This is the situation I found myself in recently after ordering my new M4 iPad Pro. So I went looking for the best standalone iPad cellular plan. Here’s what I found.

When you buy an iPad, you can choose models that include optional cellular data connectivity. If your iPad has cellular connectivity, you can access the Internet even when you're out of Wi-Fi range.

You can’t get a Mac with cellular, but the iPad has offered cellular since its 2010 debut. And built-in cellular can prove a major advantage for someone who values having a truly portable computer.

The feature, called Low Data Mode, and there's a separate setting for both cellular data and your separate Wi-Fi connections. Here's how it works.

Wi-Fi Assist can help you with weak Wi-Fi coverage for your iPhone or cellular-equipped iPad by switching to cellular data when the current Wi-Fi network isn’t performing consistently.

Apple included a conventional SIM with cellular versions of the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, 5th- and 6th-generation base iPads and the original 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

On the previous generation models, the cellular versions of both the ‌iPad Air‌ and the ‌iPad Pro‌ included a physical SIM card slot. In the new devices, that's no longer the case.