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81Tiger04

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Aug 11, 2009
465
37
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I'm a little confused as to why I would want 4G LTE. Most of the places I go have Wi-Fi and I'm likely not going to be using it in the car or out in the yard. Is 4G for everyone or for people who might use the iPad as a means of doing work in places that don't have Wi-Fi? What are the advantages of 4G?
 
4G is fast, always on, and despite popular belief, wifi isn't really everywhere.

You have to pay for the convenience of being able to connect EVERYWHERE (there is cell coverage, of course... :D )
 
I'm a little confused as to why I would want 4G LTE. Most of the places I go have Wi-Fi and I'm likely not going to be using it in the car or out in the yard. Is 4G for everyone or for people who might use the iPad as a means of doing work in places that don't have Wi-Fi? What are the advantages of 4G?

Quite simply, the advantage is ALWAYS having access to the internet. If you don't need that, don't get an iPad with cellular data.

Personally, I need access when I'm out of the home/office so I have it and my new iPad will as well. Also, I often do have access to wifi in public but sadly find in most cases that AT&T 3G data speeds are better. Can't wait for LTE access.
 
So it's a matter of convenience more or less ... What data plan would you consider the minimum? 256MB doesn't seem like much at all, is it?
 
So it's a matter of convenience more or less ... What data plan would you consider the minimum? 256MB doesn't seem like much at all, is it?

Well, if all you need to do is check the occasional email and webpage, that might work. More than likely you will need more.

Some people insist on streaming music and movies over a cellular connection. For those folks, they need bigger wallets....
 
For me there is no reason to get LTE. Where I live they aren't even on the list to get LTE yet.

And when I travel only a few of the cities I frequent have LTE.

When I need to use my iPad on the go I just use my iPhone hotspot.
 
Based on your usage, OP, it would make more sense for you to get just the wifi version. 4G is more for those who are always on the go and need to be connected wherever they are.
 
I use the cell data all the time. Some examples - when I ride the exercise bike or get on the elliptical machine at the gym, I stream Netflix to my iPad to watch while working out.

At work, where my internet connection is limited due to the company blocking a lot of sites, I use it to connect to those sites during the day when I need to.

When at my parents house (who don't even know what wi-fi is), I can pull up pictures from smugmug or flikr to show them.

I could go on but you can see how handy it is.
 
It makes a lot more sense if the hotspot feature is free to use with the data plan, afterall, it's capped data, it shouldn't matter how you use it. But I would love to use the 4g ipad connected to my Macbook since I travel frequently and remote into work very often.
 
Based on your usage, OP, it would make more sense for you to get just the wifi version. 4G is more for those who are always on the go and need to be connected wherever they are.

Starting to agree. I'm assuming Wi-Fi continues to spread. Except for possibly using it in the car, none of the examples really apply to me. Just not sure the minimal extra usage is worth $130 for LTE and then the monthly plan.
 
Because hotel/airport/resort wifi sucks. Every place i've stayed at over the last year has barely been fast enough to load a webpage let alone make a skype call or watch a video. I'll gladly pay $130 for that option.
 
I wish Verizon offered an unlimited plan for LTE.

I would so ditch my current ISP and just use the new iPad as a personal hotspot for all of my devices (if it was at no extra cost).
 
Starting to agree. I'm assuming Wi-Fi continues to spread. Except for possibly using it in the car, none of the examples really apply to me. Just not sure the minimal extra usage is worth $130 for LTE and then the monthly plan.

Right. Don't get it just to get it (unless money is noconcern). I bought an iPad 1 with just wifi and I never regretted it for a second. I have never had to take it out of the house or had to use it in a place where there was no wifi.

Get the one that's approprite for you, not the one that everyone says is "better" or "more worth it." Comes down to how YOU use it, not them.
 
I would so ditch my current ISP and just use the new iPad as a personal hotspot for all of my devices (if it was at no extra cost).

Does anyone know whether tethering will in fact be an additional cost? I can't seem to find any documentation on it. Agree with earlier poster, if its capped data anyway, then why should Verizon care how it gets used? Just makes more people blow through their caps and start amassing huge overage fees.
 
Right. Don't get it just to get it (unless money is noconcern). I bought an iPad 1 with just wifi and I never regretted it for a second. I have never had to take it out of the house or had to use it in a place where there was no wifi.

Get the one that's approprite for you, not the one that everyone says is "better" or "more worth it." Comes down to how YOU use it, not them.

I agree, I've always had the WiFi version however I'm cutting back on my phone tariff in summer and won't have tethering so I can use those pre-paid data cards from eBay.

Tethering is great albeit you it takes about a min or two.
 
It is a waste of money for me. I have wireless hotspot capability in my android phone which i tether to my ipad2 and I plan to do the same with my ipad3. Unlimited data and I don't have to pay another 20+ bucks to have an anywhere connection for the iPad.
 
Thinking a little ahead here, but I'm assuming the new iPhone will have 4G. It's my work phone, so I could tether that if need be, correct?
 
Thinking a little ahead here, but I'm assuming the new iPhone will have 4G. It's my work phone, so I could tether that if need be, correct?

If you add tethering to your plan, then yes.

I get amazing speed on HSPA+ on my iPhone 4S. Average of 7 to 8Mbps down, I'm one of the (few) people who doesn't have a problem with AT&T :eek:.
 
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