iPad + dumbphone combo?

[thinkTwice]

I've been thinking about this, and I'm planing to get an iPhone, and I already have an iPad... everybody is getting a smartphone and now the tablets are the next big thing. The problem is paying for a data plan for both.

Has anybody thought of, or have a iPad + dumbphone combo?
It is an interesting idea- here are my thoughts:

I figure I won't be OCD over my phone- if you drop it, a newer version comes out, a newer OS update is released, none of it matters. Use it until it falls apart.

The iPad feels more like a laptop in terms of differences between generations- I don't feel like I'm left behind like I do with an iPhone.

The iPad experience is pretty sweet with all that extra screen space and it has additional functionality that an iPhone doesn't have- easier word processing, wireless printing, etc.

iPad- it's like a laptop but actually portable- no power cords, it's light, it can fit into a messenger bag, briefcase.

You can use data and voice at the same time- without having to put the call on speaker and have the world know what's going on or having to constantly look at the phone and then put the phone up to your face.

But you lose the stealth email/surf the web during meetings and you have to pull out a large tablet now to find where you are going.

Leave the iPad in your bag and you will likely miss the alert that you have an email or something like that

Now you have to carry around 2 gadgets

 

[epb]

Err, how dumb a phone can you handle? My phone's some $20 cheapy on a pay-as-you-go plan, and I use around 1,000 minutes a year; for someone like me, who's doing more with the iPad than with the phone, it works.

 

[jeff1974w]

or you could just get a smart phone and a wifi only ipad. thats what i did.
i rooted my droid to get the free wireless teather and it works great on my ipad and im not paying double data. the iphone can do the same thing when jailbroken. im just patiently waiting for verizon to get the iphone though

 

[grajasekar]

"pull out a large tablet now to find where you are going." - You kinda nailed the biggest problem with this. Why not wait till the next iPad comes along to make your decision. I, for one, would go with the solution proposed here by Jeff. Get an iPad Wifi for all your apps, and get a somewhat decent phone. Or just wait for the iPhone's refresh around mid-year to see if it gets a bigger screen, and go with an iPad if it doesn't.