Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
I had understood I could use my iPad out in the wilds if I had my iPhone along. My experiments have proven bunk. I’m understanding now that the only way to use both devices away from home is to hook both up to any available Wi-Fi network. This means if I want to use my iPad outside my house I must find a Wi-Fi carrier. Or, of course, go for a digital & cellular iPad.
Bummer.
Any model of iPad, WiFi Only or WiFi+Cellular, is capable of connecting to a Cellular hotspot - provided by a mobile phone (such as iPhone) or another Cellular device. However, your Cellular plan must include “tethering” - which may be a chargeable extra that is not included in your Cellular tariff. You will need to verify that tethering is included in your Cellular plan with your Cellular provider.
This support page details set-up of Apple device:
How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
Any model of iPad, WiFi Only or WiFi+Cellular, is capable of connecting to a Cellular hotspot - provided by a mobile phone (such as iPhone) or another Cellular device. However, your Cellular plan must include “tethering” - which may be a chargeable extra that is not included in your Cellular tariff. You will need to verify that tethering is included in your Cellular plan with your Cellular provider.
This support page details set-up of Apple device:
How to set up a Personal Hotspot on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support
You are very welcome. I hope the insight proves to be helpful.
If your budget allows, choosing the WiFi+Cellular model of iPad offers the greatest flexibility - and loses nothing.
Whatever model of iPad you choose, you would be well advised to purchase as much internal storage as you can afford - as internal storage cannot be changed, upgraded or extended. The available internal storage is fixed for the entire life of the device. If you run out of internal storage for your documents, photos and other data, you will forever struggle and become a source of frustration. It is far better to have more storage than you need, than to need more storage than you have.
A good rule of thumb is to quantify how much data storage you will need - add a healthy margin - then double it. If you are unable to quantify your data storage needs, it becomes more difficult; whilst I cannot make definitive recommendations, personally I would council against purchase of any iPad with any less than 256GB storage - 512GB or greater offering a greater level of safety - but your needs will almost certainly differ to my own.
Within the Apple Support Communities we see regular tales of woe and disappointment when storage requirements are exceeded, necessitating replacement of the device; by contrast, we never see complaint of having too much available storage. It is relatively easy to fill limited internal storage space; perhaps consider higher tiers of storage as providing room for growth as your needs develop or mature - potentially extending the useful usable life of the device.
There isn’t a binary answer - as your needs will dictate which solution is the best fit for your needs.
An iPad, whether a Cellular model or not, is not capable of directly accessing Cellular Voice or SMS/MMS Messaging features. An iPad with either WiFi or Cellular connectivity alone can only access IP-data services.
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.
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
The most flexible solution is to have both an iPhone and a WiFi+Cellular iPad - as this allows the iPad (either with or without a SIM) to access cellular calling and messaging via a associated iPhone, along with cellular data. The iPad Cellular data can either be tethered via iPhone, or use the iPad cellular data if provisioned with a DataSIM.
Many Users choose to have a WiFi+Cellular iPad to benefit from GNSS positioning - tethering to their iPhone for Cellular data and access to Cellular calls and messaging. For many, who already have an iPhone, this provides a cost effective solution offering the best of both worlds.
There’s nothing wrong at all with using a WiFi Only iPad tethered to an iPhone - but, whilst perhaps this route has the benefit of being a cheaper option if you already have another device, there are also disadvantages…
A WiFi Only iPad lacks the potential flexibility of being able to independently use cellular network connection - and loses GNSS (GPS) location services (this being an integral feature of the iPd Cellular chipset.
I see a cellular tablet costs less in a plan than does a phone, so what’s wrong with using only a tablet?
Does an iPad cellular & GPS have everything needed to run as a solo connectivity device?
Thinking specifically of carrying a cellular & GPS Mini as the only device for a day or more, in and outside the home.
Thank you very much, it’s a very thorough reply to what I wanted to know. Now I’ll try and digest it.
Have a grand new year, in the interim!
iPad Wifi in a cellular environment.
