We know for a fact that tablets are not smartphones because they have their own unique identities. That’s because tablets are supposed to be hybrids of smartphones and laptops, to some extent. However, tablets can also make use of cellular data connections to connect to the internet just like how smartphones do. So, does that mean that tablets also have phone numbers like their smartphone counterparts?
Tablets can have phone numbers but not all tablets do have phone numbers. This depends on the type of tablet you have and its connection capabilities. If you have a tablet that can’t connect to cellular data, it doesn’t have a phone number. But tablets that have cellular capabilities can have phone numbers.
When you purchase a tablet, you are usually given the option to choose whether you want the Wi-Fi version or the more expensive Wi-Fi + cellular variant. The Wi-Fi versions shouldn’t have phone numbers because they can only connect to Wi-Fi networks. But we can’t say the same when it comes to Wi-Fi + cellular versions. So, if you want to learn whether or not your tablet has a phone number, read on.
Do tablets have phone numbers?
Tablets are popular for a lot of different reasons but the fact is that people use them because they need something that is actually very functional and productive to the point that they can work and do a lot of different creative stuff with a tablet. This might still be possible for a smartphone but it’s going to be very difficult to use a smartphone for such purposes due to the smaller screen.
That said, while tablets are unique on their own and are not smartphones in the sense that they have their own identity as smart gadgets, they may still exhibit smartphone capabilities and qualities. For one, most tablets have an interface that is quite similar to that of a smartphone’s interface. And, in most cases, whatever a smartphone can do, a tablet can also do.
So, given that tablets can sometimes be bigger smartphones, you might be wondering if they can actually have phone numbers that you can call. After all, this is something that smartphones commonly have as they are, first and foremost, cellphones that require SIM cards with phone numbers to function as actual cellphones. That said, do tablets also have phone numbers?
When you look at a tablet and how most tablets are not built to be able to make phone calls or even send text messages via cellular networks, you might quickly come to the conclusion that tablets don’t have phone numbers because most tablets are not even built to make phone calls from its own unique number.
But that isn’t necessarily true because some tablets do have phone numbers. So, the answer to our question is that tablets can have phone numbers. This means that some tablets don’t have phone numbers while other tablets do have phone numbers. It really depends on the type of tablet that you have.
First of all, tablets that don’t have phone numbers are those that run exclusively as Wi-Fi only tablets. When you buy your tablet, you are usually given the option of choosing the Wi-Fi only model if there are other options available to you. So, if you do choose the Wi-Fi only model, the only way for your tablet to connect to the internet is by making use of Wi-Fi networks. As such, it doesn’t have phone-like capabilities such as using cellular data signals to connect to the internet.
On the other hand, some tablets are automatically built to have Wi-Fi and cellular capabilities while other models will give you the option of choosing a Wi-Fi + cellular variant of the tablet. These variants are usually more expensive than the Wi-Fi only models.
So, if you used a Wi-Fi + cellular model for your tablet, the tablet can connect to the internet either through Wi-Fi networks or through cellular data networks. This means that the tablet has the same capability as a smartphone when it comes to using cellular data signals to connect to the internet.
Because Wi-Fi + cellular tablet models can connect to the internet using cellular signals, they actually need a SIM card that will allow them to use cellular signals. Of course, because SIM cards have their own unique phone numbers, it will also follow that your tablet will have its own phone number as well.
However, even if your tablet has its own phone number through the SIM card that it is using, there is no guarantee that it can make phone calls or send text messages using cellular signals. You have to go back to your tablet’s specifications to find out if it can actually make phone calls or send text messages. In the past, it was normal for a lot of tablets to able to do that but this is quite rare today as only a few tablet models have the capability to make phone calls.
So, while your tablet does indeed have a phone number, there is no guarantee that you can call or send messages to that phone number. Instead, the phone number is just there because of how the tablet is using a SIM card that can be inserted into an actual phone. However, if your tablet is capable of making phone calls using cellular signals, then there is no reason why you can’t call the phone number of that tablet.
Why do tablets have phone numbers?
So, now that you know that some tablets do have phone numbers, you might be wondering why they even have phone numbers if most tablets don’t even have all of a smartphone’s capabilities. Well, here are a few reasons for that:
The tablet comes from a carrier
You can buy Wi-Fi + cellular tablets from certain carriers, and these tablets usually come with their own data plans as well. As such, because your tablet is from a carrier, it only follows that it has a number due to the fact that it is carrying a SIM card from the carrier you purchased it from.
The phone number is also assigned to your tablet so that the carrier can bill you through the number and account you for the data that your tablet is using through the carrier’s own network. This will allow you to manage your own data plan while also providing the carrier a way to monitor your consumption as well.
The tablet can actually make phone calls
So, another reason why your tablet has a phone number is that it can actually act as a phone due to how it can make phone calls or send text messages using its own number. As such, the tablet is just a huge smartphone.
That said, if your tablet has the capabilities of a phone, then it only follows that it should carry its own number through its SIM card. After all, it needs a number that could identify it when it is making phone calls. Of course, people can also call you on your tablet by contacting you using the tablet’s own number.
