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iPad mini Replaces Galaxy Note & Expensive Contract

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When the iPad mini showed up in our home, my youngest son fell in love after a few minutes.

He said, “I’d rather have this than the Samsung Galaxy Note.” Dad’s mind started calculating and I realized that a year’s worth of data could pay for it so I offered to buy him a dumb phone and give him the iPad mini and he agreed.

After selling his old phone and a Kindle Fire, we covered most of the cost of the 32GB iPad mini.

Price isn’t the only reason to swap out a smartphone for a small tablet. The iPad mini serves as a great gaming machine. The larger iPad worked well too, but felt a little too heavy. The 7.9″ screen and light frame feels good in a gamer’s hands. Gaming with a smartphone always feels like a compromise even on a 5-inch screen.

iPad Mini iphone ipad

iPad mini makes a smartphone obsolete for some users.

The iPad mini works great for streaming video. Many teens live on YouTube and watch hulu Plus more than regular TV. They can use a smartphone, but it works better on a 7 to 8-inch tablet.

Carrying a large iPad to school makes it very tempting since a high school kid can’t hide it as easily as he can hide the iPad mini. It’s not as obtrusive in class either. Reading and taking written notes feels good with the iPad mini, better than the Samsung Galaxy Note thanks to the extra screen area.

In order to pay for the iPad mini, we sold my son’s Samsung Galaxy Note on Craigslist for $175 and my Kindle Fire for $125. Now his phone costs me just $10/month instead of about $50. In three months the savings will pay for the difference between the amount we got for his old phone and Kindle Fire and the cost of the 32GB iPad mini Wi-Fi version.

We found a decent slider phone on eBay so he can still talk and text. It also plays music stored on a micro-SD card and the battery lasts longer than his Note did when he would play music with it.

He’s happier and the envy of his friends. I’m paying AT&T less so I’m happier. I doubt this will become a trend, but parents should consider it. For Android fans the Nexus 7 or 10 might entice kids to give up their expensive smartphone.

20 Comments

20 Comments

  1. zerilos

    11/28/2012 at 9:34 am

    CUe the phandroid rage in 1…2…3…

    • Jeffery

      11/29/2012 at 1:13 pm

      I guess some people just don’t get the phablet idea. No its not suppose to replace your gaming devices. What it will do is give you a phone large enough to perform functions better then a small screen. It will get you by if your board somewhere and you want to play a game. But it’s a phone with all the other possibilities. So leave it in its own category. Its a whole new type of device that some will use to its fullest while others will not. They just need to buy a phone that matches their needs.

      • WillsF.

        11/29/2012 at 2:45 pm

        I totally agree with jeff here, the GN is in a class of it’s own. This article is written about a child’s life made simpler, not an adults, and so the title should include “for my son” at the end of it. As many people have already pointed out, the role of a phablet is to bring the largest and most functional device that actually fits in the average pocket. Your son obviously doesn’t need access to the internet on the go if he now has only a dumb phone and a Wi-Fi mini, I like many others I would imagine could not do without it, not to mention a gps! Your son’s setup is hardly solution to most as his needs fall far below the average GN user, nice try with the article though.

  2. Jeff Shapiro

    11/28/2012 at 9:41 am

    I have the GN2 – for a child your solution works well for adults probably not the case. What would be really stellar is if you could USE THE iPAD MINI to make Call via LTE then Apple would have something revolutionary rather than evolutionary.

    • RUTHINKING

      11/28/2012 at 1:03 pm

      download the app Line2. One of David Pogues top 10 apps. I think its 10 bucks a month for unlimited calls over wifi AND LTE PLUS you can text your friends like a reg cell phone.

  3. Buy One, Feed One.

    11/28/2012 at 10:21 am

    Thanks for the story!

  4. Da Ge (@dang1970)

    11/28/2012 at 11:48 am

    iPad mini, tablets with screens larger than 5-inches, just doesn’t fit well in the pocket, especially with the skinny jeans that’s all the rage- according my Nexus S–toting 15 yr old son. He does keep up on the new devices that keeps coming out, and now’s angling for the Note 2. It fits fine in the pocket.

    Portability, is big with him, so the Nexus goes with him everywhere. Ditto on Youtube, so it’s good that he’s on the prepaid T-Mobile $30/month 100 minutes talk, unlimited text and data. Even at home, when he’s on his CR-48 and the monster Windows gaming rig he built, his S is right next to him.

  5. Jiraiya

    11/28/2012 at 5:46 pm

    1. I’m an asian. I’m travelling light and fast. Hate to take out my device from my bag. It’s too….. not as easy. And hate to always carry my device with my hand for quick accces. Note is my maximal size to fit in my shirt or jeans pocket.
    2. When i’m playing game. I hold my device horizontally with my both hand of the corner. If my thumb can’t reach the center of the screen in that position. Then it’s not a good game device for me.
    Actually i don’t have much time to play games. But i still feel awful when my thumb can’t reach the center of the screen.
    3. Once upon a time i had an iOs device. And i hate the fact that i had to face it needs of pc than android when i want to do something with it. I don’t have time for that.

    Pardon my english.
    Love my note.

  6. Tim Davies

    11/28/2012 at 7:43 pm

    Or use google voice. I have been using Talkatone for my iPhone and iPad for a while now(for free voice calls via gmail). Great sound quality as long as you can get at least 1mb down and up. GroveIP does the same for Android, though not as well

    You could also use Skype if you wanted something as little less rigged and conventional.

    But I have been Data Only with both my phone and tablet(2 unlimited iPad SIM) for the past 2 years.

    • bgold

      12/06/2012 at 3:56 am

      Where do you get unlimited ipad sim?

  7. Crizzle

    11/28/2012 at 8:11 pm

    Two different devices, to each their own. Horrible article. I could say my galaxy Note replaces my old Motorola razor. Wouldn’t even compare. ANOTHER apple consumer ripping on the ever so popular Samsung products. Not dissing apple, simply dissing someone voicing their opinion on well……… A “moo” point. Boom

  8. KID ANDROID (@_KID_ANDROID_)

    11/28/2012 at 10:09 pm

    The Galaxy Note 2 blows every other mobile device out of the water and if you argue that then you obviously have no idea what your talking about sorry to say. Its got tge most if everything except ppi and its because of that lower ppi Im getting 10-11hrs of non stop use with the screen at 3/4 power ot 2 day with moderate use. Zero lag and super fast from quad core processor, large but portable (fits in pocket), extremely long battety life, screen is bright crisp and vibrant, 2gb of RAM for major multitaking, pressure sensitive S-Pen, features features features like floating video or browser and split screen running 2 apps at tge same time and much much more. iPad mini is an overpriced mid level device like all crApples kiddie toys. – KID ANDROID (Team.Android.Canada)

  9. al

    11/29/2012 at 8:28 am

    The math is whack. $10 a month only available on shared plan. So the dumb phone service is free? Useless article by someone who just wanted a APmini

  10. Ian

    11/29/2012 at 12:42 pm

    Sooner have a Note and if needed a tab 2! Sorry but hate apple Samsung is the better product.

  11. lookwho'stalking

    11/29/2012 at 3:13 pm

    Haha.. this fella sure wants to make his point of claiming the GN is a ‘dumb’ handset. So you trying to say users of this phone is dumb as well? You saying over 10 million users worldwide are dumb? That clearly show who’s really dumb. FYI, there are many who dump that fruit cake product for GN. And l’m one of them.

  12. Brandon

    11/29/2012 at 7:55 pm

    My 12 year old nephew would rather have an Iphone4 than a gs3 or gn2. It’s not even in the same class but it’s an Iphone. Kids don’t care if it’s better or more efficient or if it takes the place of 2 or 3 devices. They will like what the rest of the kids like. I wore mc hammer pants… I’m glad my dad didn’t buy into it.

    Sent from my GN2…

  13. Donald tsang

    11/29/2012 at 10:54 pm

    Look like advertisement
    The reality is that ipad and iphone just not good enough. The true figure of selling tells you that galaxy just better

  14. Tim P

    11/30/2012 at 7:04 am

    The srticle is so vias for iPad Mini. Here is why tge Note is better. I do agree that the iPad Mini’s larger screen, but being smsller than its 10″ sibling is a plus. However comosred to the Note and Note 2 they have significant advantages.

    Both have more ram and processing power. Both hsve higherresolutions. Writing or drawing sucks on all Apple devices. The screen was not designed for real notation. it was designed for a child to scribble. The Note screen is designed for a stylus, it more precise too.

    AMOLED HD is better than the present mini. I am sure the next Mini will be retina, so that you idiots can go buy it too. the first one coukd have had it. All there other devices do, why leave this one out? Because it was rushed.

    the Note being smaller also is less revealing. Having 3G or 4G at no extra cost and not having to rely on wifi Try making calls on your iPad.

    Android gaming sucks period. But I havr an ipad for that. I didnt get the Note to game, I got it for its other unigue features which sre ALL absent from any ipad model.

    Coming here to just say the Mini is better is just dumb. Its not. it has 2 benefits that pale when my device has 10 times as many.

    Enjoy you 2 year old brand new MINI and I will enjoy my fresh Note 2 whos hardware is onky 6 months old.

  15. Harry Hanawi

    12/01/2012 at 7:27 pm

    This guy must be a freak to say Ipad is better …? have a look at Galaxy Note II , for business purpose Note II still the best gadget for now , it slips in my jacket , I can sign approval documents While onthe movE

  16. bgold

    12/06/2012 at 3:58 am

    Whoever bought his note for 175 is the smartest person here lol

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