iPad help justifying paying for cell ipad air

[saving107]

The cellular ipad has the GPS chip and the wifi only does not. This may be a factor in your decision. I got the cellular version for this reason and if I ever need to use the cellular connection, it is available for me.

If your mobile device (example, iPhone) has a GPS and you tether to your iPad, then the iPad will use the GPS information from your mobile device.

But once again, if your mobile device has the data connection and GPS then why do you need it on your iPad? I have a wifi iPad and I am always near by a wifi connection at work, home, with friends or local shops and for those rare moments that I am not I have my iPhone to look up information.

 

[macduke]

While it's nice that they're giving us something, it's just a thinly veiled attempt to draw in customers who will then buy bigger data plans. On LTE you can blow through 200MB in a few minutes if you're not careful. Also I didn't think T-Mobile had much LTE coverage?

When I get my new iPad (my first cellular-capable model ever) I'm going to add it to my Verizon plan. With my work discount it's only $8/mo and I can double my data plan from 2GB to 4GB for another $8/mo. So $16/mo for 2GB of data essentially. My wife and I almost always stay just under the 2GB threshold each month. This will give us some breathing room and the always-connected iPad I've always wanted. It always annoys me when I'm out with my iPad and don't have WIFI. You don't really realize how little you can do on iOS without an internet connection: Read an already downloaded book, write a note, play a game, and only listen to the songs I've downloaded from Rdio—which wasn't much on my old iPad with limited space available.

 

[K4LK]

im getting an ipad air after much debate vs a mini i want the screen estate . anyway its 499 starting price is a bit O_O much for just 16gb !. and if i want cell data and i do its 629 !!! quite a lot for a college kid. i want to see if maybe i can get the tmobile free 200mb a month deal ? what do u guys think. what would entice you to get cellular over just wifi.

I want to be able to access the internet anywhere there is a cell signal and not rely upon Wifi hot spots.

 

[Davidkoh]

yes they will. a cell connection is a cell connection. dont do updates while on cell. problem solved

No it's not. The limitation is in the iPad trying to download, if you connect to your internet sharing WiFi the iPad does not know it is accessing the net through a cell service, it counts it as any WiFi. If you cannot understand the reasoning feel free to test it. I have and it works as I said.

Of course I could hold off on updating, I could also hold off on downloading apps. That is not solving the problem though and this is why the iPad is limited on cellular. I don't see a point in having a cellular iPad if it is a limited experience, than I might just as well just tether and now get the limits.

 

[leenak]

I've used my iPad at saxophone lessons for looking up music videos as well as using it camping. The LTE really came in handy. If you travel a lot, it comes in handy at those airports that don't have wifi. It's really nice not to completely rely on wifi.

I'm hardly a heavy traveler but I've been in about 10 different airports this year and all of them had wifi. Even ones that used to charge for wifi now have free wifi.

 

[patseguin]

iPhone 5S has GPS, so getting the iPad 5 Cellular is probably a no go for me. Have time to think this over, but if your smartphone has this, why purchase the cellular version iPad ? Tether also works for many. Just trying to justify getting it or saving a bit of money with so many WiFi locations now days.

You may have made a point that makes my decision for me. I completely forgot about tethering.

 

[tmarks11]

For me, the killer app for the ipad is navigation.

Maps on ipad is 10x better than any dashboard GPS.

To make that work, you need GPS, which means buying the cell version.

You don't need to buy data, just make sure you have a decent mapping software (like Navigon) which allows you to load a states worth of maps at a time.

 

[Brittany246]

Free 200 mb of data isn't even worth the extra $130 in my opinion. That's barely anything. For me I'm just going to tether my iPad to my iPhone and use my 2.5 gb of data whenever I'll need it, which will be rarely. If you're not near wifi a lot, then maybe it will be worth it to you...

 

[isephmusic]

im near wifi a lot but i travel a good 3x a year so not sure if ill need it then. what app do you guys use to tether if your not on a post paid plan ?

 

[rui no onna]

I use my iPad WiFi+4G as gigantic mobile hotspots. They can easily last 3 8-hour days without charging compared to my cellphone which only lasts 4 hours. Besides that, the convenience factor is great.

If you don't need data on the phone and don't use voice and messaging services much, significant savings can be made by going with Pay-As-You-Go service for the phone and iPad for data since the data plans for tablets is much cheaper than tethering capable plans for phones.

For 2GB data on Verizon:

Smartphone + Tethering
Share Everything 2GB: $60
Smartphone Access: $40
Monthly Plan Total: $100

iPad WiFi 16GB: $500
2-year Plan Total: $2,400
Total Cost: $2,900

Tablet with Cellular Data
Prepaid Monthly Data Plan for Tablets 2GB: $30

iPad WiFi+4G 16GB: $630
2-year Plan Total: $720
2-year Pay As You Go: $400 (Verizon: 800 min/yr; AT&T/T-Mobile: 2,000 min/yr)
Total Cost: $1,750

Savings: $1,150

Of course, you do get a subsidized phone with the first option so factor that in the savings calculation if you also need to buy a new fancy smartphone.

 

[isephmusic]

NOW THIS IS how u get someone to see your point. wow great post. going for tmobile cellular ipad air. thank you

I use my iPad WiFi+4G as gigantic mobile hotspots. They can easily last 3 8-hour days without charging compared to my cellphone which only lasts 4 hours. Besides that, the convenience factor is great.

If you don't need data on the phone and don't use voice and messaging services much, significant savings can be made by going with Pay-As-You-Go service for the phone and iPad for data since the data plans for tablets is much cheaper than tethering capable plans for phones.

For 2GB data on Verizon:

Smartphone + Tethering
Share Everything 2GB: $60
Smartphone Access: $40
Monthly Plan Total: $100

iPad WiFi 16GB: $500
2-year Plan Total: $2,400
Total Cost: $2,900

Tablet with Cellular Data
Prepaid Monthly Data Plan for Tablets 2GB: $30

iPad WiFi+4G 16GB: $630
2-year Plan Total: $720
2-year Pay As You Go: $400 (Verizon: 800 min/yr; AT&T/T-Mobile: 2,000 min/yr)
Total Cost: $1,750

Savings: $1,150

Of course, you do get a subsidized phone with the first option so factor that in the savings calculation if you also need to buy a new fancy smartphone.

 

[boy-better-know]

For what it's worth, I wouldn't like to go without a cellular iPad even though I can tether with my iPhone.
1) It's easier
2) I take out a contract with 10GB p/month with my iPad where my iPhone only gets 1GB. (I use the cellular on my iPad quite a lot so this is important). I don't want to worry about using up my data allowance through tethering.
3) For me, the iPad is all about being connected everywhere you go, so it's a no brainer to pick up a cellular iPad.

Of course, this is my opinion and we are all different. So I hope my comments help someone make up their mind, but think about your own situation and how you plan on using the iPad.

 

[Sounds Good]

For anyone that knows....?

What's the least expensive way to tether from an iPhone to an iPad on an AT&T Family Plan?

If it matters, my iPhone is on an old grandfathered Unlimited Data plan (although I use very little data these days so I'm not sure why I keep it, frankly).

 

[patseguin]

I got sold OFF the cellular version by a fellow thread reader because they reminded me of iPhone tethering. I suppose if you don't have that ability then the LTE iPad Air is the way to go. I'm actually still kind of up in the air though because I am not sure if it's cheaper to have a data plan or just tether when I need to. If tethering is not that expensive then that helps my decision.

 

[rui no onna]

What's the least expensive way to tether from an iPhone to an iPad on an AT&T Family Plan?

If it matters, my iPhone is on an old grandfathered Unlimited Data plan (although I use very little data these days so I'm not sure why I keep it, frankly).

Jailbreak. I think that's the only way you can tether and still keep your unlimited plan.

 

[jimbo1mcm]

Kind of nice to have LTE when you are traveling. You can pop in a local sim card and be good to go. Also, domestically, when you are in a hotel, sometimes the "free" internet sucks because it is so slow as to be almost unusable. Finally, when you get ready to sell your ipad, it adds to the re-sale value.

 

[Meister]

Where I live data plans are cheap and the ipad comes with them.
I got 3gb/month for my ipad mini for 20€ a month (the mini came for a 50€ one off payment) if thats not enough i can enhance the speed after the 3gigs of lte are used up for 15€ for another 3gigs.
On my ipad 2 i got 5gb/month.
Cellular internet is the whole puprpose of the ipad. I use it in my car, on the train, in the restaurant, ... I could never imagine just owning a wifi version.

 

[priyamsingh]

buying the cell version is dumb. If you really need data you can just tether from your phone. Most places have wifi anyway.

 

[Aluminum213]

It is harder to justify NOT getting the cellular. You can never ADD it when you need it.

Let's assume a 3 year life. If once every 3 months you need to get something via cellular, that comes to 12 times. So, for $10 you can do it. If you do NOT have the cellular model, it is not like you can exchange it when you need it.

that's the big thing for me, you can't add cellular capabilities, I've had a wifi iPad for the past two years, and I've been around wifi most of the time when using it but when I didn't have wifi I always regretted not having paid the extra $120

----------

I'm hardly a heavy traveler but I've been in about 10 different airports this year and all of them had wifi. Even ones that used to charge for wifi now have free wifi.

you're not a heavy traveler but you've been in 10 airports in 8 months?


LOL

 

[takeshi74]

what would entice you to get cellular over just wifi.

Already have one because it offers data anywhere. I don't have WiFi everywhere I go.

 

[donnaw]

I prefer the cellular version.

1). For those folks who say most places have wifi. Well, that depends on where you live. Where I live that's just not true. Plus if I use a cell connection it's always faster (like one poster said about hotel rooms, that 'free' wifi isn't much better than the old DSL speeds).

2). I actually do banking etc on my iPad. No free public wifi for that. Too insecure.

3). Tethering just drains my phone battery. When I'm out and need to use my iPad then I'm someplace where I don't have a power plug either. I prefer my phone to have a charge since it is actually more important.

4). We frequently have storms here. Any little bit of wind and the power goes out, whoops, no Internet. Very nice to connect my iPad and check the weather radar etc. I know this won't mean much to most but it's been really handy. Plus I was at my sister's last spring and this literally saved our lives because we knew the tornado was coming and hit the cellar. Waiting for the sirens is not a good thing.

5) The GPS is worth it if nothing else.

I'll never buy a wifi only. If money is a factor (which for me, it never will be because I'm old and have savings) but if it is, I would go for lower storage instead.

 

[Vertigo1]

buying the cell version is dumb. If you really need data you can just tether from your phone. Most places have wifi anyway.

Whatever

 

[AdonisSMU]

im getting an ipad air after much debate vs a mini i want the screen estate . anyway its 499 starting price is a bit O_O much for just 16gb !. and if i want cell data and i do its 629 !!! quite a lot for a college kid. i want to see if maybe i can get the tmobile free 200mb a month deal ? what do u guys think. what would entice you to get cellular over just wifi.

There is no justification for it. The retina mini is perfect.

 

[Meister]

I prefer the cellular version.

1). For those folks who say most places have wifi. Well, that depends on where you live. Where I live that's just not true. Plus if I use a cell connection it's always faster (like one poster said about hotel rooms, that 'free' wifi isn't much better than the old DSL speeds).

2). I actually do banking etc on my iPad. No free public wifi for that. Too insecure.

3). Tethering just drains my phone battery. When I'm out and need to use my iPad then I'm someplace where I don't have a power plug either. I prefer my phone to have a charge since it is actually more important.

4). We frequently have storms here. Any little bit of wind and the power goes out, whoops, no Internet. Very nice to connect my iPad and check the weather radar etc. I know this won't mean much to most but it's been really handy. Plus I was at my sister's last spring and this literally saved our lives because we knew the tornado was coming and hit the cellar. Waiting for the sirens is not a good thing.

5) The GPS is worth it if nothing else.

I'll never buy a wifi only. If money is a factor (which for me, it never will be because I'm old and have savings) but if it is, I would go for lower storage instead.

I agree. Use icloud for storage if u really need it.
Always get cell!!

 

[Ledgem]

For anyone that knows....?

What's the least expensive way to tether from an iPhone to an iPad on an AT&T Family Plan?

I'd check your plan. My family was previously on a plan where we had data allocated to each phone number, but talk time was shared. Tethering would have cost extra under that plan. We switched over to a shared data family plan, which worked out to be a fair bit cheaper and automatically enabled tethering in the process, at no extra cost. We've never had issues with exceeding the shared bandwidth, but if that's a concern then be aware that the AT&T iPhone app allows you to see a breakdown of bandwidth usage by phone number, and you can disable data for a particular phone through the app if need be.

If the shared data plan doesn't make financial sense, then check how much it would cost to enable tethering. Last I checked, it was a ridiculously high fee. I believe there are some software kludges that can be used to tether, as well, but it's much more convenient to do it from within iOS itself.