[alwillis]

The huge advantage for some people: you can get a cellular data connection for an iPad.

If you need internet connectivity on the road regardless if Wi-Fi is available, only the iPad has that option.

Yes, you can use a Mac laptop with your phone acting as a hotspot but unless you have unlimited data, that gets expensive real fast.

Now that Apple makes their own cellular modems, it should be feasible to add them to MacBooks in the near future.

[ahtihn]

> Yes, you can use a Mac laptop with your phone acting as a hotspot but unless you have unlimited data, that gets expensive real fast.

And why exactly is that different from having the cellular connection on iPad? You can have the exact same data plan on your phone that you use as hotspot.

[vladvasiliu]

I'm not really in this boat (don't have an ipad, no use for it) but if I did, it would actually cost me more to have a SIM in it than just share the internet from my phone. Having a second SIM for my plan would cost me 2€ / moth extra, with no other benefit: internet usage by that 2nd SIM would be deducted from my plan, which would remain otherwise the same.

[MetalSnake]

Why is it getting expensive when using the phone as a hotspot, but not when using the iPad or MacBook directly with cellular data?

[nasretdinov]

I think some (most?) carriers in the US charge for hotspot traffic separately from direct access from the phone (by looking at packet's TTL, it's lower by 1)

[actionfromafar]

Mmm the Freedom of US Enterprise strikes again. Such a stupid billing rule.

[freehorse]

Even in that case, there are tethering apps that can bypass this issue.