iPad Pro Whats the point of a WiFi Only iPad Pro ?

[jqc]

Att doesn't allow those like myself on Unlimited Data plans to tether. Kind of ass backwards if you ask me but it is what it is.

check again, i have a legacy corporate unlimited plan which Im pretty sure I wasnt able to use to tether before; just tried using it...and it works!!!!

 

[titans1127]

check again, i have a legacy corporate unlimited plan which Im pretty sure I wasnt able to use to tether before; just tried using it...and it works!!!!

I have a regular consumer account with a FAN discount, tethering is not an option and never has been for my phone unless I move off unlimited data. The old discontinued iPad unlimited data plan might allow it but I'm not 100% sure

 

[SurFaceMac]

Nail. On. Head.

Using 'Free wifi' is to give up too much and it's probably no coincidence that many of them, in my experience, do not allow VPN connections. At the very least you're being tracked and quite a few need an email or phone number to gain access.

I'll take my VPN over cellular over what Starbucks or the shopping mall are offering.

There is no difference between VPN over Wi-Fi and VPN over cellular.

VPN is point-to-point encryption, from the iPad to the Destination server. The mechanism in the middle does not matter. The only time it would matter is if the Wi-Fi connection is configured to not support a VPN connection. If that were to be true, then you're shopping or using your tech in a truly dangerous place.

 

[Commy1]

As my iPad is my main computing device having LTE anywhere I go instead of searching for wifi is very freeing. I opt into a very cheap phone plan with very limited data, because data phone plans in Canada are terrible and expensive.
Having the iPad I can just switch sims or international plans easily without being tied to a contract.

 

[jclardy]

Today I went to Fresh Market sat at their great cafeteria to have a snack. Took out my 9.7 Pro to do some notes and write down some invention ideas as they come to me. Lo and behold No WIFI its 2016 in a posh Fresh Market very upscale I was enraged. No need to fret flipped on LTE cell Data and I am connected at 20-40Mbps.

My question is as wonderful as wifi is, people forget how limited the coverage is and even if you can see a Network in range often and quite appropriately so it is private and secured. Which got me thinking who in their right mind buys a WiFi only iPad Pro model ?

How do you justify a WiFi only purchase ?

Because it is pretty much the same amount of time to tap settings/wifi and tap my iPhone (which now turns on tethering for you, you don't even have to take your phone out of your pocket.)

 

[RedOrchestra]

Because it is pretty much the same amount of time to tap settings/wifi and tap my iPhone (which now turns on tethering for you, you don't even have to take your phone out of your pocket.)

Great, now you can drain the battery on both your devices at the same time.

 

[tom504]

I have a Ipad Pro 4g but looking at the wifi settings last night when testing AC I noticed my iphone was an option. Looks like you can tap it and it will auto start the tethering but when you disconnect it does not auto turn the tethering off. Still pretty cool.

 

[Serban]

here in my country if you have a good home internet you have an extra sim/nano sim with unlimited 3g data so here is no use to buy the wifi only

 

[Kiimora]

My Air 2 is mostly a home & away device hence I have absolutely no justification for a cellular model. I stay in only wifi free hotels & could use my 6s plus as a hotspot if the situation warrants, which is never so far since owning IP3 previously.

 

[Night Spring]

here in my country if you have a good home internet you have an extra sim/nano sim with unlimited 3g data so here is no use to buy the wifi only

Which country is that? I need to move there!

 

[617aircav]

I was in Heathrow last week and used their free wifi for the entire time I was there. Terminal 3. I've also used it in T5.

I was there Dec 2014. I am right now at jfk and only wifi is boingo 30 min free.

 

[Count Blah]

Today I went to Fresh Market sat at their great cafeteria to have a snack. Took out my 9.7 Pro to do some notes and write down some invention ideas as they come to me. Lo and behold No WIFI its 2016 in a posh Fresh Market very upscale I was enraged. No need to fret flipped on LTE cell Data and I am connected at 20-40Mbps.

My question is as wonderful as wifi is, people forget how limited the coverage is and even if you can see a Network in range often and quite appropriately so it is private and secured. Which got me thinking who in their right mind buys a WiFi only iPad Pro model ?

How do you justify a WiFi only purchase ?

I don't take my iPad to pretentious places, to do pretentious things.

I go to places to do things there, not bring my digital crutch with me.

- I go the park, I enjoy the park, not to browse the news, look at *insert social media drudgery here*
- I go to a sporting event to watch the sporting event, not read Macrumors
- I go somewhere and NEED a distraction for a minute or two, or look up a fact - I whip out the phone, get what I need quickly, put the phone pack in my pocket, and live life

I use my iPad at home, or homes of relatives, 95+% of the time. That's how I "justify" my wifi only iPad, and I'd have it no other way.

 

[Sheza]

'who in their right mind buys a WiFi only iPad Pro model ?'

Most people, actually? Because I don't know if you know but there's this thing called a mobile phone that you can use to create your own Wifi hotspot?

 

[joeblow7777]

I don't take my iPad to pretentious places, to do pretentious things.

I go to places to do things there, not bring my digital crutch with me.

- I go the park, I enjoy the park, not to browse the news, look at *insert social media drudgery here*
- I go to a sporting event to watch the sporting event, not read Macrumors
- I go somewhere and NEED a distraction for a minute or two, or look up a fact - I whip out the phone, get what I need quickly, put the phone pack in my pocket, and live life

I use my iPad at home, or homes of relatives, 95+% of the time. That's how I "justify" my wifi only iPad, and I'd have it no other way.

A little harsh, but I generally agree. I use my ipad when I'm at home or work, or staying somewhere (and I don't stay anywhere without decent wifi if I can help it). If I'm out it's likely for a reason, and if I need/want to check something online my phone will suffice. I have 5GB of data per month and I seldom use more than 200MB! That's how rarely I use the internet while away from wifi.

Why would I pay even $1 more for a cellular tablet?

 

[SurFaceMac]

As my iPad is my main computing device having LTE anywhere I go instead of searching for wifi is very freeing. I opt into a very cheap phone plan with very limited data, because data phone plans in Canada are terrible and expensive.
Having the iPad I can just switch sims or international plans easily without being tied to a contract.

A little harsh, but I generally agree. I use my ipad when I'm at home or work, or staying somewhere (and I don't stay anywhere without decent wifi if I can help it). If I'm out it's likely for a reason, and if I need/want to check something online my phone will suffice. I have 5GB of data per month and I seldom use more than 200MB! That's how rarely I use the internet while away from wifi.

Why would I pay even $1 more for a cellular tablet?

I just came from a Galaxy Tab 10.1 with cellular. I chose a wi-fi iPad because I have only used the cellular aspect a half dozen times in 3 years. Just not worth having another device with this unused capability.

I consider that money reallocated to internal storage.

 

[Fthree]

Just do some research and go to places with wifi?

 

[stlredbird]

I don't take my iPad to pretentious places, to do pretentious things.

I go to places to do things there, not bring my digital crutch with me.

- I go the park, I enjoy the park, not to browse the news, look at *insert social media drudgery here*
- I go to a sporting event to watch the sporting event, not read Macrumors
- I go somewhere and NEED a distraction for a minute or two, or look up a fact - I whip out the phone, get what I need quickly, put the phone pack in my pocket, and live life

I use my iPad at home, or homes of relatives, 95+% of the time. That's how I "justify" my wifi only iPad, and I'd have it no other way.

100% same here. I use my 12.9 ipad pro at work, home, or other home like places (staying at hotels or relatives houses). I never took my old ipad 3 i had for 4 years anywhere else and i dont expect to do it with this one.

 

[bigjnyc]

I think you guys scared the elitist OP away with all of your examples. I think this thread was just started to let the Internet know that the OP comes up with inventions on the fly in public.

 

[stlredbird]

I think you guys scared the elitist OP away with all of your examples. I think this thread was just started to let the Internet know that the OP comes up with inventions on the fly in public.

I completely glossed over the "write down invention ideas" part haha. I had no idea we han Ron Popeil here on the forums!

 

[rui no onna]

I go to places to do things there, not bring my digital crutch with me.

- I go the park, I enjoy the park, not to browse the news, look at *insert social media drudgery here*
- I go to a sporting event to watch the sporting event, not read Macrumors
- I go somewhere and NEED a distraction for a minute or two, or look up a fact - I whip out the phone, get what I need quickly, put the phone pack in my pocket, and live life

I use my iPad at home, or homes of relatives, 95+% of the time. That's how I "justify" my wifi only iPad, and I'd have it no other way.

I go to the doctor's office and sometimes have to wait an hour or more for a 15-minute appointment. Reading MacRumors on the iPad makes the wait far more bearable. Same for long car trips.

 

[bufffilm]

There are, clearly, good reasons not to buy LTE (e.g. 90-95% home use, always in range of wifi, etc.) but I didn't read THE reason to buy LTE:

SECURITY.

When banking, receiving confidential email, chatting with clients etc. I don't want to use a wifi I'm not sure I can trust and certainly a free wifi that I absolutely don't trust. So I prefer to have a much more trusted connection with a LTE provider (although stingrays are also possible these days, but that's a much smaller risk and there are also layers of security with VPN, SSL, protonmail etc).
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the new iPad 9.7" has a much nicer solution! This really annoyes me to no end in my 12.9", even though I know how stupidly irrational that is.

I wouldn't trust free wifi either. But you do know (I hope) that you can turn your phone into a hotspot on many plans.

I know it eats into the battery some, but nothing is free. Better that over giving any more money to Apple or the carriers.

Ymmv.

 

[Count Blah]

A little harsh, but I generally agree. I use my ipad when I'm at home or work, or staying somewhere (and I don't stay anywhere without decent wifi if I can help it). If I'm out it's likely for a reason, and if I need/want to check something online my phone will suffice. I have 5GB of data per month and I seldom use more than 200MB! That's how rarely I use the internet while away from wifi.

Why would I pay even $1 more for a cellular tablet?

No!! Saying "who in their right mind buys a WiFi only iPad Pro model" is more than a little harsh.

The setup and statement simply demanded the response I provided.
[doublepost=1459991639][/doublepost]

I go to the doctor's office and sometimes have to wait an hour or more for a 15-minute appointment. Reading MacRumors on the iPad makes the wait far more bearable. Same for long car trips.

I hear ya. If you have a "friendly" data plan, and your routine warrants it, then it makes perfect sense. For situations as you describe, I generally use my phone. Long car rides is a very good example, but I am invariably the one driving

Like you, I can think of any number of examples where it might be useful. But for me, and many others it seems, these examples do not demand Cellular in an iPad, when we also have our phones with us. Far from the "Who in their right mind" the OP stated/trolled.

 

[jclardy]

Great, now you can drain the battery on both your devices at the same time.

Yep, because electricity is certainly a scarce resource where i'm from. If only they made portable external USB batteries for situations like these!

But seriously - most people use their iPad's in their houses. Or work. Or at a coffee shop. All places that literally always have wifi. To a majority of people there is no pointing spending money to buy the LTE version and add a tablet to their cell plan. Personally the only place I tether my iPad is at the airport because I don't want to pay for their crappy wifi for half an hour.

 

[joeblow7777]

Personally the only place I tether my iPad is at the airport because I don't want to pay for their crappy wifi for half an hour.

I don't travel much, but the three airports I've been to in the last year all had free unlimited wifi, and they were all fast enough to stream HD Netflix with no problem.

 

[tom504]

My 2 cents, I have had 4g and 3G prior on my iPads because I have never trusted public wifi and don't want to have to depend on my phone to tether. Not sure why but there has been times at least with the iPad Air/air 2 where I got a better signal than my phone.