I know people have been holding their breath for a long time with the new release of iPad 3G. And after the long wait, Apple made the announcement the 3G iPad would be available on April 30th. So, if you haven’t already purchased an iPad but are ready for the wireless offerings of the 3G model and before running to the store, we’ve got a brief review for you.
For those who don’t know, there are two versions of iPad, the iPad Wi-Fi and the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G. Both iPad versions have different prices but also include slight differences in service offerings.
The iPad Wi-Fi + 3G is still made with glass screen and aluminum body that has a large matte black plastic panel that is seen on the back top portion and front between the sleep/wake switch and port. This is designed to communicate better with out any interference. The iPad Wi-Fi + 3G has a micro sim card slot that is found on the lower half of the device. You should also know that the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G (1.6 pounds) weighs slightly heavier than the iPad Wi-Fi (1.5 pounds).
If you wish not to subscribe to any cellular subscription, you may do so. It can still be used as iPad Wi-Fi. It is entirely your decision to subscribe and you are not forced to pay additional fees to any cellular service. But if you want to use your iPad away from your office, home or places where there is no Wi-Fi, you have to pay monthly to do that.
Apple has already negotiated with AT&T, giving you two options: 250MB Data per month for a price of $14.99 and Unlimited Data per month for $29.99. If you wish to avail the 250MB plan, AT&T will send you messages when you are close to reaching your data limit, this way you can choose to upgrade to the unlimited plan or turn off your 3G. I should warn you that once you start signing up for AT&T, it will auto renew every 30 days, so make sure you cancel the plan if you wish to do so.
Signing up for 3G is hassle-free. You don’t need to go to their store to avail this service. You can do this right on your iPad, whether you want to manage your account, cancel their service, check the data you have consumed, and sign up for their service. Go to the settings and choose Cellular Data. Fill in the information box, select the plan that you want to avail and enter the information regarding your credit card. With AT&T plans, you can have Internet access over 20,000 hotspots.
There is little difference but if you really want to have better access in the Internet then iPad 3G is for you. iPad can switch to Wi-Fi and 3G whichever has better connection, so you can always have the best connection that is available. Now, you can run to the store and get your new iPad 3G!
