Ipad mini 3g Not a Phone

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gnfb

1872 posts

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# 127429 9-Aug-2013 20:04

Ok so accepting the fact that I am going to look and sound like a Idiot Not that I actually feel like an idiot, really I feel like I was had!

So I finally picked up a Ipad Mini 3g. At one stage. I had a Samsung galaxy tablet 3g On that device I had it setup for Voip and Sim card txts and calls

Imagine my shock Horror when I discover that I cant use the Sim to send txt or calls with out doing something called "jailbreaking " the device!

Seriously is that the case a 3g device with a sim in it that you can only use for data??

anyone want a 3 hour old Ipad Mini 3g 32meg white?? Samsung 8 here i come

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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# 874763 9-Aug-2013 20:08

You got it and I think you mean 32GB

Inphinity

2540 posts

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# 874764 9-Aug-2013 20:11

2 people support this post

Well, as in your post title, it's not a phone, so it doesn't do all phone functions. Personally, being an Ipad, I don't think it does any useful function at all, but that's me ;)

On a more helpful note, there are a number of apps you can use form the crApp store to allow sending SMS from an ipad (Skype, for example).

gnfb

1872 posts

Uber Geek

# 874765 9-Aug-2013 20:13

johnr: You got it and I think you mean 32GB

Of course I do whoops!

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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stevenz

2785 posts

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# 874766 9-Aug-2013 20:14

It has a cellular radio, but it doesn't have some of the necessary hardware to function as a cellphone.

Even jailbreaking it won't let you use it as a regular phone, the closest you'll get is using Viber or Skype or some other 3rd party app to make calls using data.

They really are rather nice little devices, I far prefer mine to my 7" Samsung tablet. I've got a cellphone to make phone calls, or most people I know seem to have one of the alternatives installed.

@KnightNZ

gnfb

1872 posts

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# 874770 9-Aug-2013 20:19

Inphinity: Well, as in your post title, it's not a phone, so it doesn't do all phone functions. Personally, being an Ipad, I don't think it does any useful function at all, but that's me ;)

On a more helpful note, there are a number of apps you can use form the crApp store to allow sending SMS from an ipad (Skype, for example).

I saw there was a lot of apps but the advantage with the sim is I only send about 50 txts a month form that sim card and the $20 top up lasts months I can also connect form my desktop to type the txts
using the wonderful SMS control Centre . I t might just be what I am use to but it works for me.

I am right though the Samsung 8 3g will send and receive calls through the sim card without re-engineering the tablet?

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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Inphinity

2540 posts

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# 874775 9-Aug-2013 20:27

gnfb:
I am right though the Samsung 8 3g will send and receive calls through the sim card without re-engineering the tablet?

The Note 8 LTE (N5100) does. Not all Galaxy Tabs are SMS capable out of the box though.

stevenz

2785 posts

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# 874776 9-Aug-2013 20:27

My Samsung Galaxy Tab 7 works as a regular phone just fine.

Make sure the Samsung 8 has a SIM slot because the one I looked at a couple of days ago, which may have been a Galaxy Note 8, did not. Regardless, I'd want to check that it would work beforehand.

Actually, the only current model Galaxy Tab I can see in their lineup that obviously supports cellular is the GT-N5120 which is the Galaxy Note 8 LTE, or the Galaxy Tab 2 7" (GT-P3100).

@KnightNZ

blakamin

4431 posts

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# 874778 9-Aug-2013 20:32

My nexus 7 3g doesn't have a dialer or a message app.. Probably because it's a tablet and not a phone.

johnr

19282 posts

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# 874784 9-Aug-2013 20:37

Inphinity:
gnfb:
I am right though the Samsung 8 3g will send and receive calls through the sim card without re-engineering the tablet?

The Note 8 LTE (N5100) does. Not all Galaxy Tabs are SMS capable out of the box though.

I have used a few and they all had phone and SMS function

gnfb

1872 posts

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# 874802 9-Aug-2013 20:47

blakamin: My nexus 7 3g doesn't have a dialer or a message app.. Probably because it's a tablet and not a phone.

But I want all in one and with a galaxy note 8 I can have my cake and eat it

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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johnr

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# 874817 9-Aug-2013 20:56

gnfb:
blakamin: My nexus 7 3g doesn't have a dialer or a message app.. Probably because it's a tablet and not a phone.

But I want all in one and with a galaxy note 8 I can have my cake and eat it

myopinion

862 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 874856 9-Aug-2013 21:45

How about the TextMe iPad app?

gnfb

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# 874872 9-Aug-2013 22:22

myopinion: How about the TextMe iPad app?

I don't know will have a look

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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gnfb

1872 posts

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# 874878 9-Aug-2013 22:35

gnfb:
myopinion: How about the TextMe iPad app?

I don't know will have a look

Yeah it can work but not through the sim obliviously its not free like they infer, what is?

Is an English Man living in New Zealand. Not a writer, an Observer he says. Graham is a seasoned 'traveler" with his sometimes arrogant, but honest opinion on life. He loves the Internet!.

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Inphinity

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# 874886 9-Aug-2013 22:55

gnfb:
gnfb:
myopinion: How about the TextMe iPad app?

I don't know will have a look

Yeah it can work but not through the sim obliviously its not free like they infer, what is?

You need credits to use (which you can either pay for, or do a horde of spammy surveys etc). It's free for certain functions, but that's predominantly US/Canadian domestic uses.

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