iPad mini Cellular mini vs hotspot

[Andy_2341]

my phone? original battery at 87%

That isn't bad at all. Nice.

 

[Channan]

I use both. I use Roamless on my iPad so I’m always connected and can do tasks that require little data without having to connect to my hotspot all the time, but then I will connect to my phone’s hotspot when I need a lot of data since my phone has unlimited hotspot data. Roamless is perfect since unused data doesn’t expire and it’s not too costly.

 

[xxFoxtail]

I have an unlimited tethering plan, and rarely use it. If I know I'll need to use it heavily, I'll just throw a MagSafe battery on my iPhone or charge the iPhone through the iPad. Unless I start traveling a lot, I don’t think a cellular iPad is necessary for me.

 

[Richard8655]

Hotspot usage for "8 hours a day" will definitely burn through battery quickly. If you can only use it in short bursts, that's one thing, but if you want all day, dual connectivity, you'll probably do better to stick with both being cellular. The Tmobile option is only $10 for 5GB or 5 months. A sometimes overlooked bonus with the cellular option even if you don't use 5G service is that you also have GPS.

In the interests of saving money though, consider doing what I do: make cellular mini double as your phone. VOIP app plus buds turn Mini into a mobile phone with cellular service that will cost far less than iPhone service (I spend only about $25 per YEAR for 5G service). Telephony is not a form factor but only an app... just like a flashlight (app), camcorder (app), iPod (app), tape measure (app), map (app), etc. A Mac or PC can easily be a phone too in the very same way.

Doubts? Since you already have both devices, download a VOIP app to your iPad. They usually give you a free number. Then call yourself and call yourself back from each device. Text yourself and text yourself back from each device. You'll quickly realize that basic telephony works just fine on cellular Mini. If you decide to go for it, you can port your existing number to become your Mini phone number.

Bonus: the curious "long in tooth" effect that drives iPhone replacements every few years seems to take much slower on iPad Mini. I got 8 years out of Mini 2 this way and expect to get about the same out of Mini 6. For many, 16 years is about 5-6 iPhone purchases, all at prices higher-to-much-higher than iPad Mini. And again, then comes ongoing service costs, much higher than iPad Mini too.

I've often considered going cellular Mini with VOIP (for phone calls), and eliminating iPhone altogether as you describe. It's a great alternative. But I've always found unlimited phone plans more cost effective than data plans for calling needs.

Tello offers 5GB for $10/mo. They also offer 2GB with unlimited calls for $10/mo which works well for me.

I see T-Mobile offers 5GB (data only) but at $20/mo rather than $10 as you mention. Is that 5GB over a 5 month period?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

Yes $10 for 5 months or 5GB. If I ever use up the 5GB earlier, I can just buy again for $10. I’m in free WiFi zones almost all the time, so it’s easy to almost never even get close to 5GB.

 

[ignatius345]

It isn't a solid 8 hours, just at any given point in those 8 hours I could possibly need a connection for up to 1 hour at a time. Otherwise, there would be no question that a cellular iPad would be better. As for the cheap mobile hotspot, it is complicating, like you said, and that is what I usually use the iPad for when I'm not actively using it.

I often tether my MacBook to my iPhone for about an hour at a time when commuting and it doesn't seem to murder my phone battery as badly as you might think. Quite often, the Mac just prompts me to connect to the phone and I don't even need to take it out of my pocket.

 

[Reality4711]

Hotspot usage for "8 hours a day" will definitely burn through battery quickly. If you can only use it in short bursts, that's one thing, but if you want all day, dual connectivity, you'll probably do better to stick with both being cellular. The Tmobile option is only $10 for 5GB or 5 months. A sometimes overlooked bonus with the cellular option even if you don't use 5G service is that you also have GPS.

In the interests of saving money though, consider doing what I do: make cellular mini double as your phone. VOIP app plus buds turn Mini into a mobile phone with cellular service that will cost far less than iPhone service (I spend only about $25 per YEAR for 5G service). Telephony is not a form factor but only an app... just like a flashlight (app), camcorder (app), iPod (app), tape measure (app), map (app), etc. A Mac or PC can easily be a phone too in the very same way.

Doubts? Since you already have both devices, download a VOIP app to your iPad. They usually give you a free number. Then call yourself and call yourself back from each device. Text yourself and text yourself back from each device. You'll quickly realize that basic telephony works just fine on cellular Mini. If you decide to go for it, you can port your existing number to become your Mini phone number.

Bonus: the curious "long in tooth" effect that drives iPhone replacements every few years seems to take hold much slower on iPad Mini. I got 8 years out of Mini 2 this way and expect to get about the same out of Mini 6. For many, 16 years is about 5-6 iPhone purchases, all at prices higher-to-much-higher than iPad Mini. And again, then comes ongoing service costs, much higher than iPad Mini too.

Every VOIP app I have found says for iPhone only??
Do you have a link for a UK user (me) on an iPad mini (latest)?

 

[HobeSoundDarryl]

I don’t know UK apps but Google Voice? Talkatone? Line 2? There’s a pretty good number of VOIP apps. There MUST be some for the UK that can work. Else, maybe they mean formatted for iPhone and you can still install them.

Google search iPad Voip apps UK and I presume you’ll get lists of them. Unless there is some law or special taxation or similar from the UK, I wouldn't see any reason for Apple or the U.K. to block access to VOIP apps for iPad.

 

[Andy_2341]

I often tether my MacBook to my iPhone for about an hour at a time when commuting and it doesn't seem to murder my phone battery as badly as you might think. Quite often, the Mac just prompts me to connect to the phone and I don't even need to take it out of my pocket.

Nice! I had originally considered that approach before I got my cellular mini 6, but thought I needed the cellular and small size. I’ve still got to give the tethering a try to see how it fares for me since signal is generally horrible where I live/work, but I may switch to this approach.