Ipad mini wifi only and turn by turn directions?

[AQ_OC]

I understand why they don't offer it, what's frustrating to me is that I'm a semi tech-savvy guy, and I went through the entire ordering process without realizing the GPS isn't there. It's obvious on the Internet, now that I'm looking for it, but it wasn't obvious to me when going through the Apple site to order. Maybe I just missed it somewhere.

I remember when I got my first iPad -- the iPad 2 -- only to be surprised that it didn't contain the GPS chip. Most Android tablets do. I would not feel bad about this....how could you have known? Many have come to the same realization after buying the wifi only iPad.

I must agree with that other poster...the best solution is the cellular iPad. It is just so much cleaner and simpler. Your parents will appreciate that.

 

[idbvideo]

Just to chuck my two penneth in here....

IOS 6 on the mini - and probably full size version apparently does not allow the Bluetooth COM port to be used for data transfer so you cannot get it onto the phone. I tried pairing my bluetooth GPS with my mini and it refused to pair. There are however GPS units that will work with the Ipad just google GPS for IPAD and you will come up with one or two but they are expensive when you consider the cost of Bluetooth GPS units :-(

 

[Toeslider]

Interesting to note, I had the opportunity to visit two more Apple stores in my travels this morning, and associates at both of them said that this would work, as long as the ipad was getting a good signal from the Mifi device. When I asked one of them how it did it, they said it is able to utilize information from the cell towers the Mifi device was accessing. So I guess I'll hold on to it and try it out on Christmas Day. We have a 1 hour car trip that uses a lot of highway with nothing else around, so that should reveal all. I have until two weeks after Christmas to return it if needed.

 

[AQ_OC]

Interesting to note, I had the opportunity to visit two more Apple stores in my travels this morning, and associates at both of them said that this would work, as long as the ipad was getting a good signal from the Mifi device. When I asked one of them how it did it, they said it is able to utilize information from the cell towers the Mifi device was accessing. So I guess I'll hold on to it and try it out on Christmas Day. We have a 1 hour car trip that uses a lot of highway with nothing else around, so that should reveal all. I have until two weeks after Christmas to return it if needed.

Cool. It is possible to derive position info from towers....as long as it is passed on to the iPad....so please report your findings so we can know in the future when this comes up!

 

[Toeslider]

Ok, I have a definitive answer to this, however I may have been asking the wrong questions.

The short answer: the wifi only iPads will not provide REAL TIME, spoken turn by turn directions, at all.

For details, read on:

I was able to get a demo Mifi unit from my local Verizon store to test things out. Since I live in a rural area I was able to give it a definitive test. I set up the wifi only mini next to my 4g ipad 3rd gen, with cellular turned off, and compare. The wifi only ipad could not even find my location in maps. My 3rd gen found my location right away, and when I plotted a route around the block, it tracked along with me and spoke the directions at every turn. When I turned the hotspot off it was unable to reroute without a data connection, but would still track my location, so obviously that GPS chip is doing a lot.

Where I went wrong at the apple store was simply asking for turn by turn directions, where I should have been asking for REAL TIME turn by turn navigation. The wifi only ipad CAN give you turn by turn mapping with a data connection from a device like the Mifi hotspot, but it can't track along with you, you have to look at the map and click on each turn as you approach it, and there are no spoken instructions, even with a Siri equipped ipad. This is not what I was after, so I will probably be exchanging it for a cellular version.

I hope this helps anyone with the same question I had, and I appreciate everyone's input.

 

[AQ_OC]

Well, gee, man, we knew what you meant. Those jokers should have known so as well. They are not users of this tech, they just sell it and have no real feel for it.

How Many people use the term "real-time" when taking about voice-guided navigation? Nobody. They need to get up to date.

 

[Wolfpuppies3]

Whether or not the MiFi has a GPS chipset is irrelevant. The wifi only mini does not. Just return it and trade for an wifi/LTE version and all your problems are solved. It'll cost you $129 more or so. Alternatively, just buy a $100 Garmin GPS and be done with it.

 

[Abneriel]

Ok, I have a definitive answer to this, however I may have been asking the wrong questions.

The short answer: the wifi only iPads will not provide REAL TIME, spoken turn by turn directions, at all.

For details, read on:

I was able to get a demo Mifi unit from my local Verizon store to test things out. Since I live in a rural area I was able to give it a definitive test. I set up the wifi only mini next to my 4g ipad 3rd gen, with cellular turned off, and compare. The wifi only ipad could not even find my location in maps. My 3rd gen found my location right away, and when I plotted a route around the block, it tracked along with me and spoke the directions at every turn. When I turned the hotspot off it was unable to reroute without a data connection, but would still track my location, so obviously that GPS chip is doing a lot.

Where I went wrong at the apple store was simply asking for turn by turn directions, where I should have been asking for REAL TIME turn by turn navigation. The wifi only ipad CAN give you turn by turn mapping with a data connection from a device like the Mifi hotspot, but it can't track along with you, you have to look at the map and click on each turn as you approach it, and there are no spoken instructions, even with a Siri equipped ipad. This is not what I was after, so I will probably be exchanging it for a cellular version.

I hope this helps anyone with the same question I had, and I appreciate everyone's input.

Or you could have saved yourself a lot of time by just going with the first response in this thread.

 

[AQ_OC]

Whether or not the MiFi has a GPS chipset is irrelevant. The wifi only mini does not. Just return it and trade for an wifi/LTE version and all your problems are solved. It'll cost you $129 more or so. Alternatively, just buy a $100 Garmin GPS and be done with it.

All of that puts him over budget.

 

[The OB]

Ok, I have a definitive answer to this, however I may have been asking the wrong questions.

The short answer: the wifi only iPads will not provide REAL TIME, spoken turn by turn directions, at all.

I hope this helps anyone with the same question I had, and I appreciate everyone's input.

And thank you for your efforts and explanations of the research you did. Speaking at least for myself, this has added to my understanding.
Regards, Andrew




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Toeslider]

I went ahead and got the Verizon 4g mini, since a batch became available at the closest apple store. More than I wanted to spend, but they are my parents and did an admirable job of raising me for forty some years or so, so it doesn't hurt to splurge once in a while. It works great, by the way. Considering trading my 3rd gen in on one, if the market value doesn't continue to drop.