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iPad LTE useful?

Jervasio

Jervasio

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 11, 2016
100
38
Hey guys,
I just wanted to know what use the users of iPad with LTE give to it... I mean, do you completely substitute the phone and have one "do it all" device?
I think that's the only way LTE on an iPad justify the extra cost.. I don't think you need to pay the extra $$ for the eventuality of you need to make a call because your phone is not available..
But let me know how you use it :)
 
I have a few sims which provide me with some free data every month in various countries which means I know I will always have data. I've had several instances where I was working somewhere with poor wifi and my phone signal was terrible too - being able to pick up a sim on a different network definitely saved my day as I could actually do work then.

I personally don't see it as a large cost - you get more money when selling a LTE enabled device than you do selling a wifi device later, and for the peace of mind it has definitely paid off for me.
 
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All depends on your needs. I use my 10.5 in the field and there are times that I have to have a connection and LTE is there for me. I hope the new file system in iOS11 will help.
 
my mini had LTE.
It was better than using the hotspot feature.
Not using it as often as I thought I would, cost per month came into play.
With the new iPads release I am on the fence again, LTE or Wifi
 
For me wifi is enough; I still have a mobile wifi router and my iPhone hotspot. No need for additional lte ; saved some money I can put into the keyboard once again in stock.
 
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I thought LTE was something that I could use, and thus my current (and old) iPAd is LTE. I found I barely used that feature and I was basically throwing away 10 bucks a month. My next iPad is going to be wifi only
 
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Personally I don’t pay monthly for data for my iPad and haven’t since the iPad 3. Especially with the Apple Sim now you can pay for data when you need it.
 
Cascades42 said:
Personally I don’t pay monthly for data for my iPad and haven’t since the iPad 3. Especially with the Apple Sim now you can pay for data when you need it.
Click to expand...
I used to do that with my iPad2 on AT&T and just refill every so often. I've been wifi only for my last couple of iPads but I ordered a 10.5 LTE through Sprint with $100 off promotion and signing up for autopay knocked $5 off the $10 tablet access for my share plan.

Just curious for those in the States - does anyone use LTE pay as you go and if so what carrier/data level do you get? I shopped around and wasn't impressed with what I found. Several $20 for 1-2 GB and cheaper ones only lasted a day or a week.
 
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I considered getting an LTE iPad once when I had quite a low data cap on my phone plan. However I increased the cap on my phone plan and I've been very happy since with Bluetooth tethering from my phone. It works seamlessly in my experience and I won't bother getting an LTE iPad in the future.

However, it seems like you might be interested in trying to use an iPad to replace your phone. I would have no interest in that. I prefer having an iPad and a phone.
 
My first four iPads were WiFi only. I find there are regular occasions where I can't get WiFi, and it's too much trouble for me to use my hotspot. I've been very happy since getting my latest iPad with LTE.
 
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I've always used wifi only but I'm going to give cellular a shot this time. I was actually surprised I didn't have to pay more a month I guess because of the discount through my work so I'll see how it goes. I will say I've always been fine with wifi and I would use the hotspot on my phone if needed, not ideal but it worked great in a pinch. We'll see how it goes though maybe I'll find a lot of use for the cellular, I do plan on using this on my train commute so that should be nice.
 
This topic has been discussed in similar threads, but here's the gist of it:

-If you need to use your iPad for navigation, there is no built-in GPS in the wifi version and no, it won't use your phone's GPS.

-Not everyone lives in an area where wifi is readily available. If you plan to use the iPad only at home, then no point in the LTE version.

-Using your phone as a hotspot causes significant battery drain. That being said, if you rarely use the iPad away from home, then this may be the best option.

-Financial: Most carriers offer payment plans on the LTE version and that may be the best options for some to purchase an iPad. Sure Best Buy will give you either 12-18 months no interest, but you may not pay the amount necessary to pay it off on time. With payment plans like AT&T's Next, the payment is the same and added to your bill.
 
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jbachandouris said:
This topic has been discussed in similar threads, but here's the gist of it:

-If you need to use your iPad for navigation, there is no built-in GPS in the LTE version and no, it won't use your phone's GPS.
Click to expand...


There is no GPS in the Wifi only version. The LTE/UMTS/GSM (cellular) one has got GPS.

H.
 
I use my iPad Air 2 in various locations,but I see no point in another SIM card,i use the internet sharing option in my iPhone when I need internet access withouth any nearby open wifi networks. With this option,my iPhone 6 does ok job as LTE wireless router.
 
For me yes, it's very useful.

With AT&T Wi-Fi Calling, I can even answer regular phone calls on my iPad even if I happen to forget my iPhone at home. :)

Only reason I use an iPhone is for camera and to act as a "phone server" for my iPad.
 
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I have been using iPads since the original iPad, and my first 3 or 4 iPads, including my original iPad had a cellular connection. I loved the ability to just pick up the iPad and know it was connected no matter where I was. For those first few years when I replaced my iPad there was no question about whether I would purchase the cellular version.

But back in 2015 with the iPad Air 2 I bought my first wifi only iPad. There were a few reasons for the change. First, I had an iPhone 6+ at the time and with the bigger screen on the phone I found that I was using the iPad more at home (where I had wifi) and taking it with me much less. Additionally, in the years since I started using iPads wifi hotspots were much more common and I found that most of the places where I did take the iPad had wifi available. Finally, at that time changes in iOS and with my ATT plan meant that I could tether my iPad to my phone in the rare cases when I had the iPad out of the house and didn’t have wifi available.

So, the short version is, it definitely depends on your use case. I swore by the cellular option for years, but technology and my usage of the iPad changed and now it’s no longer worth spending the money on that option for me.
 
For me, it's just annoying when I want to use it while out and about and there isn't some WiFi I can connect to. I don't like having to always connect it to my iPhone hotspot and drain out the battery. It's only $10/mo for me to add 2GB of data on T-Mobile, which is plenty for checking notifications and casual browsing while I'm off WiFi. I also think it throttles down to slower speeds if I go over. It's also already updated with notifications and such when I pull it out of my bag, so I can jump right in to responding to email on the keyboard. It's also handy to have the GPS so you have a big map for a passenger to use while road tripping. After having a Wi-Fi only iPad for a couple years, I'm really excited to be back on LTE.
 
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