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Considering getting Wifi only iPad -- is it crazy?

Everybody here has pretty much covered the bases for responses. I just got a wifi 16gb myself, as I already have a 6gb data plan with free tethering.

Everyone's needs are different, but as someone getting their first iPad, it made more sense for me to not go all out on bells and whistles until I knew what my needs were. Opting for the new iPad's screen over the 2 was the one exception, since I'm a bit of a display junkie and it's what finally piqued my interest in the iPad.
 
Fattytail said:
People tend to forget that the 4G versions also contain a GPS chip. A lot of apps these days are location aware, and that functionality is often pretty cool depending on what you're doing.

So in addition to the turn-on-and-surf convenience, the GPS chip is a pretty big reason for me.
Click to expand...

BTW, BTstack GPS works just fine with external (even very cheap) BT receivers on the 5.1.1 (jailbroken) iPad 3.
 
Just depends on your needs and where you use it. Wifi only is fine for me. On the occasions where I am out and about and want to look something up, I just use my iPhone instead. Most of the places I use my iPad I have wifi.
 
I agree that it's all down to how onelans to use their iPad. I have a LTE and had an iPad 2 before with 3G access. But I travel a lot and am not always in a wifi area.

I must say though that having the sim has saved me a few times when the weather was bad and we lost power. No power, no wifi. But I was able to access weather info via my AT&T data and could keep up with the alerts. So for me, I'm always getting an iPad with a sim.
 
Out of curiosity, what lead you to believe most of us here have data plan iPads?
 
Thanks Guys, hearing some real world experiences has made me feel more confident about getting the wifi iPad.
 
Realistically you'll probably never even use the 3G/4G connection on your iPad if you were to get it. It may become useful in certain situations however you'll probably wind up using more wifi than anything else. This won't apply to all peoples mind you as I know some rely more on their 3G/4G than wifi. And with lots of places/stores having free wifi available, you'd probably wouldn't even need the cellular connection in most day to day situations. I bought a 4G one just for the hell of it really. It did come in handy when the service at my house was interrupted during a storm. The 4G came in handy then but, for most of the time, I'm on a wifi somewhere so the 4G doesn't get used. I'd say go with the wifi and you should be fine. Personally, I find very few instances where there is no free wifi and I need to be online. Again, the 4G was a nice-to-have for me however your needs may vary.
 
I had the iPad 1, 64 Mb with 3G and I never once used the 3G. Where ever I was, hotel in Mexico, home, other hotels, all had WiFi. I bought the New iPad 32 with WiFi only and I am quite content. Having said that, it really comes down to where you go and how much you want to do with it. Think about your need and choose accordingly.
Good Luck!
 
I initially opted for the WIFI only model.

Tethering is fine, it's not really much of a bother, but it is an extra step that can be avoided.

In the end I gave my WIFI version to my father and bought myself a 4g. I'm increasingly moving away from my Laptop and able to do a lot of my work (the emails, social media and writing elements) from my iPad. Having it constantly connected to data is just fantastic and I find myself using my phone less and less. (I doubt I'll upgrade now to a 5 unless there's something really remarkable about it)

As I travel a fair bit it's also going to be amazingly handy to be able to throw in local prepaid data sims. I no longer rely on voice mail however would struggle without access to email and, iMessage is becoming increasingly useful for me.

Finally I've also realised that, here in the UK, I can run my iPad off pre paid data sim, and as I no longer really use much data on my phone, downgrade my contract on this and running both now costs me less that I was paying previously for just my iPhone!
 
macbook123 said:
What are people's thoughts? I'm getting a sense that most people on this forum have a 4G enabled iPad, and wonder if it's a wise decision to get a wifi only one, also for resale reasons.
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It's a matter of preference. The wise decision is whatever works for you. If it was a one-size-fits-all matter then we'd all have the one with 4G or we'd all have the WiFi only one. If you're not going to pay for 4G then what do you perceive as the benefit of the 4G model? Do you need the GPS receiver?

h1r0ll3r said:
Realistically you'll probably never even use the 3G/4G connection on your iPad if you were to get it.
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Realistically it depends on the individual and there are no broad, sweeping generalizations that neatly apply to everyone.
 
I have Wi-Fi only and the times which I need to use it when i'm not near a Wi-Fi point I use the Personal Hotspot on my iPhone to tether to my iPad.
 
blinkin182 said:
I had same dilemma and went for wifi only iPad 32 GB.

It really depends how you intend on using it. I have an iPhone and data plan which I can use to tether and am heading for Europe where no 4G standard is compatible, so no special reason to have 4G.

My dad hesitated and in the end got the wifi only also.
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Be careful on data usage in Europe. I was in France for 10 days and got an email from Verizon that I had used $500.00 worth of data in 3 days on my iPhone 4s. Needless to say, I turned of all data except for WIFI. What a shock. Next time I will get a local sim when I go.

HiddenPuppy
 
HiddenPuppy said:
Be careful on data usage in Europe. I was in France for 10 days and got an email from Verizon that I had used $500.00 worth of data in 3 days on my iPhone 4s. Needless to say, I turned of all data except for WIFI. What a shock. Next time I will get a local sim when I go.

HiddenPuppy
Click to expand...

Ouch! that must have hurt!

Thanks for the warning, but I'll be living there and I'll be getting a contract with a local network. I always turn data roaming off when traveling, this is one of the big traps to look out for of network operators!
 
To answer the op question directly, I think it would be crazy to get an iPad WITH 4G. Too expensive to run, tether it instead to your smartphone if web access is required outside wifi range, that's what I do.
 
See Dude I highly recommend everyone to get the Wi-Fi Version. This is because it is quite cheaper and all ofus have a smartphone with 3G or 4G connection these days. So all you need to do is create a hotspot from your phone and use it as a wi-fi for your iPad whenever you are outside.
 
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