Want 2 use ipad mini as my phone.

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Hey guys, and gals. I am Brett from Utah. I have a complicated question. I am toying with the idea of getting rid of my iPhone(which i love love love) and getting an ipad mini as my sole mobile device.

1st problem.. The ipad mini is not a phone... Yes I know. I would just use a text free app and make my calls on that... Sketchy maybe.. But it would work.

2nd problem... I currently have unlimited data on VZW and am not really willing to give that up. Is there a way to roll my data plan from my phone to an ipad mini. I have spoke with VZW and they tell me no way. But I am trying to find some other way, then I can have unlimited 4g on an ipad mini and use it as my phone.

If all else fails. I can suspend my phone for a few months and get a sprint 4g ipad mini and try that. I just know VZW is the best and fastest.

Thoughts? Suggestions please. Or should I wait for the ipad mini 2 with retina LOL

Thanks, just thinking out loud

Brett
 
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chas_m

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1. The iPad is always going to be a craptastic phone. Because its not a phone, and trying to make it one will a) look silly and b) cost you. Conceivably you could, for example, pay Skype $60 a year for a US phone number (so people can actually call you as well as you calling out). Along with a Bluetooth headset this probably would work kinda-sorta but you'll get variable quality, have to take the iPad with you EVERYWHERE and rely on always being in Wi-Fi for the best connection.

2. If Verizon says they won't do it, that's the end of the discussion. There's no "other way."
 

Raz0rEdge

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When the iPod touch was first released there were similar questions around that since it was the same size as the iPhone, but all solutions were kludges and had issues. Use the iPad mini for what it is designed and it will excel at it, trying to make it do what it wasn't designed for is setting yourself up for disappointment..
 
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1. The iPad is always going to be a craptastic phone. Because its not a phone, and trying to make it one will a) look silly and b) cost you. Conceivably you could, for example, pay Skype $60 a year for a US phone number (so people can actually call you as well as you calling out). Along with a Bluetooth headset this probably would work kinda-sorta but you'll get variable quality, have to take the iPad with you EVERYWHERE and rely on always being in Wi-Fi for the best connection.

2. If Verizon says they won't do it, that's the end of the discussion. There's no "other way."

I am planning on getting the Cellular model if I do get the mini. I wouldnt need blue tooth headphones, I could use the standard ones that have the mic built in for dictation ect.
I want to eliminate a device not add another to the fleet... I want to simplify.. I would plan on taking the mini with me everywhere, thats the idea. I would use it @ work constantly, I do all my scheduling for work on ical, so it would improve on that.

Agreed the phone interface and reliability would be a gamble, but who needs to talk on the phone that much.. I text mostly and e mail when I need to send large amounts of info.

Plus I could facetime the people I call the most anyway( 99% of family and extended family have iPhones)

All in all, It would be a HUGE step up with a small adjustment to the phone aspect.

When the iPod touch was first released there were similar questions around that since it was the same size as the iPhone, but all solutions were kludges and had issues. Use the iPad mini for what it is designed and it will excel at it, trying to make it do what it wasn't designed for is setting yourself up for disappointment..
Ya I remember that. But Im not setting myself up for dissapointment, I know it wont be as nice as using my iphone, but I and intrigued by the idea... Maybe thats all it is, a beautiful idea...

Im sure they will make the mini a phone on the next go round, or so.
 

Raz0rEdge

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Ya I remember that. But Im not setting myself up for dissapointment, I know it wont be as nice as using my iphone, but I and intrigued by the idea... Maybe thats all it is, a beautiful idea...

Im sure they will make the mini a phone on the next go round, or so.

No they won't. Apple will not do anything to harm the very nice position that the iPhone is sitting in right now. Each of the line ups that have been created exist to serve a particular niche/purpose..they will not create a product that will suddenly start competing with another line..

So iPod shuffle/Nano serve their purpose for mobile music, iPod Touch adds the bigger screen and gaming to mix. iPhone is the one and only phone, iPad mini and iPad serve the tablet needs varying in size due to competition..but they will continue to operate in those separate markets never to cross..

Apple would be silly to adversely affect any of the existing line ups since they're so lucrative..
 
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No they won't. Apple will not do anything to harm the very nice position that the iPhone is sitting in right now. Each of the line ups that have been created exist to serve a particular niche/purpose..they will not create a product that will suddenly start competing with another line..

So iPod shuffle/Nano serve their purpose for mobile music, iPod Touch adds the bigger screen and gaming to mix. iPhone is the one and only phone, iPad mini and iPad serve the tablet needs varying in size due to competition..but they will continue to operate in those separate markets never to cross..

Apple would be silly to adversely affect any of the existing line ups since they're so lucrative..

Ya I see what your saying.. .Would be cool though. :)
 

Raz0rEdge

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Frankly, it wouldn't be cool and it would cut into revenue streams..at the end of the day Apple is a business looking to make as much money as possible..and they're not going to jeopardize the good things they have going..:)
 
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Frankly, it wouldn't be cool and it would cut into revenue streams..at the end of the day Apple is a business looking to make as much money as possible..and they're not going to jeopardize the good things they have going..:)

Oh, I completely understand that... Just looking for the "perfect device" which the iphone is, just not quite big enough... ENTER ipad mini.

This isnt really a discussion on Apples business practices... We all know how that works...
 

pigoo3

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This isnt really a discussion on Apples business practices... We all know how that works...

Sure we do…it's called "Success"!:)

- Nick
 
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chas_m

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I am planning on getting the Cellular model if I do get the mini. I wouldnt need blue tooth headphones

Um, yes you would. Other than holding the iPad up to your face, there's no other way to use a headset with an iPad other than Bluetooth.

Plus I could facetime the people I call the most anyway( 99% of family and extended family have iPhones).

If you mostly text and FT people, then an iPad mini would be perfect. As I say, it is POSSIBLE to use it as a phone (paying Skype or Vonage for both a US number and unlimited calling), but "unwieldy" comes to mind.

My iPhone is in my pocket all the time, and the new iPhone 5 is so light it's like carrying air. The iPhone plus the iPad is a great setup, and I hate to be away from my iPad for long.
 
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Um, yes you would. Other than holding the iPad up to your face, there's no other way to use a headset with an iPad other than Bluetooth.
I could just use the iphone headphones with a mic. The ipad has dictation and all so it would work perfectly.


If you mostly text and FT people, then an iPad mini would be perfect. As I say, it is POSSIBLE to use it as a phone (paying Skype or Vonage for both a US number and unlimited calling), but "unwieldy" comes to mind.

My iPhone is in my pocket all the time, and the new iPhone 5 is so light it's like carrying air. The iPhone plus the iPad is a great setup, and I hate to be away from my iPad for long.
We will see. I also love my iphone4s and everytime I use it I ask myself, would the ipad mini be better, and a lot of the time the iphone is in one hand and I am doing something in the other... So.... We will see.
 
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I have the perfect solution for your problem.

Use an iPhone.
 

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The screen is too small...

Either wait for a larger screen iPhone or just get some other smartphone? Seems like less of a hassle instead of trying to shoe horn something into what it is not.
 
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I think you guys are missing the point... Im not getting anything thats not apple...

I was just posting an idea... And I know its not the "perfect" solution but nobody here seems very open minded on trying something different...

Oh well.
 

Raz0rEdge

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I think you guys are missing the point... Im not getting anything thats not apple...

I was just posting an idea... And I know its not the "perfect" solution but nobody here seems very open minded on trying something different...

Oh well.

On the contrary..nothing about your idea is actually new, novel or never though about. As I stated previously, when the iPod Touch was released, there were a LOT of folks who tried to come up with ways to use it as a phone or at the least a way to use it to SMS others. That way they could get a "iPhone" for vastly cheaper prices than the real iPhone and not have to purchase a voice and data plan since they would do everything on WiFi..

Once people went through the rigmarole of piecing all the different pieces together, I think most found it to be too cumbersome to use on a daily basis. It was a great way of showing off some cool things, but not a day to day use thing.

So, as witnessed from this thread, I think we were very open minded to listen to what you said and went through the situations where it would work and where it would fail..
 

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