Ipad Mini's for Missionaries

The Church recently announced a program where some missionaries will be asked to purchase a specially configured Ipad Mini for $400.00 that they will be able to keep when they are released.

Being a Techno neophyte, why a Mini? Why not something less expensive? "Specially configured" I assume will be protected from certain internet websites. Will this configuration make it so the Mini's are not so useful after the mission is completed?

I am getting questions from my ward members that I would like help answering.

My guess is that there were some reasons why the iOS platform was chosen. It may have been the skill set of the available developers, or some key decision maker's preference.

Once that decision was made, the Mini makes great sense -- it's a tablet, which gives you more application options than a phone form factor, and it's cheaper and smaller than an iPad. Perhaps the Church was able to negotiate a volume discount with Apple.

As for the special configuration, the Mini can certainly be reset to factory defaults at the end of the mission.

Is $400.00 a discounted price?

I don't know if there's a way to block web sites on an iPad, but I'm sure there's some software that will track usage. Part of the configuration would also be having missionary-essential apps pre-installed, such as Area Book / Planner, Gospel Library, LDS Tools, and LDS Music.

Church developers have been developing for iOS for a while now – so most of the church apps have become mature on iOS before being full-featured on other platforms. Whatever the reason, church apps on iOS are historically a step ahead of church apps on any other platform, and why give missionaries less than the best gospel tools?

Judging by the price, it must be the Wi-Fi + Cellular model.

TinMan wrote:they will be able to keep when they are released.

Isn't a mission about the typical life-span before it's obsolete?

I wonder if they will become like bicycles. You sell it to the new guy coming in.

One worry I have is that now all those muggers who know that missionaries don't have any money will now know they all have $400.00 IPad Minis.

Apple is not known for being very generous with discounts for bulk purchases and, when it comes to iPads, they don't even offer student pricing. I wonder why you couldn't get by with an iPod Touch (half the price of an iPad Mini). Do they need these iPads to share videos as part of missionary lessons, making the iPod Touch too small? What if you already have an iPad? Can you just bring it on your mission and let someone do the special configuration to it?

mrrad wrote:I wonder why you couldn't get by with an iPod Touch

I think part of the problem is getting timely updates. Sure, they could go to the office or a church meetinghouse for the WiFi, but in some areas, that means getting "business" (mission) emails once a day. A cell data connection is needed to keep them connected and timely.

Oh, so do we know for sure they're going to have cellular hardware and data plans? Then $400 would represent a huge non-Apple-like discount and the church would be paying for a lot of data plans.

mrrad wrote:Oh, so do we know for sure they're going to have cellular hardware and data plans? Then $400 would represent a huge non-Apple-like discount and the church would be paying for a lot of data plans.

Are we sure $400 is the price the church pays? We've heard that's the price the missionary pays, but that's not the same thing.

Actually, I take back what I said about it probably being cellular. It's possible they're cellular, but I don't know where I was looking before – it said the price for a non-cellular iPad mini was $299, and cellular $399, or something like that – but I don't think that's accurate. iPad mini with cellular is more than $400, plus the monthly data.

It would probably make more sense for them to be Wi-Fi iPad minis, tethered to a phone with cellular data.

Showing videos is, I'm sure, one of the reasons why a bigger screen is required. Not to mention – could you imagine using such a small screen for a full-featured area book?

Also, the most recent versions of iOS have pretty good theft-deterrent systems (not perfect, but much better than before).

My son is currently serving in a Ipad area. The missionaries do use them for showing video to teach. They were told that Iphones were coming also, but haven't heard much about that lately.

Please stop questionng the church, they dont make random desicions ,and yes i have seen that technology and makes perfect cents ..... I have a ipad and actually feel a ipad mini would have been more practical.


BTW . i have used my ipad teaching with the missionaries and its great. actually i have a picture of it . i will try to post it

I was one of the Elders that piloted these iPads. I've gone home since, but originally the Church gave us the iPads. They chose iPad mini for looks and ease of carrying around. It has no cellular capability but it does have WiFi.

To read more, visit http://ldsliving.com/story/74495-qa-wit ... missionary

Thanx Elder and welcome home

We have the original iPad minis wifi version only. We will eventually be buying our own.

How can we get the application?
-mission planners
-etc ( everything ?)

Being a missionary in the Gilbert AZ mission, where we were promised iPads almost 16 months ago (heheh), I am very interested in just what is going to happen...we really haven't been told anything at all. I would love to know what kind of things we can and can't do on our iPads...like could I jailbreak it so I can open up Apples crappy locked down iOS.

So if there are any updates I would really love to hear about them.

Hopefully the delay in implementing the solution is to include an android option so missionaries could choose devices that are a few hundred dollars cheaper rather than a premium product.

I wish every one could get the missionary area book app.

johnshaw wrote:Hopefully the delay in implementing the solution is to include an android option so missionaries could choose devices that are a few hundred dollars cheaper rather than a premium product.

The more devices you have, the harder it is to support them – especially when you're trying to regulate how the devices are used. The mission office needs to be able to support any missionaries with problems. Then there's the actual programming of apps. It takes a lot of resources to program both an iOS and an Android version of an app (like the area book app).

Perhaps they could choose one Android alternative; or, they might've gone with Android to begin with – but all of the church's apps start on iOS so the iOS versions are usually fully-featured first. I think it's a lot easier for the church to support iOS.

sbradshaw wrote:The more devices you have, the harder it is to support them – especially when you're trying to regulate how the devices are used. The mission office needs to be able to support any missionaries with problems. Then there's the actual programming of apps. It takes a lot of resources to program both an iOS and an Android version of an app (like the area book app).

Perhaps they could choose one Android alternative; or, they might've gone with Android to begin with – but all of the church's apps start on iOS so the iOS versions are usually fully-featured first. I think it's a lot easier for the church to support iOS.

My apologies, I must have thought this stuff just grows on trees.

Current Full Time Missionary here:

I'm super excited to have an iPad as a tool to help out missionary work. When they are coming to my specific mission, no one seems to be sure, but I hope soon.

Does anyone have any specifics to what we as missionaries will be using the iPads? We haven't heard anything besides the Gospel Library App, the Area Book App, and possibly Facebook. Anything else that we'll be able to do with our iPads? Will there some way that we could electronically share our schedule/planner/area book with the ward mission leader or bishop or other ward members? Will ALL iPads come paired with an iPhone for a hotspot? Will features like the built in calendar be able to be implemented for such things like a meal calendar? Will we be able to use the internet in any other extended way? Will other apps be available for us to use? Anyway I can provide feedback or offer suggestions to tech department of the church once our mission does get iPads?

Just a lot of questions and ideas floating around in my head, and I don't know who to talk to. Anyone know more than I do?

I've asked questions on this page before and gotten info:
https://www.facebook.com/missionipads

smwatkins wrote:Current Full Time Missionary here: . . .
Does anyone have any specifics to what we as missionaries will be using the iPads?

I am sure that when the time comes your Mission President will provide instructions through your Zone and District Leaders.

I remember the time I felt so guilty on my mission for going inside a mall or shop for 10 minutes to get warm....

sbradshaw wrote:I've asked questions on this page before and gotten info:
https://www.facebook.com/missionipads

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

lajackson wrote:I am sure that when the time comes your Mission President will provide instructions through your Zone and District Leaders.

Yeah, I know they will. I was just curious if anyone else knew of anything...

johnshaw wrote:I remember the time I felt so guilty on my mission for going inside a mall or shop for 10 minutes to get warm....

Haha it must have been really cold then.
Our mission president allows us to go the church websites, like Mormon.org and BibleVideos.org, and lds.org.

It's about the end of the year, and still no news of iPads. Has Apple's new lineup or new iOS slowed things down? Any idea?

smwatkins wrote:It's about the end of the year, and still no news of iPads. Has Apple's new lineup or new iOS slowed things down? Any idea?

I don't know what the process is, but it varies in different areas of the church. Not all missions around the world are getting iPads – so far the only areas mentioned have been the United States, Canada, Japan, and western Europe*. What mission are you serving in?

Also, I think during the pilot program the church bought the iPads themselves, but more recently missionaries are paying for their own iPads before their missions (through the church). This funding transition might be causing delays.

* https://www.lds.org/church/news/more-mi ... l?lang=eng

sbradshaw wrote:Not all missions around the world are getting iPads – so far the only areas mentioned have been the United States, . . .

And I live in a mission in the U.S. where iPads are not being used and not required for missionaries at the present time.

wen well the Colorado Denver north mission get them

kennethgraff wrote:wen well the Colorado Denver north mission get them

I'd ask the mission president. I don't know as anyone here knows the schedule.

Does anyone know if the missionary already has one, can it be configured accordingly (i.e. we send it to them to configure)? Or do they have to purchase one through the mission?

Son just received call and instructed bring a church configured device. How, where, do we purchase the iPad mini? Do they get it in the MTC? Or is it to be purchased prior?

cregshaffer wrote:Son just received call and instructed bring a church configured device. How, where, do we purchase the iPad mini? Do they get it in the MTC? Or is it to be purchased prior?

Are you sure you read that correctly? For missions that use iPad Minis, the iPad is given to the missionary when he/she arrives in the mission, and the iPad will already be set up correctly. There's no way you can purchase and set up the iPad on your own, so your son cannot "bring" a Church-configured device. The "purchase" that you need to make is simply to work with your ward clerk to make a payment to the ward to cover the cost that Church Headquarters will charge to your ward for the iPad.

My daughter on her iPad mission asked me to email her some church music to listen to on her iPad. I sent her some in mp3 format and she said those did not work. Do I need to send them in a different format or is the iPad restricted? She said other missionaries transferred some songs to her that work.

I thought MP3 was pretty universal, but the ones you sent might have had some DRM (Digital Rights Management) that prevented them from being played.

When do we get the area book like the missionaries have?

Hello, I am a returned missionary.

I was able to keep my iPad mini after the mission; just updated to v10.1.1. In settings, it says the iPad is still supervised by Church of Jesus Christ of LDS. I have paid for the iPad in full, and I am wondering why it still says this. Is it still supervised, even though I now own it? Does anybody know? I haven't been able to get an answer on this.

mhinatsu wrote:I have paid for the iPad in full, and I am wondering why it still says this. Is it still supervised, even though I now own it?

Work through your clerk to contact the Global Service Center. They will be able to help you unlock the device for your own personal use.

It takes up to 14 days after you return from your mission for the command to comedown to your device. Make sure your data is off the device.

My iPad is still locked by the church from when I got home, is there a way to get it reset?

I have a missionary out in the field and his iPad was left on top of his car and run over by other cars when it fell off.
Is there any insurance on the iPad for damage? Or do I get to pay the $81 fee and then buy him another $380 iPad??
If I have to do that, is there any way to get insurance on the next one???
They make kids (their parents mostly) buy them and if anyone knows a kid with a phone, you NEED the insurance plan!

The church doesn't not have insurance on missionary iPads/tablets. However, in the new android tablet program (my mission had it rolled out to them 9 months ago), missionaries can buy their Samsung S2 tablets with insurance from the place of purchase.

My mission office has a loaner program for missionaries that can't afford, or can't afford to replace, an iPad/S2 tablet. The missionary can borrow a tablet from the mission office.

That being said, you will need to contact the mission office of your Missionary's mission for more details about your options. You likely have more than you think! Please reply if this helps, or if you have any other questions.

does this implies to the nigerian missionaries?

emmanuelkelly wrote:does this implies to the nigerian missionaries?

That would depend on the mission president. However, the church is unlikely to deploy tablets in areas that would make the missionaries a target or lacks the infrastructure to support them.

Well, I've seen missionnaries using tablets in Uganda, which isn't much more developed than Nigeria... And they weren't especially targeted for it (because, truth be told, everyone there has a smartphone, they use it for everything you can imagine and even have it charged at dedicated shops if they don't have electricity at home!)

jhoney00 wrote:Church developers have been developing for iOS for a while now – so most of the church apps have become mature on iOS before being full-featured on other platforms. Whatever the reason, church apps on iOS are historically a step ahead of church apps on any other platform, and why give missionaries less than the best gospel tools?

My experience is each OS has different strengths and weaknesses, based on their core architecture. There are things you can do on iOS easier than Android and vice-versa. I believe the church tries to keep both apps with the same functionality. It is possible the church has selected the Android OS due to (typically) lower cost options for the hardware, but that is just an uneducated guess on my part.