Cell Phone with iPad?

[bkford]

I love my iPhone and see myself with an iPad in the near future. Just beginning to research it--what do most iPad users do about a cell phone (seems a bit redundant to have an iPhone AND an iPad)...sorry for the newbie level of this question, but I haven't found an answer to this point--I think most people assume the answer is known, but it's not to me!!
Thanks.

 

[Nemisportsman]

You will still want a cell phone. It doesn't make calls. You can use Skype but IMHO voip is still just a cute toy....hard to carry an iPad everywhere. iPad did make me consider dumping my iPhone eventually in favor of something like the HTC Evo 4G....iPad has all the apps my iPhone has.....so I think I want a 4 g phone.....of course iPhone HD and 4.0(and future versions) might convince me to stay with the apple phone. Bottom line...iPad might replace your net book and laptop (depending on how you use them), but it won't really match up with a cell...

 

[bkford]

I was pretty sure it would not replace a cell phone. Just wondered if most people back down to a cheaper "phone" than an iPhone, if also owning an iPad. This answer is helpful. Thanks.

 

[whmurray]

I love my iPhone and see myself with an iPad in the near future. Just beginning to research it--what do most iPad users do about a cell phone (seems a bit redundant to have an iPhone AND an iPad)...sorry for the newbie level of this question, but I haven't found an answer to this point--I think most people assume the answer is known, but it's not to me!!
Thanks.

One still carries one's iPhone, occasionally without the iPad. What one no longer carries is one's laptop.

(Yesterday I did an e-meeting on a train. I needed both the iPhone and the iPad, in part because I could not do Skype and LogMeIn Igntion on the iPad at the same time. OS 4 fixes that).

Skype works really well on an iPad, both over WiFi and 3G. I particularly like it as a speaker phone but that requires a quiet environment Skype will work better when it supports A2DP and when the iPad supports multi-tasking. At that point, the iPad is a phone.

Carrying an iPad is really great for iPhone battery life. An iPad makes the iPhone seem really small and its icons tiny. An iPad makes an iPhone seem really slow. Most applications, even those that have not been re-written, just work better on an iPad.

Kids like iPads better.

 

[bkford]

Ahhhh, now this is all making sense to me. Thanks for all responses.

 

[whmurray]

I was pretty sure it would not replace a cell phone. Just wondered if most people back down to a cheaper "phone" than an iPhone, if also owning an iPad. This answer is helpful. Thanks.

I will not. I like the fact that an iPhone is "just a little iPad."

 

[whmurray]

You will still want a cell phone. It doesn't make calls. You can use Skype but IMHO voip is still just a cute toy....hard to carry an iPad everywhere. iPad did make me consider dumping my iPhone eventually in favor of something like the HTC Evo 4G....iPad has all the apps my iPhone has.....so I think I want a 4 g phone.....of course iPhone HD and 4.0(and future versions) might convince me to stay with the apple phone. Bottom line...iPad might replace your net book and laptop (depending on how you use them), but it won't really match up with a cell...

I would argue that VoIP has emerged from the toy phase, even it is not yet a fully mature application. For example, the sound quality of a Skype call on the iPad is far superior to that on a cell phone.

It is true that it is hard to carry an iPad everywhere. One does not mind leaving it behind when one has all the same apps on an iPhone.

I now use all my old laptops as application servers and my iPhone and iPad as clients.

I too want a 4G phone; I want it to be a 4G iPhone. However, first I want a 4G network. I am not willing to move to Sprint WiMax to get it, but I will look at Verizon LTE. Indeed I look forward to the day when AT&T completes its 3G roll out.

 

[doublebullout]

I was pretty sure it would not replace a cell phone. Just wondered if most people back down to a cheaper "phone" than an iPhone, if also owning an iPad. This answer is helpful. Thanks.

I'm considering it; I think this is a fascinating question. I currently have a Sprint HTC Hero. What I've found in the 3 weeks that I've had my iPad 3G is that I've been using the Hero more and more just to make calls and send texts. A cheap prepaid cell phone might make good sense now that the iPad handles most of my online and PDA/PIM management needs.

 

[dimsum#IM]

I'm considering this also. Specifically, downgrading from an iPhone to a simple/tiny handset with minimal features in trade for massive battery life (and possibly wireless tethering, perhaps??).

Any thoughts/recommendations on specfic "simple/tiny" handsets would be appreciated!

 

[west3man]

I'm considering this also. Specifically, downgrading from an iPhone to a simple/tiny handset with minimal features in trade for massive battery life (and possibly wireless tethering, perhaps??).

Any thoughts/recommendations on specfic "simple/tiny" handsets would be appreciated!

I'm not really sure I get the question, but no regular phone does it for me, whether inhale an iPad or not. It's not about the iPad.

It is about not wanting a phone that doesn't back up contacts to Google or have a qwerty keyboard or an easy to use, multitasking operating system.

Don't sweat it. The iPad does things that phones do not and some things they do - on a bigger screen with more power.

 

[mrguilt]

Like any other thing, it depends on your usage.

For business, I know I need e-mail and browser access. I don't see hauling my iPad everywhere I go, where my iPhone is always with me. The iPad provides these as well, and is more convenient to work on. However, I can see plenty of situations (out shopping, riding my bike, or other things) where I will just have the phone. The iPad is more likely to step in for my laptop.

For other people, like my mom, e-mail everywhere is "nice to have." It makes sense to drop her iPhone and use the iPad as her portable data solution. A cheap phone will handle calls.

 

[dres79]

i actually use the iphone to tether the ipad. so i cant say that i will not be getting rid of the phone. i think about it like this, i am saving the $29 on the AT&T plan for 3G monthly, since i am already paying for it on the iphone. Also i was waiting for the 3g prior to my 3gs jailbreak. So on top of saving $30 monthly i saved myself $130 on the iPad i was planning on getting.

just my .02

 

[west3man]

That really confused me. This, for example, "so i cant say that i will not be getting rid of the phone."

I'm sorry if I am missing the obvious. It wouldn't be the first time.

 

[whmurray]

That really confused me. This, for example, "so i cant say that i will not be getting rid of the phone."

I'm sorry if I am missing the obvious. It wouldn't be the first time.

Ir really is hard to parse. Is that a double or triple negative?

 

[whmurray]

i actually use the iphone to tether the ipad. so i cant say that i will not be getting rid of the phone. i think about it like this, i am saving the $29 on the AT&T plan for 3G monthly, since i am already paying for it on the iphone. Also i was waiting for the 3g prior to my 3gs jailbreak. So on top of saving $30 monthly i saved myself $130 on the iPad i was planning on getting.

just my .02

Anything that involves jailbreaking is more than "0.02."

 

[anon(52425)]

I have a Nexus One Android and it's a great phone. I find myself rarely ever using the phone for browsing though. The nice thing about Android is having auto back of everything and the iPad syncs up with all that. I need both devices though. iPad isn't replacing my phone.

 

[west3man]

I have a Nexus One Android and it's a great phone. I find myself rarely ever using the phone for browsing though. The nice thing about Android is having auto back of everything and the iPad syncs up with all that. I need both devices though. iPad isn't replacing my phone.

The iPad's calendar seems to leave something to be desired, as well, so I am glad I have my Palm Pre (which accesses the same information but displays it more effectively for some reason).

 

[milkncookies]

I have a blackberry and an ipad. The ipad won't definitely replace my phone since it's like my little personal assistant. I do find myself, as others, not browsing in my phone that much anymore. The ipad is much much better in doing that.

 

[west3man]

I have a blackberry and an ipad. The ipad won't definitely replace my phone since it's like my little personal assistant. I do find myself, as others, not browsing in my phone that much anymore. The ipad is much much better in doing that.

Since the iPad browser sucks at leaving a webpage form/post partially completed, opening another page to look up something, thn returning to the first page AS YOU LEFT IT. Too often, these pages reload when you return to them, thus erasing whatever you were working on.

I use my mobile phone for browsing multiple pages, at times, because it is so much better at it.

 

[milkncookies]

Since the iPad browser sucks at leaving a webpage form/post partially completed, opening another page to look up something, thn returning to the first page AS YOU LEFT IT. Too often, these pages reload when you return to them, thus erasing whatever you were working on.

I use my mobile phone for browsing multiple pages, at times, because it is so much better at it.

True. But i use an app, atomic browser, if i want to open a lot of tabs and don't want them to reload again and again when i switch tabs. There's a free one in the app store and a paid version. It's pretty neat and since then i rarely use my phone browser.