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iPad What has been the biggest complain about ipad since the original ipad (2010)
- Thread starter cibonak
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iPad cellular can’t receive or send text messages. Can’t make phone calls (no, not Skype calls, not google hangout and alike), can’t manage Apple Watch.
Yes, cellular iPads have assigned phone numbers, yet you can only make a call from an iPad, using FaceTime, via your iPhone. You can set up wireless calling, so you don't need your iPhone nearby, but that's not the same as a normal phone call.
And of course, iPadOS hasn't caught up with the hardware yet, Not even close.
Phone calls and SMS messaging are part of a Cellular/Mobile Calling Plan, which costs much more than a cellular data-only plan. (Anyone remember when text messages cost $0.25 each?)
iPads are pretty awkward to use as phones (even minis), assuming people want to hold the phone to their ears rather than use them only on speakerphone or with a headset. Basically, use a headset or kiss privacy goodbye.
So should the telcos and Apple get together and decide that they could offer SMS + cellular data capability? Sure, why not? Kinda like the old Blackberry days. I'm sure they'd charge more than $10/month.
"Which plan do you want, cellular data-only, cellular + SMS, or full mobile calling with text and data? Unlimited calling, text, and data?"
"Why are you asking me all these questions? All I want is an internet connection for my iPad when I'm at a construction site!"
Effectively, an iPad with cellular data is similar to using a dedicated cellular hotspot with a laptop - those are also data-only devices.
Whatever. I have all my needs addressed without paying extra for a cellular iPad. When I need to, I connect my iPad to the cellular hotspot on my iPhone. I have Text Message Forwarding enabled, so all my SMS messages are sent to my iPad and Mac as well. I'm also using Calls on Other Devices, so when my iPhone rings the call also reaches my iPad and Mac.
The principal reason people seem to want to have that iPad "phone number" be active for SMS and/or calls is to have a second phone line - home and business, let's say. It seems a less convincing argument now that iPhones have dual SIM capability, but I'm sure there are some people (a fairly small percentage of cellular iPad users, I'd wager) who can make a logical argument for it in their particular situation.
I also suspect for some people it's just the principal of the thing - the phone company assigned a number, and that precious number seems to be going to waste. Again, a fully-capable telephone pays the monthly fee for a fully-capable telephone. A data-only device pays the data-only rate. No free rides.
iPads are pretty awkward to use as phones (even minis), assuming people want to hold the phone to their ears rather than use them only on speakerphone or with a headset. Basically, use a headset or kiss privacy goodbye.
So should the telcos and Apple get together and decide that they could offer SMS + cellular data capability? Sure, why not? Kinda like the old Blackberry days. I'm sure they'd charge more than $10/month.
"Which plan do you want, cellular data-only, cellular + SMS, or full mobile calling with text and data? Unlimited calling, text, and data?"
"Why are you asking me all these questions? All I want is an internet connection for my iPad when I'm at a construction site!"
Effectively, an iPad with cellular data is similar to using a dedicated cellular hotspot with a laptop - those are also data-only devices.
Whatever. I have all my needs addressed without paying extra for a cellular iPad. When I need to, I connect my iPad to the cellular hotspot on my iPhone. I have Text Message Forwarding enabled, so all my SMS messages are sent to my iPad and Mac as well. I'm also using Calls on Other Devices, so when my iPhone rings the call also reaches my iPad and Mac.
The principal reason people seem to want to have that iPad "phone number" be active for SMS and/or calls is to have a second phone line - home and business, let's say. It seems a less convincing argument now that iPhones have dual SIM capability, but I'm sure there are some people (a fairly small percentage of cellular iPad users, I'd wager) who can make a logical argument for it in their particular situation.
I also suspect for some people it's just the principal of the thing - the phone company assigned a number, and that precious number seems to be going to waste. Again, a fully-capable telephone pays the monthly fee for a fully-capable telephone. A data-only device pays the data-only rate. No free rides.
The next complaint has to do with Siri still being a very limited source of information by limited spoken command structures. iPads remind one of the Alan Kay vision of the Knowledge Navigator, but we haven't gotten that much closer still. That same tablet device could readily perform cellular communications as discussed before this post.
The iPad 3 was definitely the worse iPad I owned. So I feel your pain. The retina screen looked great, but everything else felt worse that my iPad 2. I did skip the 4 as my next iPad was the Air.
Some of my complaints have been addressed, but the two that remain have been mentioned - iPad OS hasn't kept up with the hardware and lack of profiles and guest mode (which could be included in that as well).
for me the software keyboard has always been a complaint. I feel like they could make a better one for thumb typing. Might involve rethinking the keyboard a bit. For example, they could have the letters on the right and everything else on the left. Everything else would be space bar, punctuation, shift/cap lock, numbers, etc. and have it split and adjust it so it's up from the bottom in portrait mode because at the very bottom it is too low and not balanced well. Maybe they could have the vowels on the left as well and only consonants on the right.
And then a complaint for awhile has been that they haven't developed a proper docked solution yet. They tout how powerful their chip is and so I immediately think why can't I have a proper desktop experience with the iPad. I just sometimes want a bigger screen and multiple windows and minimalist but quick(not tedious) file system.
And then a complaint for awhile has been that they haven't developed a proper docked solution yet. They tout how powerful their chip is and so I immediately think why can't I have a proper desktop experience with the iPad. I just sometimes want a bigger screen and multiple windows and minimalist but quick(not tedious) file system.