plus they make it easy for customers to sign for services which in turn makes it easier for businesses to know that the work was done. toss in CC readers that attach easily and you have a simple POS device

if anything the amount of waste that would come back into our lives without them would be staggering

There likely is a good cost saving there, removing the need to transcribe handwritten forms and archive them in cases where the customers signed them.

It also easily gives you some tracking info, even if you only let it send location info when the service person uses it. That can give you the data to inform other customers on that service person’s route about arrival times.

No I don't, I just brought that up because OP was confused why the pilot can use their device while "normal" passengers can't.

On day four, I received a push message (from Find My) that the iPad had come to life. An airport staffer had found it and charged it up. Presumably it cold boots with airplane mode switched off, so it connected to the cellular network, received the "lost device" command, displayed my contact info, etc. I received a call shortly thereafter.

When I picked up the iPad at baggage services, I chatted with the staff a bit. They let me in on the "secret" that most airline employees never switch their devices into airplane mode anymore, and for this exact reason.