I tried using an iPad Mini as a phone.

The new iPad Mini is ever so slightly smaller than the old and it now supports 5G. So that's got people thinking about how awesome it would be to use it as a phone. Well, we put a SIM card in it to see what happens and how to make it work.

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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:34 The iPad Mini's form works well
2:24 It's cheaper than a phone, so why not pop in a SIM card?
4:27 Thanks dBrand for the sponsorship
5:26 iPad Mini phone out in the real world
6:16 Camera differences
6:56 What about cellular plans?
7:31 So, iPad as a tablet then...
8:03 Conclusion

[amdbarton]

I knew a lawyer who used an older iPad mini as his primary work device with no phone. He said it was great because most judges wouldn’t allow phones out in their court, but were fine with attorneys reading and taking notes on their tablets. He could go to court with just the mini and pencil in his jacket pocket, and not have to worry about a briefcase with files and junk going through security, and he could tell without interrupting court if his secretary had something urgent that he needed to step out to handle or if the text was just his buddy asking if they were still on for drinks next week.

[Serra]

You guys made that channel’s vision so well. Fantastic cinematography, locations, clean aesthetics. Well done.

[chriscillo]

I don’t know what the carriers allow in Canada. But in the US iPads allow phone calls over Wi-Fi and Data using an an apple feature called iCloud Calling. It links the iPad to my cell phone number and allows me to make outgoing and receive incoming even if my phone is turned off or hundreds of miles away. Just FYI. I use it daily.

[mwdc]

I keep coming back to this video since it's *hilarious.*

[kittiworks]

This channel really makes me wish LMG would do more outdoor shoots. The camera and colour work in all these Mac Address videos have been phenomenal, compared to how lacklustre the studio content can sometimes look. I see them constantly tweak/struggle with the colour grades in TechLinked and Short Circuit but I've never failed to be amazed at the work they can do outdoors.

[antoniobanderas]

When I was younger and didn’t rely much on cellphone calls or data, I did use an iPad mini as my primary device for like 3 years. Granted, I constantly had wifi so it wasn’t that much of a pain. It was a bit difficult at the end because of the lack of flexibility but I’d say that for someone who doesn’t move much or lives on a campus, you can totally daily drive an iPad mini .

[trapbeatproducer]

I use my iPad mini 2021 as my main device. Sold my iPhone 13 Pro as soon as I started using this.

It goes in my sling bag at work and calls come through to my earbuds. It's a nicer screen size for my old eyeballs. Coupled with a keyboard and mouse I use it to run my business while I'm out as well.

Best thing I've ever bought 🙏🏽

[TheGaragebandGuide]

Well now I wish i'd made THIS video. Fantastic work as always!

[ThisIsTechToday]

lol, dang, you beat me to this video. I used the iPad mini for a whole week as my only phone and it was...interesting to say to least. Lot's of work around to make it work!

[paum]

1:19 This has happened to me lots of times. The pencil is in the right side and you need to hold it with the other hand because you are left-handed. I laughed because of how often this happens to me

[Rockwell]

I have used a tablet as a phone for years! Data plan is super cheap but I use it much differently than described here…

[gedeon]

The Production Quality of his Videos is just outstanding to me

[TheStarkster]

We do this for my 10-year old brother. It's set up where he can FaceTime or iMessage my parents or I when needed, and we have it locked down so he can't FaceTime/iMessage randos on the internet. Bonus: he also gets no spam calls.

[salemkittenkat]

I don't know what your formula is, but this video is one of the very few videos I actually watch without skipping (Very few...like...this is probably the fifth). Awesome video!

[MrZix]

I think the thing that impresses me the most about this channel is how much it doesn't feel like an LTT channel. I love Linus's content, but it is nice to see LMG branching out

[terribletruth]

For me, I was looking at the Mini as an at-home phone replacement. Instead of looking at a small cell phone screen at home, I look at a tablet screen. But it's also not too large to move around easily like the iPad Pro.

[piercedliquidnipples]

The laid back and use case centered approach of this review is awesome! Instantly subscribed, great videography too in the natural locations 👌
P.s.: I always wanted something "mini tablet"-sized to use as a phone: imagine seeing something cool while walking in the park and being able to sketch it right away, imagine being able to properly watch YouTube vids or reading an ebook on a train ride, imagine having a big navigation map for when you're travelling, imagine having an on the go movie night in your car with your friends/gf/bf while eating some fast food (...)

[thisisjmx]

I like that you're looking at different uses for a tablet.
We forget that we can do so much more with our tech.
Mobile broadband plans are typically for tablets yes.... But.... It is possible to buy a phone SIM plan & put the SIM card in the tablet. I'm not an apple user myself but I know that some tablets come with a phone dialer app built in. [Like Samsung & other brands]
I've done it myself [here in UK] on a temporary basis, but it was some time ago.

[austinftwXD]

I've been doing this for almost 2 months now. I've used google voice as my primary number for 5+ years, and I always carry a set of airpod pros and wf1000xm4s with me, so setting up calling and texting was braindead easy. I usually keep my phone in my backpack anyway so swapping it for an iPad wasn't a problem. being able to use the apple pencil and bigger screen when working on technical drawings makes a world of difference. I since picked up a galaxy z fold 3, and carry both, but I actually default to the iPad more often when I'm out and about because it generally performs better and I'm less worried about damaging it.

[ConorORegan]

I’ve been waiting for someone to try this