Four+ Reasons NOT to Buy an iPad Mini 4 Right Now

[Andre Levite]

The iPad Mini 4 is a staple with DJI drone pilots. Here are some new factors to consider going into the new year if you are contemplating a purchase:

1. It's still expensive - at $399 the Mini is priced higher than a full size 9.7" iPad 2018 that has Apple Pencil support. It's never had a price drop and the current pricing is just not in line with the value

2. It's outdated - originally released in Sept 2015 it's screen and internal components are functional but below today's standards for performance

3. Newer model expected in Spring 2019 - reports from reliable analysts indicate a new iPad Mini 5 is ready for production based upon supply chain parts orders

4. Mini 4 Price will soon drop - the Mini is still being sold at the same price as it's debut over 3 years ago. That will change significantly when a new model is released.

Bonus Reason (#5) - iPad Mini 5 will have lower base price than current model. The Mini 4 has 128GB storage with no other option. By lowering the base storage and using a less expensive display the Mini 5 will come in at a lower price point more in line with its place in the iPad lineup

There are plenty of good reasons to wait until next year when a new model should be available. Nothing worse that investing in a piece of tech only to find it's outdated or you overpaid a month or two later.

Happy New Year!

 

[Terestron]

I bought a iPad mini on Black Friday for $249, WiFi version, took it back on Sunny Saturday - has no GPS! Only the phone version has. Bought a nVidia Shield on eBay for $125, still with shrink wrap on it! Blows the iPad Mini 4 WiFi away. Yes it may be out of production but it still has features that newer tablets don't have.

 

[Andre Levite]

I bought a iPad mini on Black Friday for $249, WiFi version, took it back on Sunny Saturday - has no GPS! Only the phone version has. Bought a nVidia Shield on eBay for $125, still with shrink wrap on it! Blows the iPad Mini 4 WiFi away. Yes it may be out of production but it still has features that newer tablets don't have.

The Spark has its own GPS antenna. Why do you need your display to have one as well?

Just wondering because I've been using a wifi iPad for years without GPS and it's fine.

 

[hiflyer]

If you are going to use a Flight app like Foreflight you need a GPS. Foreflight is a fabulous app that saves pilots thousands of dollars for a basic price of about 100 dollars a year. It places your position and a chart and gives all types of data necessary for flight, it really does everything that formerly took took skill and planning, AND It also keeps you legal by always having current charts etc.
BUT as has been said earlier, you don't need GPS for drones.

 

[McCloudSpark]

With GPS on the display you see your position on the map and the AC position. Really necessary if you ever have to use the "Find My Drone" function.

 

[Epoweredrc]

With GPS on the display you see your position on the map and the AC position. Really necessary if you ever have to use the "Find My Drone" function.

I am new here, and new to the spark Well ive had mine one week today.. So is this why i don't see the live map on the bottom of my screen when flying with my Tablet that is wifi only?

but yet i can go into my flight on the app and still see my logged flight where i flew.

 

[McCloudSpark]

So with GPS only on your device (phone, ipad, etc) first connect your device to a wifi network and run the go4 app. Load the map view and scroll to the area you will be flying. Scroll around, zoom in and out. This will cache the map in the app. Now when you fly the GPS in your device will place you in the correct position on the cached map.

 

[Epoweredrc]

So with GPS only on your device (phone, ipad, etc) first connect your device to a wifi network and run the go4 app. Load the map view and scroll to the area you will be flying. Scroll around, zoom in and out. This will cache the map in the app. Now when you fly the GPS in your device will place you in the correct position on the cached map.

I am guessing the Spark has to be turned on so you can see the map or how does that work?

 

[McCloudSpark]

The app contains the map. The phone GPS places you on the map. The Sparks GPS and its communication with the app places it on the map.

 

[Epoweredrc]

The app contains the map. The phone GPS places you on the map. The Sparks GPS and its communication with the app places it on the map.

Sorry, as said only had it a week. I found the place to download maps offline.

 

[Andre Levite]

So with GPS only on your device (phone, ipad, etc) first connect your device to a wifi network and run the go4 app. Load the map view and scroll to the area you will be flying. Scroll around, zoom in and out. This will cache the map in the app. Now when you fly the GPS in your device will place you in the correct position on the cached map.

Not exactly. Your device does not need GPS at all. The wifi iPad Mini has no GPS antenna and no cellular service and you can still use the cached map. Is actually the GPS of the aircraft that locates the Spark on the map (the device is relatively stationary).

This video is a good visual explanation of the proper steps involved.

Works good for me

 

[Epoweredrc]

it seems like my phone doesn't give me that option to turn it on.. maybe cause of the version i have now.

 

[McCloudSpark]

Not exactly. Your device does not need GPS at all. The wifi iPad Mini has no GPS antenna and no cellular service and you can still use the cached map. Is actually the GPS of the aircraft that locates the Spark on the map (the device is relatively stationary).

This video is a good visual explanation of the proper steps involved.

Works good for me

Yes, what you say is true and that is a helpful video. However, if you have (for example) an Ipad mini 4 with cellular but no sim card, then the mini has GPS (which is part of the cellular circuitry. The GPS in the mini will then show where you are standing on the map as well as where the Spark is located through the Spark's GPS. That's what I was trying to get across.

 

[tsafe]

So with GPS only on your device (phone, ipad, etc) first connect your device to a wifi network and run the go4 app. Load the map view and scroll to the area you will be flying. Scroll around, zoom in and out. This will cache the map in the app. Now when you fly the GPS in your device will place you in the correct position on the cached map.

Isn't this only for Android? I was researching this and it seemed like this only works with Android since iOS uses Apple maps.

 

[Andre Levite]

Yes, what you say is true and that is a helpful video. However, if you have (for example) an Ipad mini 4 with cellular but no sim card, then the mini has GPS (which is part of the cellular circuitry. The GPS in the mini will then show where you are standing on the map as well as where the Spark is located through the Spark's GPS. That's what I was trying to get across.

That is not correct. The wifi iPad Mini 4 has no GPS antenna and no cellular circuitry. Here is the link to the Apple specifications page that demonstrates this.


Only the cellular model can receive data from a GPS satellite. Only the cellular model can accommodate a SIM card. The wifi iPad Mini caches the map when on wifi and the aircraft supplies it's own GPS location data during flight.

When the wifi only iPad Mini is connected to wifi it uses something called "assisted GPS" which is not GPS at all -- it's just an approximated location based on the location wireless access point (fake GPS).

 

[Dodge DeBoulet]

That is not correct. The wifi iPad Mini 4 has no GPS antenna and no cellular circuitry. Here is the link to the Apple specifications page that demonstrates this.
View attachment 8346

Only the cellular model can receive data from a GPS satellite. Only the cellular model can accommodate a SIM card. The wifi iPad Mini caches the map when on wifi and the aircraft supplies it's own GPS location data during flight.

When the wifi only iPad Mini is connected to wifi it uses something called "assisted GPS" which is not GPS at all -- it's just an approximated location based on the location wireless access point (fake GPS).

I'm not seeing where @McCloudSpark is talking about the wi-fi only version of the Mini ... I think you two are actually on the same page but you haven't realized it yet

 

[Dodge DeBoulet]

The INCORRECT info is right here:

View attachment 8349

People keep buying the wifi iPad Mini mistakenly believing it has GPS - it doesn't. Then they are disappointed because they got wrong info from this site - just setting the record straight for my fellow pilots

I think you're still missing something Andre... It says "iPad mini 4 WITH cellular." He's not referring to the WiFi-only version. While the iPad Mini 4 has WiFi across all models, it is also available with Cellular/LTE. @McCloudSpark appears to be referring to the version with Cellular, which also includes GPS; the presence (or lack) of a SIM card does not affect its GPS functionality.

I think we ALL agree that the WiFi-only version of the iPad Mini 4 does not have GPS

 

[McCloudSpark]

Just to test this - I last flew with my iPad mini 4 with cellular (no sim) about 60 miles from my house. This morning I ran the Go4 app (inside my house) and it showed my current location as being 60 miles away (where I last flew). I went outside and in about 1 minute it switched my location to my house. Conclusion: My mini does have GPS and it does work. Also, you are correct in saying the wifi only version does not has GPS

 

[McCloudSpark]

I found this at Apple.com: (referring to iPad devices (bold added by me) - I hope it is helpful)

The wifi-only devices use wifi node IDs for location services. Apple maintains its own database of wifi nodes and approximate locations, and a wifi-only device can use the wifi node hardware address to look up its approximate location in that database.

A wifi+cellular device has a GPS receiver in it, and can directly receive GPS/GLONASS satelitte timing signals from which it can compute a location fix.

aGPS simple means that the native GPS function can be augmented by various other tools to improve the speed with with a location fix can be obtained. They can use wifi-node location data, and cellular tower signal data to speed up the computation of the location fix. But they can also work in the complete absence of any wifi nodes or cellular towers. A wifi+cellular iPad can obtain a GPS fix in the middle of the Gobi desert if needed, as long as it has open access to the sky overhead to receive satellite data.

assisted just means that - additional features that, when available, can or may assist the native GPS system. The aGPS system still has a fully functional standalone GPS receiver and GPS location calculation algortithms.

 

[Paul215]

I'm using an Ipad Air Wifi version and sometimes or when I need the map in the corner I connect my phone via bluetooth thethering with my Ipad an than Go4 can check for updates and maps. Not nessesary to do it in home wifi.