ipad mini 4 with cellular but no cellular service

[Shadow2020]

I have read the discussions that say having a larger screen is great. I have a Note 8 and it works fine although it disconnects every once in a while.. I think because of the wire. But I want a larger screen. People seem to love the ipad mini 4 and I am considering a refurbished one to save money. I won't use it for anything else. I don't move my RTH point so I realize I don't absolutely need cellular/gps.. but it would make me feel better to have . BUT, I don't want to pay for monthly cellular service from ATT for that ipad. The ipads with cellular have GPS as well. Do I need to hook up the cellular service to get the benefits of the GPS? What am I getting, what am I missing. Is the 32 GB model enough ram?

Thank you!

 

[Mavhawk]

I just recently bought a refurbished iPad Air 2 and it doesn't have the cellular feature with it either and I don't have it connected to cell service. I was still able to download the DJI go 4 app and it works great without the GPS feature. I'm using it with a Mavic Pro. I did research on it before I purchased it and several other flyers said you don't really need the GPS for the iPad, but if you want it, you can buy a small separate unit for around 100 bucks or so to give the iPad GPS. I don't remember why you might need it, but I know when I fly, my controller says the drone has GPS just like you would see it on, say, an iPhone. Hope that helps. Marc.

 

[rickw]

you don't need to buy cell service for mini4,works great 32 is pleanty,think mine is 16

 

[Shadow2020]

you don't need to buy cell service for mini4,works great 32 is pleanty,think mine is 16

Rick... I understand... but is your ipad a cellular one where you didn't buy the cellular service plan (has gps) or one without cellular capability (no gps). I realize the drone has gps and I can get maps offline. but just interested if anyone got the cellular with gps and no service.

Also, Mavhawk and Rick, one of you has full size and one has mini. Any thoughts on whether it is much better to have larger, or is the mini still large enough (and better than my note 8).. and less cumbersome.. or should I splurge and get the full size?

 

[sparkorc]

In my exprience the mini 4 is plenty big enough I personaly would not want a full size ipad, the ipad mini 4 is compact enough to fit in my mavic pro platinum case, also I did not see any real reason to purchase the cellular model with its excessive cost over a non cellular, and if I ever did find a need to use cellular I would just use my android phone which is what I originally used before purchasing the mini 4 non cellular.

 

[Charles Keen]

I use a large screen iPad pro with cellular which has built in GPS. I don't have any network service so use W-iFi at home to update it. I believe the GPS is used if you change your home point such as in 'Follow Me' . That's why I obtained the cellular version, just in case I may need GPS at a latter date. I would never go back to a small screen.

 

[DanMan32]

Any cell device will work without service. Other than getting voice/data from cell towers of course. You might need a SIM, but the SIM doesn't need to be active.

 

[elcaminojoe]

Been doing TONS of research on this topic. Guess I'm still confused....I have the Platinum pro and I am upgrading to an Ipad Mini4, sounds like its the best fit for size/function. Is the only purpose of the GPS on the mini4 for maps? The RTH function works without GPS correct? Really don't want to pony up for the cellular version as it will only be used for drone. Seems no matter where I read there are conflicts in answers. HELP!

 

[Charles Keen]

Its a pain getting a phone call on the cellular Ipad you are using to fly your drone with so you don't want a sim card.
Ok, you could put it in Airplane Mode before you fly if you did have one with a service contract.

 

[rickw]

my mini 4 has cellular,It's not activated but I like the feature I can udate home point to new so mavic can find new position of rc

 

[DanMan32]

You may need a SIM card so at best it doesn't annoy you that one is missing but it doesn't need service.

GPS is used for map, though it will get you in the ballpark from AC's GPS, for Follow Me (not available on M2), and set/update homepoint to current RC location. So because of this last one, it could affect RTH. The H stands for Home.

 

[Meta4]

Do I need to hook up the cellular service to get the benefits of the GPS? What am I getting, what am I missing. Is the 32 GB model enough ram?

Apple confuse a lot of people by only including GPS with their cellular enabled iPads.
GPS is unrelated to cellular data and you don't need a sim card or connection to have GPS which comes from satellites and not a phone signal.
You only need GPS in the tablet if you want to do Follow-me flight or reset home to the location of the controller (for flying from a moving boat etc)
There's nothing else the Mavic can use it for.

Is the 32 GB model enough ram?

32GB is the amount of storage (not RAM) It should be fine for flying.

Been doing TONS of research on this topic. Guess I'm still confused....I have the Platinum pro and I am upgrading to an Ipad Mini4, sounds like its the best fit for size/function. Is the only purpose of the GPS on the mini4 for maps? The RTH function works without GPS correct? Really don't want to pony up for the cellular version as it will only be used for drone. Seems no matter where I read there are conflicts in answers. HELP!

No having a GPS receiver in your tablet isn't for maps.
Read above to see what it does.
Your Mavic has a perfectly good GPS unit that it uses for all other flight functions including RTH.

 

[Meta4]

You may need a SIM card so at best it doesn't annoy you that one is missing but it doesn't need service.
GPS is used for map, though it will get you in the ballpark from AC's GPS, for Follow Me (not available on M2), and set/update homepoint to current RC location. So because of this last one, it could affect RTH. The H stands for Home.

No wonder people get confused about this.
All they need (if they want GPS in the iPad) is the hardware - no sim card is necessary.
The GPS in the tablet doesn't provide maps.
Read the previous post for clarification.

 

[theDRONEranger]

My understand (maybe incorrect) but you should not need cellular for GPS. You should be able to download maps of your intended flight area beforehand and use them. GPS should not need cellular to work. Again, maybe I am wrong.

You could also try connecting your note 8 to the iPad. That part is easy, I’ve done that enough times myself when out traveling.

 

[ac0j]

If you want the tablet to have GOOD gps performance, pay the money for the cell service. Usually around $10 a month or so. IF you need maps. Usually, I am standing near where I am flying so a map is pretty useless. So it is more about those with the need to Navigate beyond VLOS.
As to the screen size debate. I prefer the full size Ipad. Although it is weighty and cumbersome at times, we ARE talking about a pretty good grade flying camera here. Why would it not make sense to have the largest screen you can to preview what he camera is about to shoot? it is easier to see focus and detail.
If you are just using the display to navigate and fly blind beyond VLOS, it doesnt really matter what size the display is. I prefer resolution to brightness every time.
In summary, what is a positive for one of us, may not be a positive for the next. It is really a choice that depends on what the user is wanting to do.

 

[Meta4]

If you want the tablet to have GOOD gps performance, pay the money for the cell service. Usually around $10 a month or so.

Cell service does not give you GPS and paying doesn't improve GPS performance.
If you are only paying for GPS, cancel your payments.
The DJI app won't recognise any location derived from cell towers - only free GPS satellite data.

 

[ac0j]

Cell service does not give you GPS and paying doesn't improve GPS performance.
If you are only paying for GPS, cancel your payments.
The DJI app won't recognise any location derived from cell towers - only free GPS satellite data.

It DOES increase the speed of the GPS as far as the tablet is concerned. That is why you dont have to wait as long to get a location. The Mavic itself takes several seconds to get a full lock, so does something like a Garmin GPS device when first powered on. The Cell service fills in some blank Data for a faster response, until the GPS receiver can catch up.

 

[Meta4]

It DOES increase the speed of the GPS as far as the tablet is concerned. That is why you dont have to wait as long to get a location. The Mavic itself takes several seconds to get a full lock, so does something like a Garmin GPS device when first powered on. The Cell service fills in some blank Data for a faster response, until the GPS receiver can catch up.

You're wasting your $10

 

[ac0j]

You're wasting your $10

I dont have a cellular Ipad, my wife does, but she uses it for woman stuff that DOES require cell service.
I dont see the need for GPS when I am standing right there flying. I already KNOW where I am and it is accurate to within millimeters.
If I obey the law and keep my drone within VLOS , Maps and device GPS wont allow me anything but illegal operation.

 

[dennyc39]

x
[QUOTE="... People seem to love the ipad mini 4 and I am considering a refurbished one to save money. I won't use it for anything else. I don't move my RTH point so I realize I don't absolutely need cellular/gps.. but it would make me feel better to have . BUT, I don't want to pay for monthly cellular service from ATT for that ipad. The ipads with cellular have GPS as well.

/QUOTE]

I have a mini 4 with no cellular, and I regret very much not getting cellular. I wouldn't need the cell data, but I miss not having GPS, which I never suspected when I bought it. This pad does a super job with real-time video to the screen, but not having GPS means that the "Find my Drone" app is severely crippled without GPS in the pad. Found this out tonight when I tried it so that I would be familiar with the app if I ever needed it.

In my case, Find my Drone will tell you exactly where the drone is, but not where you are. Which way to move to get closer?

I now have to also drag along my decrepit old ipad some 6 years old, just to have good info on my own location. I do some filming of peaks and rocks that are interesting to me but that I can't climb or hike to, and that often have steep terrain and low trees or brush. Bad places to have to hunt for a drone.