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WiFi vs Cellular, I'm stuck

Which iPad did you buy?

  • WiFi Only

    Votes: 33 39.3%

  • WiFi + Cellular

    Votes: 51 60.7%
  • Total voters
    84
S

Saberon2014

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 26, 2013
148
323
Buying my 1st iPad here, however I'm absolutely torn, and they've both been sitting in my cart for a week while I change my mind every hour. I plan to keep the iPad 2 years before upgrading.

2 Year Cost ownership (Canadian $)

iPad Air 2 64GB WiFi: $659
iPad Air 2 64GB WiFi + Cellular: $1039 ($799 + $10/mo for 24mo to access my 6GB plan)

That's a $380 difference which is pretty significant. Yet part of me says $140 more up front isn't much, then $10 a month more is nothing.

For those of you in my shoes, which one did you go for? Do you wish you would have gotten the other?

Sorry if this is a common topic, I really appreciate your answers.
 
My first three iPads were all full size and wifi only. I never regretted that, as they hardly ever left home unless I was going to be away overnight. I bought a wifi only iPad mini 4 and its so light and small in the apple silicone case and cover that I expect to take it out more. Since I don't have a smartphone I have some regret about not buying this one with cellular. Still, in NYC I'm rarely far from a Starbucks.
 
It depends on how often you think you rely on cellular connections. I've been buying iPads with cellular, but I'm careful about not streaming music, and movies. On cellular I use it for mail and to visit web sites (read the New York Times).

If you don't use the cellular much, and have an iPhone, you can share the iPhone cellular connection with the iPad.

Forgot to add a cellular iPad would be great with Waze for on the road, or for GPS navigation. Car mounts are available.
 
the number one reason i tell people to get cellular ipads is for find my ipad. if someone steals you ipad , and it is locked by a passcode. it WILL NOT CONNECT to new wifi networks, unless some other iCloud device has connected it to before.

also it can't connect to known networks like mcdonalds because the ipad can't click on i agree.

if you want a wifi only ipad located, you probably shouldn't lock it with a passcode. so that way anybody can use it. anyone can find it, watch your netflix movies and read your email, and connect to any wifi network, and you would be kept up to date on its location at all times


you left out one possible scenario. you assume you will keep that cellular data connected to your plan for the entire 24 months. you do not have to keep it connected for 24 months, you can add it or delete it as you please

another reason to get a cellular ipad is it has a real GPS radio in it.

if your ipad got lost or stolen, and you put it in lost mode, an it actually responded back. the location it would give you wouldn't be as accurate as gps, it would just be a general idea or a best guess depending on some database belonging to apple based on nearby wifi routers or ip addresses.

i have a cellular ipad. i was paying $40 for 5 gigs for t-mobile for a while. but i got upset that i didn't get data stash, so i just went back to the 200 mb free plan. i didn't sign any contract saying i had to pay $40 for 24 months.

another scenario you left out is some companies have multi month plans now. t-mobile in the states was offering 5 gigs / 5 months for $10 to new subscribers. AT&T has a $25 1 (or is it two?) gig for 90 day plan. verizon has come on board with its own 60 to 90 day plan

as i tried to tell someone on another thread, tethering an iPhone to a wifi ipad, does not tell that wifi ipad its location
 
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Well in Canada it's a bit different. I can't just cancel or activate the data at my will. I have a "month to month" contract that requires a credit hit and a call to my carrier as if I was to get a new iPhone on a 2 year contract. :/
 
Saberon2014 said:
Well in Canada it's a bit different. I can't just cancel or activate the data at my will. I have a "month to month" contract that requires a credit hit and a call to my carrier as if I was to get a new iPhone on a 2 year contract. :/
Click to expand...

really? because its not the primary line, i thought the phone company would allow you to turn on or turn off that ipad
we don't have any 24 month fixed deals on iPads here, unless you finance it
 
i think you should ask yourself is $240 worth it knowing i can locate or wipe my ipad at any time
and not have to wait around for someone to find it and get lucky and find some wifi network somewhere you connected it to the past

perhaps you should engrave your name and phone number on the back of it
 
I'm not at all concerned about losing it. I take excellent care of my stuff.

It's not like a 24mo contract. I can cancel anytime but if I want it again, I have to call and do a credit check etc. It's unfortunate but it is what it is.
 
Since I get hotspot tethering with T-Mobile I do the wifi only as I just connect it to my phone. If you have this ability then I recommend the wifi only.
 
Yep. Have an iPhone 5 I can tether with, and a 6GB a month data plan.
 
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Reno Raines said:
Since I get hotspot tethering with T-Mobile I do the wifi only as I just connect it to my phone. If you have this ability then I recommend the wifi only.
Click to expand...

That's what I'd recommend too. It used to be that tethering meant going into settings and all that on two devices. These days with iOS and its automatic tethering feature, there's really no real reason to get a cellular iPad unless you really want the GPS in your iPad.
 
For me, wifi only. I don't take my iPad outside of the house much and if I do (say, traveling) it connects to free wifi spots. I just don't want to spend more on something where I could just use my phone instead. I can see paying more if I used it for work but its just a fun/relax device for me.
 
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My iPad Air is wifi only, my iPad Air 2 is LTE. To be honest, I was fine with just wifi, since I mainly use my iPads at home, or where there is wifi. If I ever lack wifi I can just share it from my phone.
 
Staples has iPad Air 2 cellular and wifi on sale in America for $583. I bought one just now.

I went in and sure enough it was correct. The sign didn't say cellular was 583 it was just next to a demo model that was.
 
Just tether to your iPhone, i don't see the point or need for cellular in the iPad - its simply another cost and another data SIM..
 
Saberon2014 said:
For those of you in my shoes, which one did you go for? Do you wish you would have gotten the other?
Click to expand...
People vary. You can't just poll to determine these things and you have to decide based on your preferences, priorities, budget, etc. I always get the cellular version so unless your criteria are similar enough to my own that won't necessarily be relevant to you.

Don't worry so much over it. First hand experience is the best way to answer these things and you have a return period. Take whichever option for a spin and decide for yourself before that period runs out.

If you really want to collect opinions then don't overlook all the prior threads on the exact same topic. This isn't the first time this wheel has been reinvented by a long shot and each iteration rehashes the same exact stuff as before. Not all hits are directly relevant but feel free to tweak the keywords:
https://www.google.com/search?q=wif...57.7990j0j4&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=91&ie=UTF-8
 
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The poll was just for my own interests sake, I realize everyone's needs are different.

Luckily the holiday return policy starts today, all purchases have until Jan 8 2016 to be returned. I confirmed with Apple.

A year from now, I feel like I may kick my own butt for not spending $140 more. :D
 
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I got the cellular version for the gps. The iPad makes a great gps device, as it cans show more of a map than a phone. It's also handy when I'm somewhere without wifi, but my main motivation was the gps.
 
Saberon2014 said:
Buying my 1st iPad here, however I'm absolutely torn, and they've both been sitting in my cart for a week while I change my mind every hour. I plan to keep the iPad 2 years before upgrading.

2 Year Cost ownership (Canadian $)

iPad Air 2 64GB WiFi: $659
iPad Air 2 64GB WiFi + Cellular: $1039 ($799 + $10/mo for 24mo to access my 6GB plan)

That's a $380 difference which is pretty significant. Yet part of me says $140 more up front isn't much, then $10 a month more is nothing.

For those of you in my shoes, which one did you go for? Do you wish you would have gotten the other?

Sorry if this is a common topic, I really appreciate your answers.
Click to expand...
I always buy cellular. GPS chip for one thing and being connected always is invaluable to me. Not a very explanatory answer, but wifi only to me is a hassle.
 
I do not have unlimited data, but always buy cellular. Switch the cellular off and get the T-Mobile 200 mb free. Use in emergencies, like I did yesterday after a tornado ripped down my street. It was a great thing to be connected in the aftermath.
 
Definitely wi-fi only for me. Literally everywhere I need or want to use my tablet has wi-fi. My phone can handle anything I need to do over cellular when I don't have wi-fi, and in a pinch, I can use my phone's cellular connection to create a wi-fi hotspot.
 
I purchased a WiFi iPad Mini 2 but ended up with an LTE one shipped out. I almost never use the cellular part of the iPad because whenever I'm out and about I have my iPhone - iPad usually stays at home or work. I do have it on my Verizon Plan ($10/mo) and did play Ingress with it for awhile but a cellphone looks a lot less weird when you walk around a park for hours. One day our electric company cut our power for 24 hours for an "upgrade" - realized how cool it was I could use my iPad without having to "tether" on my iPhone. So, it's not bad but honestly I rarely use the cellular part. (Probably helps I have FIOS at work and home). But yeah, I've always purchased WiFi and my next iPad will be WiFi only assuming they don't send me an LTE one like they did last time.
 
Haven't owned a Cellular iPad since he first generation and haven't needed it to be honest.


I'll be going with WiFi
 
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i went to staples. they had the ipad air 2 cellular with 64 gb for 583. but it was limited to space grey only. so i ended up taking it back and going to target and got one for 590 , this includes the 10 % cartwheel coupon and the 5% red card discount.. this cellular version goes for 729, i think i got a great deal. so you do have a choice, you could the cellular one on sale and just choose not to activate it. the only other place i could find a cellular one for that cheap was walmart for 654 but they were out of stock. targets price match guarantee would not be honored if it was a different color.

I'm just using the 200 mb free ipad plan from t-mobile here. thats all you need for find my iPhone
if your ipad really gets lost, you could always add more data to the plan. i have everything turned off
except for safari

i saved $139 on a cellular ipad and got a data plan for $0 a month. and i cant believe so many people don't like the cellular model and are happy with wifi.

i think getting cellular for 139 less or 39 less then a wifi only ipad and a $0 data plan puts a nail in the coffin of wifi only tablets. the whole argument is so moot.

please start arguing about the $280 difference between wifi ipad pro and cellular ipad pro. that argument would be a good debate, this ipad air 2 argument is dead, because they are on sale
 
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