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I purchased an iPad Pro (5th Gen) with a cellular phone number from Verizon but it came without a SIM card. What is the functional difference between a cellular device without SIM card and one with SIM card?
An iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or Messaging features. An iPad with Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services. An iPad is not, and can never be, a standalone substitute for an iPhone.
However, If paired with an iPhone, the capabilities of iPad significantly broaden to include access to Cellular Voice and Messaging services of the associated iPhone - relayed to the iPad over WiFi using Apple’s continuity features. For the most part, an iPad using Continuity is able to access Cellular calling features, of the iPhone, when both the iPad an iPhone are in close physical proximity and are connected to the same WiFi network - but this is not the end of the story.
Now, if your both your Cellular Carrier and your calling plan support WiFi Calling, your iPad can make and receive calls independently of the iPhone - even when the iPhone is switched off, elsewhere, or using a different WiFi network. Not all carriers support full WiFi calling.
More information about Continuity and the relevant Cellular services can be found here:
Continuity
Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple Watch – Apple Support
SMS/MMS Messaging
WiFi Calling
Make a call with Wi-Fi Calling – Apple Support
When correctly configured, the iPad FaceTime App provides access to Cellular Voice Calling features - whilst Messages supports SMS/MMS messaging services.
So, in conclusion, if your own Cellular Carrier and tariff support WiFi Calling, it is theoretically possible to configure WiFi Calling service for your iPad. After WiFi Calling is enabled and configured, your iPad can continue to make and receive cellular calls independently of your iPhone whilst connected to a WiFi network.
A further functional difference between WiFi Only and WiFi+Cellular models of iPad is GPS and location services. Only WiFi+Cellular models of iPad have GPS - this being a function of the iPad Cellular chipset.
WiFi Only models can only “infer” their location from a database lookup of neighbouring WiFi networks for which the geographic location is known, or the geographic location of your public IP address. For static applications in urban locations, where the location of IP public IP addresses and WiFi networks are known, an “inferred” location can be relatively accurate. However, in rural locations, or when using a Cellular/Satellite/VPN connection, location accuracy of an inferred location [if it works at all] may be very inaccurate. By contrast, WiFi+Cellular models have full GPS capabilities and the ability to accurately locate itself independently of a fixed network connection.
I hope this information and clarification is helpful in understanding the capabilities of both your iPad - and if you have one, your iPhone.
An iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or Messaging features. An iPad with Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services. An iPad is not, and can never be, a standalone substitute for an iPhone.
However, If paired with an iPhone, the capabilities of iPad significantly broaden to include access to Cellular Voice and Messaging services of the associated iPhone - relayed to the iPad over WiFi using Apple’s continuity features. For the most part, an iPad using Continuity is able to access Cellular calling features, of the iPhone, when both the iPad an iPhone are in close physical proximity and are connected to the same WiFi network - but this is not the end of the story.
Now, if your both your Cellular Carrier and your calling plan support WiFi Calling, your iPad can make and receive calls independently of the iPhone - even when the iPhone is switched off, elsewhere, or using a different WiFi network. Not all carriers support full WiFi calling.
More information about Continuity and the relevant Cellular services can be found here:
Continuity
Use Continuity to connect your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple Watch – Apple Support
SMS/MMS Messaging
WiFi Calling
Make a call with Wi-Fi Calling – Apple Support
When correctly configured, the iPad FaceTime App provides access to Cellular Voice Calling features - whilst Messages supports SMS/MMS messaging services.
So, in conclusion, if your own Cellular Carrier and tariff support WiFi Calling, it is theoretically possible to configure WiFi Calling service for your iPad. After WiFi Calling is enabled and configured, your iPad can continue to make and receive cellular calls independently of your iPhone whilst connected to a WiFi network.
A further functional difference between WiFi Only and WiFi+Cellular models of iPad is GPS and location services. Only WiFi+Cellular models of iPad have GPS - this being a function of the iPad Cellular chipset.
WiFi Only models can only “infer” their location from a database lookup of neighbouring WiFi networks for which the geographic location is known, or the geographic location of your public IP address. For static applications in urban locations, where the location of IP public IP addresses and WiFi networks are known, an “inferred” location can be relatively accurate. However, in rural locations, or when using a Cellular/Satellite/VPN connection, location accuracy of an inferred location [if it works at all] may be very inaccurate. By contrast, WiFi+Cellular models have full GPS capabilities and the ability to accurately locate itself independently of a fixed network connection.
I hope this information and clarification is helpful in understanding the capabilities of both your iPad - and if you have one, your iPhone.
You cannot make and receive phone calls on an iPad even with a SIM card. The cellular service on an iPad is for data only.
The way to make a phone call on an iPad is to do it through an iPhone as described in https://support.apple.com/guide/ipad/make-and-receive-phone-calls-ipadf97892b2/ipados\
Would you have any idea what the actual “functional” difference is between a cellular iPad with a SIM card installed and one without the SIM card? If there is no difference in features, and capabilities of the SIM installed and not installed what’s the point in Apple putting a SIM port in the iPad at all?
The difference is that with a cellular iPad you have data access over cellular if or when you don't have access to wi-fi. For example, you can use Safari to visit websites, you can use apps that need internet access (from minimal access like the Weather app to more intense use of data), etc
Can you make and receive phone calls on iPad Pro (5th Gen) without a Sim card?
