Can your iPad Pro be used as a phone?

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Apple’s best tablet, the iPad Pro, is a multipurpose, multi-faceted example of just how good modern tech can be. It’s got an app for everything, a sweet Pencil, and now it’s even got a keyboard cover that comes with a trackpad, just like a real laptop.

You can spec it out with multiple storage options, dongles, adapters, and other accessories, and there are even third-party companies like Colorware that can make your iPad Pro in any color you want.

You can even pay extra for cellular connectivity if you know you won’t always be in WiFi range. Knowing all of that, surely you can use your iPad Pro as an oversized smartphone, right?

Can I use my iPad Pro as a cellphone?

Short answer: No

Notice that little piece of information from the iPad Pro specs page? Data only. Bummer. That means it doesn’t have the chips needed to make cellular calls, even though it’s got cellular data access.

READ MORE: Can your iPad Pro be charged wirelessly?

It’s not quite as cut and dry as that though, as anything that’s Facetime-enabled can call anything else with Facetime. So you can use your cellular-enabled iPad Pro as a video conferencing tool from anywhere with cell service.

You can also use any of the apps that have voice calls, like Messenger, Discord, Slack, or many others. Those will run over LTE data, so make sure your data plan isn’t going to suffer.

READ MORE: Can the iPad Pro replace a laptop?

You can even link it to your iPhone, and route any incoming calls to your iPad Pro, but both devices need to be on the same WiFi network for that to work.

What do you think? Would you like to use your iPad Pro as a smartphone? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.