If you could have an i-phone or an i-pad, which would you choose?

[Mmmango]

Am completely technically incompetent, if that changes anything?

I have both but the iPhone completely changed my life, in a sad, geeky sort of way. The iPad is great but it's an add-on IYSWIM.

I think an iPhone would be more convinient for carrying around on a daily basis.

Also tech incompetent, but also can navigate round DH's iPhone OK.

Phone, because you can carry it around and make phone calls on it.

Choice surely depends on whether you
a) want to make phone calls ... and
b) whether you need "anywhere" access to browse the internet
(since the iPhone is a fully mobile device and might work on a mountain top, while you might choose to save cash and get a non 3G iPad, usable only where there is wi-fi from a router/ hotspot or if someone has a Mifi unit).

Also depends on purchasing options, so would you buy an iPad via a mobile phone network (so it might be locked to their network), or buy outright and then be able to choose to use it on a network, or not, until some later date....

Personally I think I'd be looking at a sub-350 pound Android tablet, for internet access, not using 3G at all, in my case (as I already have a Three USB dongle to use with PCs/laptops, and get 15GB of data a month for 8 quid.)

I'd say iPhone. I love mine. I have since bought an iPad too, which I like but the portability of the iPhone is great. I am MNing on the M6 at the moment - makes an 8 hour trip bearable. Obviously, I'm not driving at the moment. DH will proably want me to take a turn soon so that he can nick my iPhone

I have a both and I love and adore my iPad. If it were legal I would probably marry it. My iPhone is very much second best.

I can understand Geepers view - at least as a long term computer user - i recently tried using an iPhone for checking my e-mail and found entering details for username / password quite frustrating, because of the on screen keys - I hope the iPad is a bit easier (although using a Bluetooth keyboard would seem a better solution, perhaps, and one I might consider "essential".

As much as I would love an iPad, I find it ridiculous it doesn't have a phone in it. Yes, it's huge for that, but how cool would it be to talk on the phone, perhaps via a headset, which typing away on your iPad with it's larger keypad, taking notes from a client?

I love my iPhone and have no problem doing what I said above with it but an iPad would be easier.

Of course, the iPad doesn't have a phone, so it's a moot point.

In any case, I have never found the iPhone keypad frustrating in the way NetworkGuy describes after using it for about 1 day. I just type away. And it stores names/passwords anyway, so that's not even an issue.

Thanks, this is helpful. I do already have a phone, so I suppose that's not essential, but I'd mainly want to use it for internet access and 3G would probably be useful here (can't guarantee wifi access).

The whole thing about buying outright and figuring out what kind of monthly plan etc to go for confuses me too, I can never figure out what I actually need so what would be the best deal.

Geepers, why is the iPhone second best for you? Is it just the keyboard size or something else?

iPhone. Well, I do have one and dh has an iPad too. I don't rate the iPad that highly tbh. It's ok.
I love the iPhone BUT the thing that annoys me beyond all sense is that it only does 3 rings then goes to answerphone. It's not long enough to both locate it and get to it. This drives me utterly bonkers.

I put up with this terrible flaw because it's ace in other ways.

Ipad.
I'd rather have a basic nokia as a day to day mobile, but would love an ipad.

"it stores names/passwords anyway" - hmmmm, hoping it only did so after prompting since the iPhone I was using isn't mine, though I suspect it was one of my less important accounts (and not my bank! :) )

I would never use any wireless to access my bank. How foolish to do so.

And, yes, you have to set it to remember your email logins.

Prunnhilda - you can change number of rings to voicemail by going to phone, enter:

[6190111nn#]

Without the [], I put those to confuse MN so it wouldn't turn the asterisks to bold!

Where nn= the number of rings you want it to wait

and then dial.

no, I didn't go online to a bank, that's one thing I can be sure of, but have several e-mail accounts...

Could you use the iPhone to read long newspaper articles etc, or does it get annoying/ give you eyestrain?

Although the iPad doesn't have a phone, it IS possible to receive calls! My sis calls me from her iPhone that doesn't have a SIM in it, using Viber and I answer on my iPad!

It obviously only works if you are in a wifi area, but it is all free, and the reception is far superior to Skype.

I have the iPad and an iPhone 4, I love both, but the iPad is great for in bed reading in the middle of the night when I can't sleep, but I prefer playing solitaire on my iPhone and reading email on the go.

Tee2072 wrote "I would never use any wireless to access my bank. How foolish to do so."

Does that mean you wouldn't even use 3G to reach your bank, given the data connection between your phone/iPad 3G and the remote host would be encrypted in the same way as using a laptop or desktop computer?

As you may be aware, it is far from 'trivial' to capture and decode the data between cell stations and mobile devices, and once one had the data, you'd then need to decrypt it to find out what went between browser and website.

I don't think there'd be anything 'foolish' in making use of a suitably encrypted link whether to a home network by wireless or over a mobile network, but maybe you can clarify why you think it would be so?

mmango. If you are buying outright, I'd suggest either Giffgaff who use the O2 network or Talk Mobile who use Vodafone. Both offer unlimited Internet

I have both an iPhone 4 and an iPad 2 and my poor iPhone has been relegated to the children unless out and about as the iPad is just far superior.

i see someone has already said prunhild but you can set the iphone to ring as many times as you want before going to answer phone - i've set mine o 20 as this used to drive me insane too until i found this out recently.

I have both. If it was a choice between the two I would choose my iPhone as I can carry it round with me.

Ipad - much better for internet browsing, can watch catch=up tv in comfort, rent/buy films from itunes and watch them, read books via a kindle app. Iphone screen is too small to do above with ease.

Get a wifi only ipad, get an android phone as they can all turn themselves into a wifi hotspot. Then you have wifi for your ipad wherever you are. Thats what I do and it works a treat.

VivaLeBeaver - it is worth checking which version of Android is on a mobile, because I think the hotspot (sharing wi-fi) only came in with Android v2.2 (Froyo) and was not in v2.1

Of course latest Android phones have 2.2, 2.3 or v3.0 but there are still probably quite a few with v2.1 and some might not be upgraded easily.

Good point, yes it definetly came in with 2.2 and wasn't on 2.1.