iPad Will iPad replace Mifi?

[johnnyindia]

Right now I use an AT&T Mifi Hotspot device and my Macbook air to do internet while on the road. The Mifi is pretty fickle, not as reliable as my iPhone 4G with internet, though when it has good service, it's as good/fast as the iPhone 4G.

I was thinking of getting rid of the Mifi and getting an iPad with Cellular instead. I only need the Mifi on the road for emails, internet, and youtube/movies, so I think it would replace the current setup of Mifi + Laptop just fine.

Just wondering any drawbacks or benefits to this, Mifi vs. iPad + Cellular

 

[That70sGAdawg]

Hotspot is an option on most carriers on the iPad, or iPad Mini cellular versions, just check and see what costs it adds. I would use it if my company didn't provide a MiFi.

 

[johnnyindia]

which will be faster? which will get better service in the car? the mifi doesn't do well while driving it seems.

 

[phr0ze]

I would suggest the Mini.

The service on my ipad mini seems more reliable than when I had a mifi. It also has much better battery life. With a data share plan the ipad is only $10/mo. But the mifi is $20/mo. Another easy decision.

 

[Batavian]

I was wondering the same thing and asked similar question towards the end of this thread. https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1498122/

When next I go to my carrier (Verizon Wireless), I want to ask them if I can remove the sim in my existing MiFi and put it in a Mini LTE. I will post back what they say.

 

[scaredpoet]

I just have my iPhone be the hotspot, and everything else just uses that for internet when it's needed.

I found that by enabling hotspot on my iPhone 4S (and now my iPhone 5), I could ditch my old MyFi, save some money on my plan, and save even more money by getting the Wifi versions of iPads. Since my iPhone is always with me, more often than my iPad is, it made sense to make that the hotspot device. So regardless of whether I have my iPad, my MacBook Pro or both with me on a trip or somewhere else where I need internet, my phone does the job for either.

 

[johnnyindia]

with your iphone as the hotspot, is the ipad just as fast as if it had its own cellular plan?

i was told that if i wanted my iphone to be a hotspot, id lose my unlimited data plan (its part of a business account where all phones have unlimited data)...don't know if that's worth it.

 

[scaredpoet]

with your iphone as the hotspot, is the ipad just as fast as if it had its own cellular plan?

I've not noticed a problem with it. Sometimes there's a slight reduction in speed, but it's usually the difference between 17-18 Mbps, and 20 Mbps. 3Mbps might seem like a big difference, but 17Mbps is still plenty fast on an iPad. It's not like I'm using bittorrent on this thing.

i was told that if i wanted my iphone to be a hotspot, id lose my unlimited data plan (its part of a business account where all phones have unlimited data)...don't know if that's worth it.

Keeping unlimited data is compelling, and I kept my unlimited plan for a while too. But, look at your iPhone data usage per month. Are you consistently going over 5GB? If so, then you should probably stick with unlimited.

BUT if not, then look at the total cost of having a separate iPad data plan with hotspot, versus having it on your iPhone. Go with the option that saves you the most money.

Some might also argue keeping unlimited data is standing on principle, and somehow screwing AT&T. But, if at the end of the day AT&T is getting more money from you over two separate plans, and they'll STILL throttle you on the unlimited plan past a certain point, then how are they losing from that arrangement? Personally, I'd rather keep more money in my pocket, and pay AT&T the minimum amount necessary to get the job done.

 

[That70sGAdawg]

The main issue with using your phone as hotspot is the battery drain. You likely need a phone more than an iPad , so I'd rather drain the iPad unless charger outlets in car, or a wall are available.

 

[iPagan]

The main issue with using your phone as hotspot is the battery drain. You likely need a phone more than an iPad , so I'd rather drain the iPad unless charger outlets in car, or a wall are available.

Plug the iPhone into a power outlet. Problem solved.

To the OP: I have a 1st gen, 3G iPad with ATT's grandfathered unlimited data plan; JBed, running MyWi 5.5. It is the modem for my 2010 13" MBP. It works great!

I usually tether my MBP to the iPad via USB.

Since iPad 1 has been essentially obsoleted by Apple--iOS 6 doesn't run on it, I am thinking about switching to an iPad Mini or iPad 4 or 5. There are still apps--albeit "rogue"--that allow your MBP or other laptops to tether to an iPad or iPhone via WiFi.

FlashArmyKnife and BSOD Reaction Time are two that comes to mind--there's a secret tether functionality built into them. Just Google. There's also an app called Paper, Scissor, Rock that can do it, although I've never tried it. There is also app called Hello Kitty that a dev is developing, which also includes a clandestine tether function. Check out the reader comments to that article about FlashArmyKnife at idownloadblog.com. You will find that dev.

When I buy the iPad Mini or iPad 4 or 5, I will transfer my unlimited ATT data plan onto it, and then use the above-mentioned apps to tether my MBP to it. And those apps allow tether WITHOUT a jailbreak!