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CES 2015: AT&T Announces 4G LTE Smartcase With MicroSD Slot for Wi-Fi iPads

malexandria said:
I already have a 128 GB ATT iPad (and ATT LTE sucks), so this is kind of pointless for me. But I really like this idea, throw in a surface like Keyboard as part of this and its a 100% winner.
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I have both a 128GB iPad mini and iPad Air 2 with 4G LTE from AT&T and have had absolutely no problems with the service when I need it.
 
ScubaCinci said:
Or you can get a hot spot or use your phone as a hot spot. Who wants to carry around that monster? Might as well have a laptop at that point.
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Agreed, I tether my iPhone all the time. And I always carry around an external battery for charging so I don't worry about the battery draining.
 
They need to price these aggressively low. At the max $60 so they can attract customers. IMO it should be a free or $20 accesory w a 1 year contract. The data is where AT&T make their money anyway.
 
From AT&T's website:
...even expands your iPad memory capacity so that you can have and take more of your content with you
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I wasn't aware the iPad supported external storage. Am I missing something?
 
jlake02 said:
Absurd to charge each month to use the data you've already paid for. That's the deal breaker for me. I'll just use my phone's hotspot.
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I had the same thought. But perhaps this product is aimed at people who don't have a smartphone with tethering. If someone just has a WiFi iPad, this could make sense for that person. But I agree that a case that bulky should have a keyboard built in.
 
I'm still not clear on how the sd card part works, and whether the iPad plugs directly into the case, or there's some kind of cable involved. Those would be key questions.
 
ChrisCW11 said:
Then they need to do something like what Samsung did for the Tab Pro tablet:

http://www.samsung.com/us/mobile/galaxy-tab-accessories/EJ-CT800UAEGUJ

This effectively turns the 10.5" tab pro into a laptop.

Apple has to start actually thinking about what it means to be "productive" and not just assume people want a larger tablet = productivity. Relying on 3rd parties to add the features to increase iPad productivity will result in a mishmash of disjoint add-ons that will cripple iPad's mobility in lieu of Apple simply not designing proper productivity accessories for the iPad.

The fact Apple has not created their own keyboard/case for the iPad speaks volumes of how far off Apple is in terms of understanding what it means to bring productivity to a tablet.
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The ZAGG series might be what you are looking for:
http://www.zagg.com/keyboard/folio-ipad-air-2-keyboard-case/9484
 
coolfactor said:
.

While it would be *nice* for Apple to officially have their own full lineup of every possible accessory, it's unrealistic.
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"Every Possible Accessory" Yes, Agree with you 100%

The most basic & fundamental accessory that had accompanied computers since the day they were invented "A Keyboard"

I think Apple could offer just THAT one :)
 
Carlanga said:
They need to price these aggressively low. At the max $60 so they can attract customers. IMO it should be a free or $20 accesory w a 1 year contract. The data is where AT&T make their money anyway.
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I am very much afraid that this case will cost way more. I'm guessing $120+. They know a cellular iPad costs $130 more than wifi, and they're throwing in a microSD slot and a case.
 
007p said:
Hang on...where's the proof of this? The iPad is still miles away from being 'productive'. Sure the Air 2 has amazing specs, but its still being held back by the blown up iPhone OS. They haven't added anything unique to the iPad OS to take advantage of those specs yet.

And "and not just assume people want a larger tablet = productivity"? So all the rumors of the iPad Pro/iPad Air Plus? What about just releasing two bigger iPhones? Did that have nothing to do with productivity?
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They haven't added anything unique, but the third party developers have.

Apple's business model relies on the efforts of developers, vs. Microsoft and Google, which rely more on the in-house efforts. (Compare iPad specific and Universal apps to their Windows/Android counterpart. It's literally day and night.)
 
This is limited to people on the crappy "mobile share" plans, so it's useless to people on an unlimited data plan. I will never give up my unlimited data!
 
You can connect extra storage to the iPad by using the camera connection kit that includes a micro-SD card slot.

AT&T is merely using that connection for their SD card.
 
Peace said:
You can connect extra storage to the iPad by using the camera connection kit that includes a micro-SD card slot.

AT&T is merely using that connection for their SD card.
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Doesn't look like it in he photo. I admittedly have read up on the details, but it seems this thing is just a hotspot with a wifi sd card reader in the shape of an iPad cover. You probably need an app to access the sd card.
 
Shookster said:
From AT&T's website:


I wasn't aware the iPad supported external storage. Am I missing something?
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It will probably work something like how the Seagate Satellite, sandisk, etc. external wifi hard drives work. There will likely be an iPad app that reads files on the external drive/SD card.

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AutoUnion39 said:
How is this any diff't than a MiFi?
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Mifi's aren't cases and don't provide storage.
 
how does the ipad access the 32GB sd card? I thought Apple bans storage add-ons?
 
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