I won't be able to decide whether or not to use Low Data Mode until there's an explanation of what it does.
I had specifically hoped to see a screenshot of the Wi-Fi "Low Data Mode" setting, vs the Cellular. This is a feature that Windows 10 has (and, iirc, older Windows versions too) that's really nice, and iOS already
has albeit somewhat
hidden (is used when communicating to a Personal Hotspot iDevice). Having had a Verizon JetPack, I watched my iPhone, iPad, and MBP burn through 5 GB in two weekends with pretty low data usage on my part; Verizon was less than worthless to help me figure out what was going on, but they credited me the 5GB of data "one time only". Unfortunately, the JetPack didn't use a nanoSIM, and Verizon wouldn't issue me a nanoSIM for it, but luckily I had a cutter and an adapter so I cut the SIM down and put it in my cellular iPad and used Personal Hotspot… BOOM! Similar app usage, but a HUGE difference in data usage. Shorter: hotspots are all but worthless without this feature; your Apple devices treat them as a broadband Wi-Fi network and will go balls out and eat up all your data allocation doing stupid things like iCloud Backups and checking mail every 2 minutes, and with the up-to-current iOS versions you have no recourse, unusable.
So yeah… I hope Apple got their heads out of nether regions and make this work like I hope it does: a toggle on any specific Wi-Fi network, like Android and Windows 10 provide that turns on whatever secret sauce throttling Apple is already using with Personal Hotspot.
Has anyone tested the auto hotspot feature that is being promised? It seems like it would be a nice feature for an iPad to auto connect to an iPhone's data connection if there is no Wi-Fi available.
This is another one of those "WTF?" things… for anyone who uses Personal Hotspot on an iPhone and an iPad, the need to
continually reconnect is infuriating. Considering that Apple people must use their devices, I can only assume they greedily had decided to spitefully punish those who didn't pony up the extra cash for a cellular model if you wanted to use a Wi-Fi iPad outside the house. When I first got the ability to
actually enable Personal Hotspot on my iPhone (thanks AT&T, you greedy turds), I actually called Apple under AppleCare and even the Tier 2 techs couldn't figure out why my iPad didn't auto-reconnect… until they went to Tier 3 who informed them it "worked as intended". Go figure. That was like 5 years ago.
I am surprised no one is really talking about Auto Personal Hotspot. Assuming someone has their cell phone on them, I don’t see a reason to get a cellular iPad.
This. And I own a cellular iPad and will only buy cellular iPads! Now all Apple needs to do, assuming all this works as we expect, is to stop with the BS greed and put GPS in the Wi-Fi iPad. I don't care if it takes longer to acquire sat-lock due to not having cellular assist. It is just stupid a device not knowing its Location in 2019. Doubly stupid that Personal Hotspot can't communicate location effectively too. (Android devices do both, have done so for years.) Personally, since the Qualcomm brouhaha is over, and FTC has hammered them on their FRAND licensing, I'm hoping the cost of the cellular option drops to the point where Apple just puts it in every iPad Air and iPad Pro model; it should certainly just be in every iPad Pro, it is a Pro feature whether pros realize they need it or not, at purchase time or later.
And, finally, count me as number 76,989 that thinks the Arcade vs Update button switch is counter to my needs. If you like Auto Update, great for you. I like Froot Loops and you might like Honey Nut Cheerios… fine, OK. But I don't like it, and I've been bitten one too many times by buggy apps. What Apple –should– do, IMHO, is enable the ability to download previous app versions, and don't let the developer control that. Between bugs and ads, I just don't have the tolerance anymore for not owning what I've bought. And it is 100% clear that Apple made this switch for money; to pump Arcade, in spite of whether the user has interest in their new offering (I don't, sorry, just don't game enough anymore), and to promote Auto Update, which is a bow to the devs.