[Traveler57]

I currently own an iPhone 3g. So, I'm considering purchasing an iPad rather than upgrading to the newest iPhone. If the iPad3 comes out this year, that what I'll purchase.

My reasoning is that the iPad provides more possiblities of use than the iPhone and has the much larger screen to view apps and video.

Has anyone else consider this option?

[Eug]

Depends on what you need.

I carry my iPhone everywhere with me, but the iPhone 3G is painfully slow. I currently use an iPhone 4. As for my iPad 2, it just stays at home, because I hate carrying it with me. If I do carry something, it's my MacBook Pro, because it's much more useful to me as I can actually do real work on it. If I needed to carry something with me everywhere, every day, I'd probably just use an 11" MacBook Air.

YMMV.

[SierraDragon]

Currently I do exactly what Eug does, for the same reasons. iPad1, iPhone 4s, 17" 2011 MBP. Mostly I only carry the iPad when I will be in certain no-WiFi situations; in those cases the iPad quickly pays for itself. But what I really want is a much larger iPhone display.

However speed improvements and the cloud are changing things. For many folks a cheap phone plus iPad becomes a very logical solution, especially when 4G becomes ubiquitous.

-Allen

[Traveler57]

To clarify, should I go with the iPad, I'll dump the iPhone 3G and just get a "regular" cell phone. I find that many times the apps on the phone are "convenient" and "useful". But the same could be said of the iPad with a much larger screen to work with.

With Apple coming out with the iPhone 5 someday, I would expect it to have at least a 4.5" or 5" screen along with 4G capability.

I choose to purchase an iMac 27" i7 Quad Core 3.4 Ghz last November instead of a MacBook Pro 15" partially because I got more bang for my buck.

Thanks to all for your input.

[Eug]

Originally Posted by SierraDragon 

Mostly I only carry the iPad when I will be in certain no-WiFi situations; in those cases the iPad quickly pays for itself. But what I really want is a much larger iPhone display.

I should note that in Canada, WiFi tethering is included 'free' in large data plans.

So, if I'm in a no-WiFi zone, I just tether my laptop to my iPhone 4. (No jailbreaking needed in Canada, as tethering is included in the normal iOS install on the iPhone.) For this reason I don't have 3G on my iPad 2 either.

Originally Posted by Traveler57 

To clarify, should I go with the iPad, I'll dump the iPhone 3G and just get a "regular" cell phone. I find that many times the apps on the phone are "convenient" and "useful". But the same could be said of the iPad with a much larger screen to work with.

The question though is if you'll carry your iPad with you 24/7.

With Apple coming out with the iPhone 5 someday, I would expect it to have at least a 4.5" or 5" screen along with 4G capability.

4G yes, but 4.5" screen is unlikely.

[jmiddel]

Same as Eug here. I find having the iPhone great when I'm away from home, I can google, find directions and traffic, send an email, and if I'm bored, play games. I had a regular cell, and am so very much happier with my smart phone. On the other hand, I really don't want to read magazines and newspapers on the iPhone, too darn small. And browsing this forum while keeping my wife company on the couch while she watches some show I could not care less about, the iPad is perfect, I mostly can use one hand.

[TETENAL]

I would prefer an iPad with a dumb phone over an iPhone only. The iPad is so much more useful than the iPhone that I never use the iPhone when the iPad is there. But of course I don't have it always with me. I would keep the iPhone 3G.

[Traveler57]

Keeping the iPhone 3G is an option. I would have to convince the wife on the additional monthly cost for the iPad and the iPhone!

[The Godfather]

Stick a voice only plan SIM in the iPhone and use that savings to feed the iPad.