Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “I tried using an iPad Mini as a phone.”.
[ Jonathan ]: What is the difference between an iPhone and the new iPad mini? They both have Apple’s flagship, A15 bionic chip.. They both support 5G and according to Apple, both fit in your pocket.. So if you like the bigger screen and the smaller price tag, is there anything stopping you from loading up the iPad, minis SIM card tray and ditching the iPhone ( classic Apple ring tone ). This might just be the future. ( upbeat music, ), Hello, Hey., (, upbeat music ). Using this new iPad mini as a phone is a pretty compelling idea.. It is a decidedly two handed device, not unlike a Pro Max iPhone., But unlike the iPhone you get a USB-C port for universal charging, video output and more.
And, unlike the iPhone, you can use Apple’s, clever, 2nd Gen pencil with its magnetic attachment and inductive charging.. I really like holding this.. I know this sounds weird, but I’ve been trying to figure this out, but I feel like Dr. Phil, Ellen or Oprah when holding this in landscape., You get an iPad, you get an iPad, you get an iPad. And when I tilt it into portrait, it feels like One of those day-timer notebook things., I’m left-handed. Because it has iPad OS, it’s just more powerful than an iPhone..
You can just do and see more all at the same time.. The only difference from any other iPad is that everything is smaller, sometimes ridiculously so., But it works well.. I found myself running three apps at the same time, and even using Scribble more though Scribble can be really irritating.
Like the latest iPhones. This iPad mini has been blessed with Apple’s A15 chip.. It even gets the full five GPU cores from the iPhone 13 Pro, but it has been detuned slightly running at 2.9 gigahertz as opposed to the iPhone’s 3.2.. What I suspect is happening here is that Apple doesn’t want the smaller, less expensive iPad mini to outperform last year’s iPad Air and iPhones perhaps.. The mini’s Geekbench scores are slightly higher than the Air, but the iPhone 13 Pro scores are even higher.
In my Lightroom RAW photo export test, though the mini and the Air for that matter are slightly faster, if only because the iPhone heats up, quick and throttles.. So keep your phone cool., But perhaps the most intriguing thing about using an iPad mini with cellular as a phone is that it’s cheaper than an iPhone 13 by about $ 100.. These both support the race to 5G and the faster speeds I’m getting at the office. Now a whole 30 megabits per second., So why not try it out While an iPad can make or take phone calls it’s through Apple’s continuity technology, which requires an iPhone to be on the same wifi network as the iPad.. Meanwhile, a cellular Apple watch just needs an iPhone to be on anywhere., My God, it’s so windy.
If we can get in here. Drat it’s locked.. This is entirely an OS limitation. And let me just put in this SIM card to show you how. In an iPhone.
It has a phone number and unlimited talk and text and some data, but on an iPad, it’s data only even though there doesn’t appear to be anything in the hardware preventing this.. There is a workaround, though you’ll need to download an app.. Google Voice is a good free option or there’s Microsoft, Skype, which will cost you about six and a bit dollars a month. Here in Canada. These apps aren’t available., So I had to settle with an app called Text Now, which is a free, ad-supported app within a payment that provides a phone number for you to receive and make phone calls and SMS messages., Though my number’s from Prince George, which is five Hours away and long distance., The iPad isn’t really a handset..
It doesn’t have a vibrate function., Hello, [, Hoffman, ] Hello., Hey yeah sorry.. Do you mind I just talking to the viewers right now. [, Hoffman ], Yeah whatever.. Can you give me like the B rolls? I need it now. And when you get a call you’re answering in speaker phone, if you don’t have any headphones, connected.
[ Hoffman ]. What are we doing for the thumbnail like? I need an answer soon, or else you know.. I mean this works.. Anyone who dials this new number will reach me and I’m notified of any SMS messages.
People send to the number as well. (, SMS notification. Ding ). If you do want to use the iPad as a phone, it means you’re gon na have to bring it outside..
So you’re gon na probably want some sort of protection which can be offered by this video sponsor dbrand., And I’m going to try and put this dbrand sticker on this iPad right. Now., Take the skin off peel it off and then place it on again.. What about this thing Place? It on., ( Jonathan sneezes, loudly ) Sorry.
Align the top with the thing.. Did you know I pride myself in really good screen protector applications. The one thing about putting on something like this is whatever mistake: you’ve made at the top, i.e.
putting something on diagonally. Even if it doesn’t look diagonal, it really gets magnified at the bottom, but I think we’re okay., Oh yeah, one cool dbrand sticker is the one that turns your pencil into an actual pencil. Hey.
I did it and it’s not bad. My first ever dbrand sticker. And you can do it too.
By checking out the skins at the links. Below. ( bossa nova type music ), Going out with this iPad, did feel weird.
Because it’s so big you’re, more conscious of it.. I had to fit it in my hoodie pocket. And when I took it out to scan for Starbucks points, I felt super conspicuous., Though speaking of Starbucks. It reminds me of another obstacle to consider.. If you were thinking about using this as your primary mobile device, apps. iPads have been most and best tablet apps, but consider that Facebook has famously forbidden, Instagram and WhatsApp from developing ones., Though in fairness, Snapchat doesn’t have one available, either. TikToK yes. Still, if these jarring Apps aren’t available on iPad. It doesn’t bode well for any of the mobile apps. You can’t live without like a calculator or a weather app., Even if you were able to use Instagram it’s worth knowing the cameras aren’t as good as the ones found on the iPhone.. The bad camera is about the equivalent of an iPhone 8 10R, but for an iPad it does feature a Quad-LED flash for dark spaces. No night mode though., While holding this up to take pictures, is less ridiculous than a giant iPad, you’re much better off using an iPhone if you’ve got a modern one., But there’s still a major upgrade to the mini’s front-facing camera..
It now matches the iPad Pro with a 12 megapixel sensor and ultra wide lens that enables Center Stage something you can’t get on any iPhone.. This is especially good for the larger screen of the iPad., But back to that iPad as a phone thing., The economics are not as enticing as you might’ve thought.. An iPad phone plan is about $ 10 to $ 30 a month if you’re, adding it to an existing phone plan..
But if you’re going solo, it’s about the same as a phone, plan. And you’re going to need gigabytes and gigabytes of data to be able to keep up with desktop websites and 5G speeds whenever and wherever you get them.. So, let’s just say that, yes, you can use this as a phone if you live in the right place and are willing to live with the compromises., I’m not., But what about the iPad mini as a tablet? Well, despite the unimpressive speakers, I like it a lot., But my biggest hangup is with the price.
At $ 499. It’S a full $ 100 more than the previous generation iPad mini. And, unlike the iPhone 13 there’s no increase in storage.
Base. Storage is still only 64 gigabytes.. This price increase matches the one the iPad Air got last year, which makes me think that the rounded corners of the liquid redness screen the wireless pencil charging and USB-C port must be expensive. As an already niche device. I think the iPad mini will win the hearts of those who love the smaller form. Factor., Though, the price increase will be a hard pill to swallow., But I think the hope for all of us comes in the future. And that future is with folding phones.. Just look at the Samsung Galaxy Fold. It folds out into essentially this.. I think that those who were hoping to use the iPad mini as a phone are really just waiting for a folding iPhone. And after using this for awhile, so am I. ( upbeat music ). Thanks for trying to call into this Mac, address. Make sure to describe..
Now, if you’re on team iPad mini give this video a like, and if you’re one of the people who’s actually tried to use an iPad within a cellular connection. As your phone for calling and texting comment below, I’m curious how you did it and what it was like. .