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iPad 3g Is it worth it?

G

gmans46

macrumors regular
Original poster
Im for sure buying an iPad 2 day one but what has continually plagued me is whether or not the 130$ (or maybe less now) upgrade is worth it. I just wanted to know peoples thoughts on it. I will be in college next year and have access to wifi alot but there still are those "times" when it is handy.
 
gmans46 said:
Im for sure buying an iPad 2 day one but what has continually plagued me is whether or not the 130$ (or maybe less now) upgrade is worth it. I just wanted to know peoples thoughts on it. I will be in college next year and have access to wifi alot but there still are those "times" when it is handy.
Click to expand...

In the current version, the 3G model also give you GPS functionality which is good for self-contained navigation apps even if you don't have the 3G data turned on.

Unless you intend to hold onto the device forever, chances are you will get a fair portion of that extra money back when reselling, so the cost delta is less although you're tying up the money in the additional device value.

Me? I went with a 3G model, but I also bought it used so the price hike wasn't as much as it would be buying it new. Although I've not yet had a need to turn on the 3G access, there are times when it will be useful. Were I an undergrad in college rather than a profession who travels some, I'm not so sure I would go with the 3G model. It really depends on the specific usage needs and whether having 3G capability would be of use.

At the end of the day, worth is a value judgement only you can truly make.
 
I really prefer the 3G one. It has, obviously, 3G functionality which is nice when you need internet, but it also has GPS. Now this might seem useless, but some apps make use of the GPS functionality and it's actually rather handy.

And when I went on holiday in december I brought my iPad with me for use during the trip and perhaps on holiday, I thought. But at some point during the trip the TomTom couldn't find any GPS signal due to bad weather, in the middle of nowhere (in Germany 😛) and when it found a GPS signal it couldn't calculate any good tracks because all roads were routed (or however that's called in English).

Well, my iPad on the otherhand had a good GPS signal and we were able to find the right track by using the built-in Maps app in combination with the GPS! It's a situation you think will never happen, but it happened and thanks to the big screen we were able to give clear directions to the driver.
 
If 4.3 brings mobile hotspot to the ATT iPhone, I'll get an ipad without the 3G antenna and turn on/ off tethering whenever I need to use the ipad away from wifi.
 
for me - No.
I overbought when I got a 32GB 3G model. I paid $15 dollars a month for almost a year and never used more than 100MB in any month. Lesson learned. For me the WIFI version works for 98% of my needs. As a student do you need the extra data charges? I thought the GPS would be a killer feature but I seldom had a real need for it. If I'm going to buy the new version every year and I'll admit it I will, then I'm better off getting the basic model. YMMV
 
I've owned 32gb wifi only since launch and could count on my hand the number of times i thought "sure would be nice if my iPad had 3G right now". I have my iPhone for any mobile needs, but most of the time i had a wifi signal.
 
3G is useful is you need internet connectivity when there's no wifi around.

For me, I didn't think the price increase and monthly cost was worth it.
 
At $25 for 2GB for iPad's 3G, I'd say it's worth it. There have been times when I'm on campus and needed something on my iPad that I couldn't access with my iPhone 4, (iWorks - Pages email a doc). It was definitely handy to have 3G in that situation. Be aware that some classrooms don't have WiFi or 3G available on campus. I try to always utilize my WiFi when on campus, thereby using less 3G to keep from exceeding my 2GB limit. If you exceed the 2GB limit by even .01MB, you get charged $10 by AT&T. I love that fact that I can access 3G when I need it or when WiFi is unavailable. Power went out at my house a couple of weeks ago, but my iPad's 3G was a life saver...😎
 
If you don't have a smartphone I suppose it's worth it. If you have a smartphone and a data plan already, why not just tether it? You already got the GPS on your phone as well and unless you really need a 10" navigation machine - and even for that there'll probably be some Bluetooth tethering to work around it - I just don't see the big appeal of 3G. I guess you could really want the convenience of not having to turn the tethering on and off on your phone when you use the iPad.
 
...

I am really hoping that the ipad2 has GPS in the wifi model. If you look at the specs they think it will have on appleinsider.com it seems to indicate the radio chip may be separate and they may put the gps in the wifi and bluetooth chip instead...or at least thats what it looks like. GPS is a great reason to get the 3g model as it stands now
 
newdeal said:
I am really hoping that the ipad2 has GPS in the wifi model. If you look at the specs they think it will have on appleinsider.com it seems to indicate the radio chip may be separate and they may put the gps in the wifi and bluetooth chip instead...or at least thats what it looks like. GPS is a great reason to get the 3g model as it stands now
Click to expand...

Yea I'm hoping for that too but a little Googling shows that is unlikely:
The Gobi modules consists of firmware, a GPS chip and a software-defined radio that is both CDMA and HSPA compliant. It can be configured to run on any compliant network with a 5-second software update, or (depending on the business arrangement struck between laptop OEMs and carriers) could be limited to certain carrier networks. One way or another, laptop makers would love to have a single, multicarrier network card from which to choose.
 
I have a 3G but if I had to do it again, Id go Wifi. I did a JB on my iphone 4 and got MyWi. So basically I have 3G everywhere since I have my phone with me at all times. If you dont like the idea of a JB, just tether legally. If you dont want to lose an unlimited plan, 3G ipad.
 
I'm going to be going with a WiFi version when iPad 2 drops simply because my phone (Nokia E63) acts as a more than serviceable WiFi hotspot on the rare occasions I may need to use it away from a consistent WiFi connection.
 
I have a WiFi iPad but use a MiFi with it right now due to the fact that I work on more personal projects out of the "office". However, i'll definitely be getting a 3G iPad 2. You don't need a data contract, and if you've got the money, it's definitely a plus to have if, should you ever need it.
 
I haven't activated the 3g on mine since I got it back in early June, but have used the GPS a few times. Pretty much depending on your situation GPS alone can make it worth it. When I got my ipad it was still during the truly unlimited data, and I'm guessing that it's tied up to the sim card and not the iPad. Wondering if I can switch the sim card from the iPad 2 to the one I have now that way I still have the ability to have unlimited internet.
 
I don't have a cellphone, so 3G iPad is the only connectivity I have when I go out. I don't leave my house that often, so cell phone data plans were too expensive for something I use rarely. $15/month for iPad 3G data was exactly what I was looking for. When Jobs announced it, I said Hallelujah! Praise be to Jobs! 😀

That said, if you already have a cellphone with a data plan, 3G iPad probably isn't worth it. It all depends on your usage.
 
It all depends on what you will be using the ipad for. I bought the 3G iPad and was the biggest mistake I ever made. Wasted 130 bucks when I only used the 3G once. I bought it originally thinking i'd go on and off with 3G whenever I needed it, and that never happened. When I did take the ipad out, it was normally somewhere that had a wi-fi connection.

So this time around, i'll be sure just to get a wi-fi only ipad.

Also with the wifi hotspot that should be coming soon for at&t, I'll just share my iphone's internet connection with the ipad. So there would be no point in me getting a 3G iPad anymore.

Everybody is different though with their uses, so it's all up to you.
 
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