iPad with cellular question

Jeff Creamer

Jeff Creamer

Pre-Flight
Joined
May 19, 2017
Messages
33
Location
Georgia
Display Name
Display name:
JJC
im about to,purchase a used iPad mini 4 that has cellular ability through Verizon. I’m not interested in a service plan - just want the benefit of the gps. Do I have to remove the Verizon component for it to work? I’ll be using FF.
 
Jeff Creamer said:
im about to,purchase a used iPad mini 4 that has cellular ability through Verizon. I’m not interested in a service plan - just want the benefit of the gps. Do I have to remove the Verizon component for it to work? I’ll be using FF.
Click to expand...

So you are buying it with a data plan or will they sell it without?

Doesn't matter who you buy from as long as it is a cellular version the GPS will function, even without being on a plan

IDK how the mini4 maintains its price because these things are like 4 years old now. I want another one but aint buying used and new cost is still high.
 
I have an old cellular Mini 2 that I'm using with the default "Apple SIM card", it isn't linked to a data plan.

Aside from complaints every time I power up about an "Invalid SIM", it works today. However, I needed to use a Verizon SIM to initially setup and activate the device, it wouldn't do it over WiFi for me.
 
My mini 4 works fine without a SIM card.
 
You don't need to touch the SIM card. You can enable or disable the cellular data as you wish in the SETTINGS screen. It won't matter to the GPS.
 
bnt83 said:
So you are buying it with a data plan or will they sell it without?

Doesn't matter who you buy from as long as it is a cellular version the GPS will function, even without being on a plan

IDK how the mini4 maintains its price because these things are like 4 years old now. I want another one but aint buying used and new cost is still high.
Click to expand...
No data plan. It was on a plan with Verizon.
 
Got my last mini from flight safety, never even opened the sim port to see if it even has a sim, no warnings, no issues, just do a factory reset to clear any junk that the old owner had and you should be GTG
 
bnt83 said:
I've never had a sim in any of my ipads
Click to expand...

I recently picked up an iPad pro and the ipad initially supported a few services, Sprint, maybe T-Mobile with no sim card needed. Just sign up and go.

However, I am a Verizon customer and I wanted to include it on my current plan. Verizon sent me a sim card overnight and I popped it in the ipad, connected immediately and I have no problems with it.
 
Last edited:
Jeff Creamer said:
im about to,purchase a used iPad mini 4 that has cellular ability through Verizon. I’m not interested in a service plan - just want the benefit of the gps. Do I have to remove the Verizon component for it to work? I’ll be using FF.
Click to expand...

Just to make sure you've considered it. Remember that an external GPS will be a tiny bit more reliable and potentially offer things like ADS-B. The only downside is that it's another battery to maintain. But for me, having ADS-B is very much worth the hassle of maintaining that battery.
 
I have an old SIM from a former carrier in mine. It doesn’t need it though. I leave it because they have a “pay by the day” you can do in Settings if you really needed it, and once in a while I turn cellular data on to set the clock. Ha. The network will do that whether you’re paying or not.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top