IPAD Air with 5G? please share your experience

franco-bolli · April 16, 2023

I have an basic IPAD and like it just fine, but it doesn't have cell / GPS capability and it's 6 years (or more) old.

I'm strongly considering an upgrade to an IPAD Air that has 5G with GPS onboard.

I'd like to know how that works with my current provider, Verizon. Do I need a new line for the IPAD in order for the GPS to work? Can I piggyback the data plan from my current subscription to the IPAD?
I thought I understood that the GPS in the IPAD isn't really satellite based but triangulation to your position based on echo from the cell towers in your sector.
If the above is true, how accurate is the GPS when out of range of the cell towers? I've also heard that despite the advertisements from the carriers, that many towers are only 4 G or LTE. Is that accurate.
Whoops, I've crushed one of my pet peeves of only asking a max of two questions per post..

Please feel free to correct any mis-statements, I'm in learning mode and don't seem to be using the right search engine terms to get the answers I'd like.

thanks in advance for your information.

lappir · April 16, 2023

I have no answers to your questions, but would like the information too. I was all set to try the Samsung Fold 4 as my Phone/Tablet/GPS/ as the Android Auto in my Jeep won't work and I don't have a similar screen in my other vehicles. I've also heard/read that the Android Auto or Apple Car Play will become monthly subscriptions. I am strongly against subscriptions for this type of items. All items if I'm being honest.

Rod

Jaydrvr · April 16, 2023

Based on a little research..

The iPad cellular models have a GPS chip built in. The cell tower triangulation only provides general approximate location, while the GPS receiver provides very precise location from the satellites. When the satellites can't be seen by your device, the earth based cell tower method helps to fill in the gaps.

I couldn't find specifics about Verizon, but last I remembered they were similar to AT&T. I can add a data only line (no voice) for a tablet for $10.00/month, last I checked. It would have the same unlimited data.

There was another thread recently about 5g service. It is still my opinion that it's a good ways off from being ready for prime time. In some major cities you may have some access to true 5g bands and speeds, but most of the country will be on 4g bands for quite a while. It takes a lot of investment and time to build out new services. Jay

P.S. You will need a new line for data services of you don't have a Wi-Fi connection, but the GPS is integral to your device and does not need internet to work, but it may need internet services to interpret the data and tell you exactly where you are.

Edited April 16, 2023 by Jaydrvr

franco-bolli · April 17, 2023

@Jaydrvr
thanks for the reply and doing a little research! It inspired me to choose different search criteria and I was able to find additional information will help me make a choice.

Here are links to the two articles that helped me get the answers.

IPADS with GPS and what it does

Do I need a cellular IPAD

thanks for your time in replying and finding the information!!

lenp · April 17, 2023

I upgraded my iPhone last fall to a 5G capable unit. Made a trip from Central Oregon to Louisiana and back. Only time I had 5G was in Grand Isle, LA and it caused problems for the phone. Couldn't call in or out without disabling 5G and using LTE only.

I do have Verizon. As noted above, 5G for us travelers is a ways out yet.

Lenp

lappir · April 17, 2023

5 hours ago, lenp said:

I upgraded my iPhone last fall to a 5G capable unit. Made a trip from Central Oregon to Louisiana and back. Only time I had 5G was in Grand Isle, LA and it caused problems for the phone. Couldn't call in or out without disabling 5G and using LTE only.

I do have Verizon. As noted above, 5G for us travelers is a ways out yet.

Lenp

Why would you have to disable the 5G, doesn't the phone do that for you? In my mind they should use the best connection available to them and I thought they already did that.

Maybe that was the issue with my T-Mobile device when I left the city. I needed to turn off the 5G search and just let it use the other stuff.

Thanks for the info. I will certainly inquire about that once the local Verizon store get's the Galaxy Fold Four in.

Rod

lenp · April 18, 2023

Both 5G and LTE were active at Grand Isle. I would have thought the phone would have selected the best of the two also. When I could not get any service I contacted Verizon and was advised to just turn OFF 5G.

Initially, I had re-booted the phone and it would work for a few hours but then after a few minutes (or sometimes hours) the bars would disappear and I had no service (incoming or outgoing). Only way to make a call was via internet which, surprise, surprise was also Verizon via their Internet Gateway device which is also a 5G/LTE. The latter worked flawlessly but I don't remember if it was using 5G or not.

RV_ · April 18, 2023

The answers other than built in GPS are generic to all. Yes you need a separate Sim card or eSim and line. I have an LTE Surface Pro 7+ and two Surface Go 2 with LTE as well. I can swap the Sim card between them and it works fine in all three. Mine are more than two years old so are 4G.

Edited April 20, 2023 by RV_

franco-bolli · April 27, 2023

last evening, I did a test with my current (older) IPAD that does not have cellular or GPS. I tethered it to my iPhone 12 through the hotspot at high data rate and can report that I could not get the RV Life app to update as I traveled around the area. I re ran the same route, this time using the information from Trip Wizard in GOOGLE Maps. While the exact location was not obvious on the IPAD, meaning that the red Arrow didn't always show exactly where I was on the road, the audio driving cues were accurate although sparse, and were given in plenty of time to make the turns.
I purposely made wrong turns to be sure it was keeping up with my travel and it did a reasonable job, but didn't account for me towing a trailer. Several "Make a U turn" were suggested in the middle of an intersection.
SO, I'm not sure if the lag in displaying my current position was due to the age of my IPAD or just the nature of the data transfer rate from iPhone to iPad.

I've heard from some folks that the IPAD with built in Cell/GPS keeps up with their location.

Still can't figure out why the RV Life App wouldn't update my position on the IPAD, No audible instructions either, beyond leaving my house " Turn left at the end of the street" and that was it....
Thanks to all who contributed their ideas and comments!!

RV_ · May 22, 2023

Franco did you ever figure it out?

franco-bolli · August 15, 2023

On 5/21/2023 at 10:22 PM, RV_ said:

Franco did you ever figure it out?

Yes, I did this past weekend. The wife convinced me to get a 5th Gen iPad Air. It showed up today (20230815) so now to load it up. It was concluded after three hours of trying top input routing information into Basecamp for the Garmin GPS unit. I never did finish, there was a Thinking wheel spinning above the Basecamp when I created a reroute to a known road from one that I knew was blocked off and it thought it was a through route.

We'll be using the RV trip Wizard / RVLife this trip in the iPad. The Garmin will be a back up.

I wonder if the folks from Garmin use their own tools to create a multi day, multi stop route and see how frustrating it is...

RV_ · August 23, 2023

👍👍

I think Garmin will be getting more and more out of the road mapping and more into GPS handhelds and GPS watches as Android, Apple, and built in navigation that shows on the car's built in screens on newer cars beats the old programs hands down.

Many of them can do all that but everyone keeps saying that they need the programs with bridge and other clearances built-in. All I can say is that more than a few folks found that after re-paving some clearances are 4" or more off as the asphalt was added but no one remeasured or added the new lower clearance to the programs from ll GPS makers. So more than a few folks have had collisions with lower than expected clearances even if they were lower than the posted clearance or the clearance in a program like Garmin.

https://www.thetruckersreport.com/truckingindustryforum/threads/about-my-new-garmin-780-low-bridges-and-routing.1268877/

Who reports changed lower clearances to Garmin et al? Sometimes no one!

As well many RVrs have never measured their high points on their rigs as evidenced by the infamous 11' 8" bridge. Even after they raised the bridge 8 inches to 12' 4" RVrs and truckers are still crashing into it! Video below.

So when we were full timing there were no smart phones and there were no GPS in laptops and the Earthmate by Delorme was terrible in 1998 and I had one of the yellow GPS receivers and it was so slow it was useless. Then in 2006 I got a stand alone Garmin for sales calls for steel building sales in a 100 mile radius sales area and they were terrible on rural roads until much later.

So I had no cell phone or GPS at all from 1997-2003 full timing until we came off the road to care for now gone parents.

How did we do everything West of the Mississippi, and from Canada up to and including a season May - September in Alaska and most of Alberta and B.C. Canada and never hit a bridge with paper maps and no Garmin?

I had to trust the marked bridge clearances and if they were within six inches I stopped in front and we did it sloooooooooooooooooow. Obviously not possible on Interstates.

But I measured my highest point which was a power vent rain cover.

Here's that video of professional truckers and RVrs hitting the infamous bridge even with clearly marked and accurate clearances posted and with warning lights!