iPads - Should I get one with the cellular 4G or not?

[vicki_c]

I didn't read the first 2 pages, so I don't know how your votes are going. We really like having cellular available on our iPad. We have used it in the car on trips, on vacation in a cabin, at kids sporting events when there is a lot of downtime and it was great during an extended power outage at our house this summer. I love the fact that you don't need a contract and can just turn it on and off for a month. We seem to find more places that there is no wifi than trustworthy wifi.

I would have picked that over more memory, but I got both.

 

[momof3ds]

The mobile hotspot on a cell phone is easy to use on an iPad.

Every McDonald's and Starbucks has free wifi. Many local coffee shops & diners also offer it. Some of our local grocery stores have it now, heck even he car dealerships we use offer wifi for customers.

We went on a trip recently, between our 2 iPhones, we had 2 iPads and 3 iPod touches connected to mobile hot spots with no issues at various airports

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

Check with your carrier about the unlimited data plan and make sure that covers tethered/hot spot throughput. We had unlimited data on our phones but I recall there being a limit on the amount of data when tethered.

It is good to know that I could go month to month for the iPad data and not lock myself into a contract. I didn't understand that. But I do have unlimited data on my cell phone and I do have the mobile hotspot capability on my phone. So I'm continuing to question do I really need the 3g/4g option on the iPad?

 

[vicki_c]

Check with your carrier about the unlimited data plan and make sure that covers tethered/hot spot throughput. We had unlimited data on our phones but I recall there being a limit on the amount of data when tethered.

I have unlimited with AT&T and cannot use tethering without giving up my unlimited. I looked into that when they first offered tethering through the iPhones.

 

[tarak]

I have an iPhone with an old data plan, which is unlimited. I have an iPad2, which is wi-fi only. I purposefully bought it without the 3g because I knew anything I really wanted to do on the iPad, I could do on my phone. If the iPad mini is announced today as many suspect, I'll likely spring for one. If 3g is an option, I'd probably still get the wi-fi only. I've taken the iPad on vacation and never wished I had the 3g access, since I can just use my iPhone if I need to.

I think for the price that's charged for the 3g feature, I'd go with having more memory (assuming it's an either/or). My thought is that my kids and I don't need to be plugged in 24/7 no matter what corner of the earth we're inhabiting.