LTE tablets work without SIM card?

[MaxDepth]

Yet another stupid question...Sorry.

So I have two choices, get a wifi only tablet and tether my phone to it. Or, by an LTE and switch the SIM back and forth from the phone to the tablet.

I want the Samsung Tab S 10.1 tablet because of the screen. However I see there is big difference in processors with the LTE being the better one.

So my question is can I use the LTE tablet without the SIM installed? Can it work on wifi only? I've looked through the specs and some other sites but I have not seen anything definitively.

 

[Qbah]

Any tablet has WiFi, cellular modems are always an extra. So yes, an LTE-enabled tablet will also work when no SIM card is inserted - it can always connect to a WiFi access points (also when a SIM card is inside it).

 

[sweenish]

Yes and yes.

But what a hassle that would be, swapping a SIM card. Those things are not tough, nor are they large.

 

[MaxDepth]

Thanks for the remarks! I wanted the better processor for the long term. Right now I have the Acer first gen (A500) and boy is it showing it's age, even though it is only 3 years old.

I used to say computers were like dogs (each of our years are 7 to a dog) when you talked about aging equipment and typical lifespans. Now I'm thinking tablets and phones should be 25 years since it seems both Apple and Android OSes cripple phones older than 2 years from the OS release. I cannot imagine using a Iphone 3g with iOS 7 or 8 right now. I have a iPhone 4 from work and 8.0 has just tanked it to the point they have to get me at least a 5 or probably a 6.

Anyway...yeah I was thinking it will be a major hassle and always have a chance of breaking the SIM when moving it from device to device. I think paying more for LTE will just give me better options in the long run for what I would pay for either.

 

[paperwastage]

in USA, do remember that T-mobile offers a free 200MB tablet plan for life... if your LTE tablet can connect to their network (LTE Bands 2/4/12, 1700/2100 or 1900mhz 3G)

some providers dislike customers using a phone SIM on a LTE tablet device, especially if the phone line has unlimited data