Signal Cellular Data
View cellular network signal strength and turn Wi-Fi Assist, international roaming, or your mobile data connection on or off.
In this tutorial, you will learn how to:
Check network connection strength Change cellular network settings Turn data roaming on or off Turn Wi-Fi Assist on or off Quickly turn mobile data on or off
Check network connection strength
The network signal strength is displayed in the Status bar. The more bars, the better the connection. If iPhone is connected to the Internet via the cellular data network, the LTE or 4G icon appears in the Status bar.
Note: View the ATT Wireless Network coverage map. LTE and 4G service on GSM cellular networks support simultaneous voice and data communications. For all other cellular connections, you can’t use Internet services while you’re talking on the phone unless iPad also has a Wi-Fi connection to the Internet. Depending on your network connection, you may not be able to receive calls while iPad transfers data over the cellular network when downloading a webpage, for example. Learn more about the ATT network.
Change cellular network settings
From the home screen, select the Settings app.
Select Cellular Data. To turn cellular data on or off, select the Cellular Data switch.
Turn data roaming on or off
Select Cellular Data Options. Select the Data Roaming switch to turn roaming on or off.
Note: Data roaming is off by default. Turning on Data roaming will allow the device to attach to foreign wireless network signals when available. International roaming charges will apply. This setting does not apply to voice access, which requires additional provisioning for usage on international networks. To learn more, visit the ATT International website.
To set whether cellular data is used for specific apps and services, from the Cellular Data screen scroll to and select the switch next to the desired app.
Turn Wi-Fi Assist on or off
Scroll to the bottom of the page, then select the Wi-Fi Assist switch.
Note: Wi-Fi Assist regularly checks the Wi-Fi connection to determine signal strength. If the Wi-Fi signal strength drops below a specific range, Wi-Fi Assist will automatically switch the session to cellular data until the Wi-Fi signal improves. Wi-Fi Assist is an optional setting that is turned on by default and can be turned off at any time. Data rates apply for cellular connections. Learn more from the Apple support article About Wi-Fi Assist.
Quickly turn mobile data on or off
Swipe down from the upper right corner of the screen to access the Control Center, then select the Cellular data icon.
Here’s how the new iPad mini compares to the iPad mini 5 and iPad Air
After a two and a half year wait since the last update, a totally redesigned iPad mini has officially arrived alongside the iPhone 13. The exciting overhaul for Apple’s compact tablet comes with a larger all-screen design, USB-C, the A15 Bionic chip, camera upgrades, 5G, Apple Pencil gen 2 support, and much more. Read on for a detailed look at the new iPad mini vs the iPad mini 5 and iPad Air.
Over the last few years, the iPad mini has shown its age more than ever as it kept the same design it’s more or less had since 2012 while the iPad Pro and iPad Air evolved with all-screen and home buttonless designs with flat-edges.
In an exciting move, Apple brought the iPad mini into the future with its 6th gen version taking on most of the great improvements we’ve seen arrive in the modern iPad Pro and Air devices.
Let’s dive into everything you’re getting with the new iPad mini. In case you’re also considering the iPad Air 4, we’ll include that in the comparisons below. And if you’re torn between the iPad Air and iPad Pro, we’ve got a detailed breakdown of those devices too:
New iPad mini vs iPad mini 5 and iPad Air
CPU/GPU, RAM, more
Interestingly, like the iPad Air 4 leapfrogged the iPad Pro for a bit with the A14 chip compared to the A12Z (in some respects), the new iPad mini 6th gen does the same to the iPad Air with the A15 Bionic chip. The A14 and A15 don’t appear to be much different, but the new iPad mini also gains features like Center Stage and 5G that the iPad Air doesn’t have (more on that below).
But the A15 runs circles around the A12 Bionic that was in the iPad mini 5. Here’s how Apple describes the jump in performance:
The 6-core CPU delivers a 40 percent jump in performance, and the 5-core GPU delivers an 80 percent leap in graphics performance compared to the previous generation of iPad mini.
| iPad mini 6 | iPad mini 5 | iPad Air 4 | |
| Chip | A15 Bionic | A12 Bionic | A14 Bionic |
| CPU cores | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| GPU cores | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| Storage | 64 or 256GB | 64 or 256GB | 64 or 256GB |
| RAM | 4GB? | 3GB | 4GB |
Display
As Apple has adopted the nearly all-screen design for the iPad mini, you get a larger display that actually comes with a smaller footprint than the iPad mini 5.
No ProMotion as that’s just on the iPad Pro. But otherwise, you’re getting an impressive Liquid Retina display that’s the largest ever on the iPad mini.
Pixels per inch remain the same at 326, which is higher than the 264 on the iPad Air and brightness remains at 500 nits.
| iPad mini 6 | iPad mini 5 | iPad Air 4 | |
| Display | 8.3″ | 7.9″ | 10.9″ |
| Resolution | 2266 x 1488 | 2048 x 1536 | 2360 x 1640 |
| PPI (pixels per inch) | 326 | 326 | 264 |
| Display brightness | 500 | 500 | 500 |
| True Tone | |||
| P3 wide color | |||
| ProMotion (120Hz) | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Anti-reflective coating | |||
| Liquid Retina Display | ❌ |
I/O
Another big update is the move from Lightning to USB-C. That opens up the ability to use the range of USB-C hubs and accessories out there, external drives, and more.
Other I/O improvements include Wi-Fi 6, Apple Pencil gen 2 support, 5G, and Touch ID now residing in the top button.
| iPad mini 6 | iPad mini 5 | iPad Air 4 | |
| USB-C | ❌ | ||
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 (ax) | Wi-Fi 5 (ac) | Wi-Fi 6 (ax) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Cellular | 5G | 4G | 4G |
| Touch ID | In top button | In home button | In top button |
| Apple Pencil | 2nd gen | 1st gen | 2nd gen |
2019 10.2-inch iPad vs iPad Mini 5. Best Budget iPad?
Cameras
The new iPad mini 6 surprised with some great camera improvements! Leapfrogging the iPad Air again, the iPad mini gets the ultra wide front camera with Center Stage auto-tracking.
You’ve also got a 12 MP rear wide lens, now with a flash. Other features include extended dynamic range and 4K video.
| iPad mini 6 | iPad mini 5 | iPad Air 4 | |
| 12 MP wide lens | ❌ (8 MP) | ||
| 4K video | ❌ | ||
| Aperture | f1.8 | f2.4 | f1.8 |
| Extended dynamic range | ❌ | ❌ | |
| Slo-mo video | |||
| Rear camera flash | ❌ | ❌ | |
| FaceTime/Front camera | 12 MP ultra wide | 7 MP | 7 MP |
| Front camera 2x zoom out | ❌ | ❌ | |
| Center Stage auto-tracking | ❌ | ❌ |
Colors, dimensions, battery
Interesting colors this time around with starlight replacing silver and pink and purple joining space gray.
For weight, the iPad mini 6 is the same as its predecessor at 0.65 pounds, and for dimensions, it has a smaller footprint with 7.69″ height vs 8.0″ for the iPad mini 5. Battery life remains the same at “up to 10 hours.”
| iPad mini 6 | iPad mini 5 | iPad Air 4 | |
| Colors | Space gray, pink, purple, starlight | Space gray, silver, gold | Space gray, silver, rose gold, gree, sky blue |
| Weight | 0.65 pounds (293 grams) | 0.65 pounds (300.5 grams) | 1 pound (458 grams) |
| Height | 7.69″ (195.4 mm) | 8.0″ (203.2 mm) | 9.74″ (247.6 mm) |
| Width | 5.3″ (134.8 mm) | 5.3″ (134.8 mm) | 7.02″ (178.5 mm) |
| Thickness | 0.25″ (6.3 mm) | 0.24″ (6.1 mm) | 0.24″ (6.1 mm) |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours web/video | Up to 10 hours web/video | Up to 10 hours web/video |
Price and storage
Storage options are the same as we saw with the iPad mini 5 and also match iPad Air 4. As for price, there is a 100 increase (120 for cellular) but you’re certainly getting a lot of bang for your buck.
| iPad mini 6 | iPad mini 5 | iPad Air 4 | |
| 64GB Wi-Fi | 499 | 399 | 599 |
| 64GB cell | 649 | 529 | 729 |
| 256GB Wi-Fi | 649 | 549 | 749 |
| 256GB cell | 799 | 679 | 879 |
New iPad mini vs iPad mini 5 and Air wrap-up
For some, the new iPad mini launch at Apple’s September event overshadowed the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro with such a big and anticipated overhaul arriving for Apple’s most portable tablet.
Even though you’ve got a more expensive starting price at 499, you’re really getting a lot for the money here with the all-new display and design, USB-C, A15 chip, 5G option, upgraded cameras including Center Stage auto-tracking, and much more.
Are you planning to upgrade to the new iPad mini? Orders are open now with the first devices arriving to customers from the week of September 20.
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iPad mini (2019) review
The iPad mini 2019 is Apple’s most totable iPad, and it’s deceptively powerful for its small size. It has a bright 7.9-inch display that works with the Apple Pencil and a chipset that smokes the small tablet competition. Its price is equally deceptive, costing more than the larger iPad 9.7. For its asking price, we would have loved to have seen an ‘iPad Pro mini’ and Apple Pencil Gen 2 support, but it’s hard not to love this charming little tab.
Pros
- Perfect size to tote around
- Works with the Apple Pencil
- Surprisingly powerful specs
Cons
- – Unchanged, bezel-heavy design
- – Uses the older Apple Pencil
- – Costs more than the iPad 9.7
Why you can trust TechRadar
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Update: Since this review was published, we’ve seen an updated version of the iPad mini launched. It’s called the iPad mini 6, and you may want to consider it instead of this model.
Original review: The iPad mini 2019 is the iPad mini 5 that you’ve been waiting for Apple to deliver, and it’s everything you’ve wanted – as long as you didn’t want a dramatic upgrade.
It’s Apple’s most satisfyingly totable iPad and proof that things won’t change very much when serious small tablet competition is nowhere to be found in 2019.
The familiar 7.9-inch display feels perfectly sized to grip in one hand and operate with two, just as it did when the iPad mini 4 released nearly four years ago. Almost nothing has improved on the outside.
Beneath the bright display, however, Apple tweaked the iPad mini 2019 to work with the first-generation Apple Pencil. It’s so easy to quickly pick up this tablet, flick open the Smart Cover and instantly scribble some notes. It’s portable and carefree to use and then simply toss in a bag.
iPad Mini 6 Vs iPad Mini 5! (Comparison) (Review)
This pint-sized iPad is deceptively fast, too, thanks to its iPhone XS-class chipset. The small screen lends it to more read-and-watch functionality than write productivity, but it can handle Adobe Lightroom editing just as well as the iPad Air 2019 from a performance standpoint.
We’ve also been impressed with its battery, netting us slightly better results than Apple’s promised 10 hours of battery life in our tests. It’s coupled with fast-charging capabilities so you don’t have to wait forever to juice up this version of the iPad mini once it’s fully drained.
But it’s also deceptively expensive. It actually costs more than the larger iPad 9.7 due to its superior fully-laminated screen, markedly faster chipset and convenient quick charging tech. Apple’s “small” is still a medium when it comes to iPad pricing.
Its bezel-heavy design and lack of second-gen Apple Pencil support mean it’s not the scaled-down version of the iPad Pro we were hoping for in 2019. Instead, it’s a minor, but overdue upgrade that brings the charming iPad mini into modern times.
iPads have traditionally run on the same iOS as iPhones, but in September 2019 Apple released an offshoot of iOS 13 for its tablets, called iPadOS.
This new operating system helps turn iPads from large iPhones into impressive mac-esque work stations, with functions like gesture controls and improved markups. Check out our iPadOS hub for everything you need to know about the new operating system.
Price and release date
The iPad mini may be smaller than the competition, but it’s not the cheapest iPad you can buy – that honor goes to the newer iPad 10.2 (2019) which starts at 329 / £349 / AU529 and is often on sale for even cheaper.
The new iPad mini starts at 399 / £399 / AU599 / AED 1,599 for a 64GB Wi-Fi-only version. The top-end model is quite a lot more at 679 / £669 / AU1019 / AED 2,729. That version comes with 256GB of storage and a cellular connection.
Remember, accessories like the Smart Cover and fast charging USB-C-to-Lightning cable will pad your bill, but everything is less expensive than the iPad Air (2019) and significantly cheaper than the iPad Pro 11 and iPad Pro 12.9.
Design and display
Apple doesn’t have a foldable phone yet, but if it did, we’d hope it folded out into the iPad mini 2019. We found its 7.9-inch screen to be the perfect size to carry the iPad one-handed and reach our thumbs across the entire on-screen keyboard with two hands.
There’s very little new here, though, and that leads to two schools of thought on the design. The first is the contrarian view: that Apple hasn’t bothered to change its ‘blown-up older iPhone’ design. It’s undeniable dated. The second way is that Apple didn’t need to change it.
People love the iPad mini series, and for good reason. It’s lightweight at 300g (0.66 pound) and perfectly portable, so it’s easy to toss in a bag without much care. You can take it almost anywhere, which is the opposite way we feel about the iPad Pro 12.9 sometimes.
But, the ‘iPad Pro mini’ this is not, and that opens this tablet up to good bad and ugly attributes: the age-old 3.5mm headphone jack and reliable Touch ID home button remain (good), only the less refined first-generation Apple Pencil is compatible (bad), and bezels remain thick around the screen (ugly).
It has a bright, fully-laminated Retina display, same as the iPad mini 4. From a technical explanation, it means the protective glass is wafer-thin and the screen digitizer is pressed up against it, unlike the thicker glass and resulting gap seen in the iPad 9.7 screen. And from a practical standpoint, it means drawing with the Apple Pencil feels more natural, like you’re drawing directly on the screen.
New to the iPad mini series is a wide P3 color gamut to display more shades of color and True Tone Display technology. True Tone adjusted the white balance to match our environment, so outside in the park, the screen was bluer and, transitioning inside the in the TechRadar office, we saw a faint yellow tint that was easier on our eyes.
Reasons Why Your Next iPad Should Be Cellular
In the market for a new iPad? Here are all the reasons we think a cellular iPad is worth the extra expense.
Readers like you help support MUO. When you make a purchase using links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read
Apple’s iPads have really grown up in the past few years. A cellular iPad lets you merge a laptop’s power with a smartphone’s connectivity, and it all comes in a super-portable package.
They’re a lot more than just Netflix machines. But whether you use your iPad for fun or productivity, choosing a cellular model lets you turn your tablet into a do-anything, go-anywhere device.
It’s easy to get stuck deciding between a Wi-Fi and a cellular iPad, so here are our top six reasons why we think your next iPad should be cellular.
You Have Plenty of Options
When it comes to picking out a cellular iPad, there’s no shortage of choices. Every iPad model has a cellular version available. Better yet, all of Apple’s latest iPads are 5G enabled, allowing you to access the full speed of the 5G network.
But keep in mind that the additional capabilities of cellular iPads aren’t free. Cellular iPads cost more. If you’re choosing between a cellular and a Wi-Fi-only iPad Air, you’ll need to shell out another 150 for the cellular model.
If you’re stepping up to the cellular iPad Pro, it’s another 200 on top of the base price. On top of that, you need to pay for a cellular contract to actually make use of that functionality.
But cellular iPads don’t have to be expensive. If you’re on a budget, older cellular iPads like the iPad mini (5th generation) can get you on the 4G network at the same price as the latest Wi-Fi-only models.
Hotspot Isn’t Always Your Best Option
If Wi-Fi isn’t available, you can always get your iPhone online by connecting to your phone’s hotspot. The iPhone’s hotspot feature, AKA tethering, is when you use your phone’s mobile data to connect another device to the internet. This is a great way to get your iPad online in a pinch, but it’s not always a great long-term solution.
While most carriers offer unlimited data plans for phones, when it comes to tethering other devices, they’re not always so generous. Almost no carriers offer unlimited hotspot data to stop people from using their phone’s mobile data as their home internet connection.
Mobile hotspots aren’t always your best option in terms of data speeds either. Although 5G on phones can be mind-blowingly fast, you probably won’t get that speed when tethering. Most cellular providers will throttle your hotspot data speed. Although your iPhone might have a perfect 5G signal, your hotspot might be slowed down to 4G or even 3G speeds.
But even if you won’t always get the fastest speeds, if you want a reliable connection you can take anywhere, choosing a cellular iPad means you don’t need to rely on hotspots at all.
Only Cellular iPads Have GPS
GPS is one of the most useful features of any Smart device. Gone are the days of pulling out giant paper maps and asking strangers for directions.
Don’t own a Tesla with a giant infotainment screen? No problem, get a car mount and put your iPad on your dashboard. iPads can be a great tool for plotting out directions or planning your next big trip, but only cellular iPads have GPS built in.
In Apple’s manufacturing process for iPads, the GPS module and the cellular module are on the same chip. So, if you don’t get a cellular iPad, it also won’t come with GPS.
If you have a Wi-Fi-only iPad, you can still use Apple Maps or Google Maps, but you’ll have to rely on Wi-Fi positioning instead of GPS. Although it can detect your general location, Wi-Fi positioning isn’t nearly as accurate as GPS.
Cellular iPads Are Great for Work
With the increasing shift to remote work, boardroom meetings have become living room meetings, and many former office workers are becoming full-time digital nomads. As a result, a built-in data connection on your iPad can greatly boost your creative workflow.
