What's the point with cellular on iPad mini if you can't make calls?

Question

Most people today have smartphones and all smartphones have built in portable routers that can be connected to any Wi-Fi device, like an iPad. So when I saw that the iPad Mini had both just Wi-Fi or both Wi-Fi and cellular I bought the one with cellular because naturally I thought you'd be able to use it as a cell phone as well. So since the SIM card is just used for data connection, then it's a wast of money to have the iPad with cellular. The Wi-Fi is enough if you have a smartphone because then you can just use it as a portable wireless router. That's what I was doing before I was dumb enough to upgrade my Wi-Fi iPad to the one with cellular as well. Should have asked about that before I upgraded since making regular phone calls and having SMS capabilities were the main reason I got the one with cellular so I didn't have to have both my phone and iPad with me. How can you have cellular features and not be able to call?

Answer 1

Bi_Bi_Love wrote:
Most people today have smartphones and all smartphones have built in portable routers that can be connected to any Wi-Fi device,
That is speculation on your part.  Many people do not have smartphones - according to news groups like Gartner, only about 40% of global mobile phone sales are smart phones, so the majority of people do not, in fact, have smartphones.
Second, many of us with smartphones, do not have tethering plans, and do not want tethering plans.  Many people only use or need the cellular connectivity of their iPad or tablet occasionally, so why pay a much more expensive monthly fee for a tethering plan when you can just enable the cellular data on the iPad when needed, and only for as long as needed?  Adding a tethering enabled data plan on your smart phone can be awefully expensive if you only occasionaly actually use tethering - why pay for something you are not using?
Its true that most iPads sold are in fact wifi-only, and even of the 3G and LTE units sold, many never activate service.  So it would appear that few actually use cellular data.  However, I am sure there are people who do - and having to tether all the time to another device every time you need cellular data would likely be a real annoyance for some true road warriors who are often in places without free wifi.
And you can make calls on your iPad - you just need to use a VOIP service and client.