I am trying to decide between a Wi-Fi only or AT&T 4G new iPad. I have an iPhone 4S and my wife has an iPhone 4; two data plans seem like enough to me! My question relates to tethering. When tethered, does the iPad send the signal to the iPhone, or does the iPhone send the signal to the iPad? If the iPhone sends the signal, can I upgrade to the $50 data pro plan on a month-by-month basis, or would I have to buy a long-term plan that includes tethering every month? Thanks.
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Wi-Fi or 4G?
- Thread starter MARobinson
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Are you on AT&T or Verizon?
I'd get the 4G one. You don't have to activate it right now. On AT&T, you can get tethering on your iPhone with their 5GB plan. And there are rumors of shared data plans coming, so you can put all your devices on one plan.
Better to have it and not need it than to need it (or want it) and not have it. The resale value of a 4G iPad will also be higher.
I'd get the 4G one. You don't have to activate it right now. On AT&T, you can get tethering on your iPhone with their 5GB plan. And there are rumors of shared data plans coming, so you can put all your devices on one plan.
Better to have it and not need it than to need it (or want it) and not have it. The resale value of a 4G iPad will also be higher.
Currently on ATT you can only tether to the iphone, not the ipad. Hopefully that will change in the future. As of now you have to use the post-paid data plan, but you can change data plans as your needs change - as far as i know it does not affect the length of your contract...
Kev
Kev
I think the OP is confused. The iPad LTE in general supports hotspot. That means it can transmit and share its network connection wireless to other devices like laptops/other tablets/phones etc.
However only Verizon in the US has enabled this feature and at$t is "working on it".
So if the OP is thinking about getting an LTE iPad and chooses AT&T LTE iPad they will not have that feature.
Now the other thing the op is thinking is tethering from their iPhone. Remember of OP is on grandfathered unlimited data plan they cannot do that. They must switch to a tiered data plan. U can turn tethering on and off any time. So that will save the Op money.
But one important thing is FAN accounts with AT&T. If u switch away from the $25/2gb data plan or $30 smartphone/iPhone unlimited u will lose your fan discount forever on data plans. AT&T will not give fan discounts to $30/3Gb tired data plans. Now you must enable the $50:5gb tethering plan to get discount. So keep that in mine.
However only Verizon in the US has enabled this feature and at$t is "working on it".
So if the OP is thinking about getting an LTE iPad and chooses AT&T LTE iPad they will not have that feature.
Now the other thing the op is thinking is tethering from their iPhone. Remember of OP is on grandfathered unlimited data plan they cannot do that. They must switch to a tiered data plan. U can turn tethering on and off any time. So that will save the Op money.
But one important thing is FAN accounts with AT&T. If u switch away from the $25/2gb data plan or $30 smartphone/iPhone unlimited u will lose your fan discount forever on data plans. AT&T will not give fan discounts to $30/3Gb tired data plans. Now you must enable the $50:5gb tethering plan to get discount. So keep that in mine.
They started doing THAT too? I was debating about switching to the 30 dollar 3gb plan too... ugh... another reason to hate At&t...
Off topic... sorry
If you plan on tethering at all go with 4G... it's so much faster than HSPA+
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Yep. Verizon did the thing also. I have both Verizon and ATT. On grandfathered $30 unlimited both still get discounts. But now requires $50 tiered data plans for discounts.
Read this post from AT&T forums. Even their community manager confirmed fan discount changed with new plans. U will always have people give u the fans are different. But AT&T is not giving fans to $30/3G. Data plans.
http://forums.att.com/t5/Wireless-Billing/No-discount-on-new-AT-amp-T-data-plans/td-p/3050657
I travel oversees quite often, so I've never got to think about LTE option.
But really, I'm not sure how many users are satisfied with current 3G or 4G iPad models, since most likely it costs about $15~50 every month. I'm not saying all of the places are equipped w/ their own wifi. But my office does have one, and most likely I wouldn't use it while I'm driving.
I have my iPhone, which is costing me about $80 per month, and I think that's really unreasonable price for communication-only. I don't use SMS, I have iMessage. I don't use phone call, I have skype. What about data plans? I'm paying for 2GB for $25 or so. I don't think it's reasonable price to pay, but if it is mandatory to get my hand on iPhone, so be it. (If you have contract, you pay less for the actual phone as well)
But iPad isn't like iPhone. You can get iPad for reasonable price, you do not have to pay extra for not being on contract. Paying extra money for LTE antenna and monthly data bills don't seem to convince me that much.
But really, I'm not sure how many users are satisfied with current 3G or 4G iPad models, since most likely it costs about $15~50 every month. I'm not saying all of the places are equipped w/ their own wifi. But my office does have one, and most likely I wouldn't use it while I'm driving.
I have my iPhone, which is costing me about $80 per month, and I think that's really unreasonable price for communication-only. I don't use SMS, I have iMessage. I don't use phone call, I have skype. What about data plans? I'm paying for 2GB for $25 or so. I don't think it's reasonable price to pay, but if it is mandatory to get my hand on iPhone, so be it. (If you have contract, you pay less for the actual phone as well)
But iPad isn't like iPhone. You can get iPad for reasonable price, you do not have to pay extra for not being on contract. Paying extra money for LTE antenna and monthly data bills don't seem to convince me that much.
Yep. Pretty much what everyone has said. The way you have your iPhone data plan right now, you can't tether. But, if you change it to the tethering plan, you're going to lose your unlimited plan. Actually, any change would make you lose it. The new AT&T iPad doesn't have tethering at all, the plans don't permit it and the the option won't exist in the settings. However, the VZW iPad has the tethering plan free (in any data amount) and the option to use it exists in the settings menu. At that point, you can only connect your iPhone to the iPad via WiFi, but not the other way around since the iPhone can't be a hotspot.
Yes. Will get 20% discount on $50 data plan (if ur fan currently gives u data discounts). Most do but some do not.
I prefer viable, universal, generic solutions: Wi-Fi only for me.
I would like to get an LTE-capable iPad, if only the frequency bands were universal, not carrier- / country-specific. Even if I never switched carriers or countries, I would hate to know my iPad (generic computer) is tied to a particular place or company.
Also, it would be redundant with a phone that already connects to HSPA+ / LTE networks and can share its connection with the iPad via Wi-Fi (or Bluetooth I think) -- provided the phone's OS is not crippled by its carrier
.
I would like to get an LTE-capable iPad, if only the frequency bands were universal, not carrier- / country-specific. Even if I never switched carriers or countries, I would hate to know my iPad (generic computer) is tied to a particular place or company.
Also, it would be redundant with a phone that already connects to HSPA+ / LTE networks and can share its connection with the iPad via Wi-Fi (or Bluetooth I think) -- provided the phone's OS is not crippled by its carrier
.
I'd say if in doubt get the 4G. It's $129 more but you'll get most of that back when you go to sell it... assuming you flip it just before the next iPad comes out. Think of it like an insurance plan. You may never use it, but if you do it will be priceless.