent travel, field work, or mobile workflows.
Yes to all of this. And best of all, it's just another option that people can choose. I don't need an M3 Max or M3 Extreme chip or 4TB of storage, but those options are available for people who want it.
I'm really not seeing the downside here...
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