Connect to the Internet Using Cellular Data
For people who tend to travel often or who need more frequent access to the Internet than is afforded by Wi-Fi hotspots, Apple offers iPad models with cellular data access built in, the same network used by modern cell phones. With cellular data enabled, your iPad likely has Internet access nearly everywhere.
Tip
The iPad can hop onto a cellular network, but it can’t place or receive calls like an iPhone. The cellular access is strictly for data. (You can still place calls using a service such as Skype or connect with others using FaceTime.)
However, cellular is more expensive: The cellular iPad models cost $130 more than the Wi-Fi–only models in the United States and require an additional fee to access the network. The good news is that Apple negotiated great deals with providers to provide cellular access. (Check with your carrier for specific pricing.)
Tip
The iPad Air and Retina iPad mini contain all the hardware to connect to any cellular network; you no longer have to buy a specific model based on the carrier.
As you would expect, the pricing for plans is complicated—we are talking about cellular companies, after all, who profit on customer confusion—but there’s a silver lining. In some cases, your iPad doesn’t need to be tied to a multi-year service contract or existing plan. For my iPad Air, as an example, I pay a fixed monthly fee (about $30 as I write this) for 2 GB of cellular data use. (This price is current as of November 2013 and may have changed by the time you read this. Some providers also offer shared data plans for households that own several data devices.)
The great part of these deals is that, unlike with the iPhone, there’s no contract that locks you in for a minimum length of time. Activate the plan when you need it (if you expect to travel a lot next month, for instance), and cancel when you’re done. If you bump against the limit of one plan, you can jump to another plan or wait until the 30-day cycle begins again.
And you do it all from the iPad directly.
Tip
The cellular iPads boast a few other differences from the Wi-Fi models. For one, they include a GPS chip for identifying the iPad’s position in Maps and other apps; the Wi-Fi models use a method based on wireless access points to determine location.
Understand cellular service
Here’s a quick overview of the iPad’s cellular capabilities. My apologies in advance for the alphabet soup here.
The iPad cellular models are capable of LTE (a meaningless acronym that stands for Long Term Evolution) data transfer, which can achieve up to 72 megabits per second (Mbps). If you’re in a service area that offers LTE, that’s the theoretical fastest transfer rate.
The cellular models also support three other varieties of cellular data: DC-HSDPA (42 Mbps), HSPA+ (21 Mbps), and HSPA (7.2 Mbps). To put these into context, the iPad 2 uses HSPA.
However, don’t fret too much about these levels: The cellular iPad models will connect to the best signal that’s available in your area, and fall back to 3G service if necessary.
Activate cellular service
To enable cellular service, do the following:
1. Go to Settings > Cellular Data and make sure the Cellular Data option is set to On.
2. Tap the View Account button.
3. Tap the Set Up New Account button. (Depending on your cellular provider, you may also be able to add the iPad to an existing account.)
4. Enter your name, phone number, and email, and enter a password.
5. Tap a plan to choose it.
6. Enter your credit card and billing information and tap Next.
7. Read the terms of service and tap Agree.
8. Review the payment summary and tap Done.
As soon as a dialog appears informing you that the data service is activated, you can access the Internet anywhere you have cellular reception.
Measure your cellular data usage
So, just how far will you get with your data plan? As you might expect, that depends on your use. Go to Settings > Cellular Data and look at the Cellular Data Usage fields to view how much data has been sent and received. Tap the Reset Statistics button at the bottom of the screen to zero out the figures and start tracking anew.
To get the usage information from your provider, go to Settings > General > Cellular Data > View Account. The Account Overview section tells you how much data you’ve used, how much remains, and how many days are left in the billing period.
Tip
In an area where both Wi-Fi and cellular work, Wi-Fi supersedes the cellular network. Using the iPad at a Wi-Fi hotspot, for example, doesn’t count toward the data limit even if cellular service is active.
Choose which apps can use cellular data
The Cellular Data settings also include a list of installed apps that can get data from the Internet. If you want to limit that capability—for example, to prevent FaceTime calls that would quickly eat up your allotted data—tap an app’s switch to restrict it to using only Wi-Fi connections.
Add or cancel cellular service
As you approach the end of your allotted bandwidth, the iPad displays warnings when you reach 20 percent of data left, then 10 percent, and then zero. If you want to add bandwidth during one of those reminders, tap the Now button to bring up the Cellular Data Account window. You can also get there at any time by going to Settings > Cellular Data > View Account and tapping Add Data or Change Plan.
Tip
International roaming data rates can be substantially higher than what your domestic carrier offers, so if you know you’ll be traveling out of the country, tap the Add International Plan button and set up a plan.
Share the Internet connection using Personal Hotspot
The iPad is capable of acting like a portable Wi-Fi hotspot, sharing its cellular Internet access with up to five devices (such as your computer or a friend’s iPad). The catch is that your cellular provider may not allow it, or may charge an extra fee. The connection can be shared via Wi-Fi, USB, or Bluetooth.
1. Go to Settings > Cellular Data > Personal Hotspot, and tap Set Up Personal Hotspot. After you enable the feature, a Personal Hotspot option appears on the first Settings screen.
2. Tap Personal Hotspot to view the settings, and then switch the feature to On.
3. On devices that want to connect, point them to the hotspot name (if sharing using Wi-Fi) and enter the password you set up in step 1.
Tip
The SIM card included with the iPad cellular models stores your name and account information. You can remove it from the iPad and put it into another device that accepts a nano SIM card and still use your account. It ships with a PIN that’s set by the network provider. To lock the SIM card for added security, tap the SIM PIN button in the Cellular Data settings, switch SIM PIN to On, and enter 1111 (if that doesn’t work, you need to contact your carrier to get the default unlock code). To set a new code, tap Change PIN and follow the instructions. (If you enter the wrong passcode three times, the SIM will be shut down and you’ll need to contact the cellular provider to re-activate it. See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4113 for more information.)