Mar 16 2011

Wanna go caching with a WiFi-Only iPad? Pair it with an iPhone 4

By northernpenguin

According to Engadget reports, those of you who bought the WiFi only iPad are not completely out of luck. Provided you’ve got an iPhone 4 running iOS 4.3, and your carrier allows Personal Hotspot.

While there are iPad devices with 3G Radios that can use location services, I’m referring to the less expensive version with no cellular capabilities. The GPS functionality on the iPad is provided by the 3G chipset – so if you have the WiFi iPad, you’ve no doubt realized how terrible location services that rely on WiFi triangulation can be – particularly in a place like Canada.

What the Engadget readers have noticed though is pretty cool if it’s true. Let’s say you bought the WiFi iPad because you already own an iPhone.  Since last week’s iOS 4.3 update, you can skip the 3G on your iPad because of the new Personal Hotspot functionality. You can use your iPhone’s internet connection over Wifi from your iPad.

Here’s where it gets really cool: The iPhone is also sharing it’s location data with the iPad. As in the GPS chip data. So, if you want to go geocaching with a 9.7 inch display, you can. There are some problems with 3rd party applications using the location data, but that’s hit and miss.  The Maps app works for sure, so worst case you can load up the cache in Geosphere and use it’s Show in Maps App function to get around that problem.

Just make sure you put an Otterbox Defender case on that iPad before you hit the Bruce Trail with it.

[ Engadget ]

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  • http://kingstongeocaching.com swimmrguy

    This is great news, np. I do have a 3G iPad but never activated a cellular data plan. And won’t bother now that I can tether it to my iPhone. So now I have even less reason to–it’s always good when I don’t have to give Telus any more money that I already do.

    And I already have the Otterbox so now I am good to go :)

  • Snaggles8

    Why not just cache with the iPhone using the Geocaching application and leave the bulky iPad at home? Works for me.

  • http://theatomicgeeks.com mike

    I have a wifi ipad that I have working with an external gps
    there are apps that work with it for gps turn by turn navigation
    but none of the geocaching apps do
    i would like to see that changed

  • mike

    I don’t have a cell phone.
    I do not participate in the Canadian cell phone farce.
    Hence having a wifi only iPad.

    • Anonymous

      Your solution would be something like the Bad Elf GPS then