Cellular-Capable iPad Pre-Orders En Route to U.S. Customers with Friday, November 16 Delivery

[MacRumors]

In line with reports from last week, Apple has begun shipping pre-orders of cellular-capable fourth-generation iPad models to U.S. customers. MacRumors has received word from over half a dozen readers indicating that their orders are now en route via FedEx with delivery scheduled for this Friday, November 16.

We had previously reported that some customers who were initially seeing delivery estimates of next week were receiving free upgrades to November 16 delivery upon request, and it now appears that most early pre-order customers will be seeing delivery this Friday even without special requests.

We had also received a report indicating that AT&T would begin selling the cellular-capable models of the iPad mini and fourth-generation iPad on November 16, with the carrier offering a $100 discount to those signing for a two-year data contract for the device. All iPad models including the iPad mini are eligible for the promotion.

We've yet to see word of any cellular-capable iPad mini pre-orders heading out for shipment, so it remains to be seen whether they too will make the same delivery window of this Friday.

Article Link: Cellular-Capable iPad Pre-Orders En Route to U.S. Customers with Friday, November 16 Delivery

[gibbz]

Sure it's a first world problem, but I'm going to be a little peeved if my pre-order iPad mini arrives after stores have them in stock.

[iAco]

LTE tablets are stupid.

If you're gonna own an LET table, you probably own a LET phone. And with that, you can just use your phone as a hotspot to connect your tablet to (WiFi). It works just flawlessly with Verizon. At the cost of carrying your phone with your tablet. Which is irrelevant really because you always have your phone with you, and more importantly, you save $130!

[chriscrk]

Still waiting for the iPhone 5 to arrive where I live

[Kev.LoveMac]

But when comes the iMac?

[Chuck-Norris]

will the apple stores carry the lte ipad this friday to?

[MetalRCG]

Almost mid-way through November and nothing on the new iMacs.

[Joe Siegler]

It's not just those. I had a 16Gb WiFi only iPad Mini on order from Apple (with engraving), and it shipped yesterday, will be here Friday.

[1080p]

Originally Posted by iAco

If you're gonna own an LET table, you probably own a LET phone. And with that, you can just use your phone as a hotspot to connect your tablet to (WiFi). It works just flawlessly with Verizon. At the cost of carrying your phone with your tablet. Which is irrelevant really because you always have your phone with you, and more importantly, you save $130 over the LET-enabled tablets.

"LET" us pray...

[j_maddison]

Originally Posted by iAco

LTE tablets are stupid.

If you're gonna own an LET table, you probably own a LET phone. And with that, you can just use your phone as a hotspot to connect your tablet to (WiFi). It works just flawlessly with Verizon. At the cost of carrying your phone with your tablet. Which is irrelevant really because you always have your phone with you, and more importantly, you save $130 over the LET-enabled tablets.

Unless you don't have an LTE phone, or need one, and your tablet is being used as a work tool and needs an always on connection instead of tether that sucks your phones battery life. Or a hundred other reasons why you'd want data connectivity on your tablet without the need for a secondary device That's why they make these things, otherwise they'd all be WiFi only

Anyone in the UK had a change in status. Mine is still showing: Processing Items Dispatched: Late November. Ordered on the 1st of November

[iAco]

Originally Posted by j_maddison

Unless you don't have an LTE phone, or need one, and your tablet is being used as a work tool and needs an always on connection instead of tether that sucks your phones battery life. Or a hundred other reasons why you'd want data connectivity on your tablet without the need for a secondary device That's why they make these things, otherwise they'd all be WiFi only

Anyone in the UK had a change in status. Mine is still showing: Processing Items Dispatched: Late November. Ordered on the 1st of November

Don't be silly. Free WiFi is almost everywhere.

People just dont get it.

[bogatyr]

Originally Posted by iAco

LTE tablets are stupid.

If you're gonna own an LET table, you probably own a LET phone. And with that, you can just use your phone as a hotspot to connect your tablet to (WiFi). It works just flawlessly with Verizon. At the cost of carrying your phone with your tablet. Which is irrelevant really because you always have your phone with you, and more importantly, you save $130!

Couple issues I have with this.

The WiFi hotspot on my iPhone stops broadcasting after a few minutes unless I leave it on the hotspot options screen and don't put it to sleep. Then if my iPad goes to sleep, the connection is lost and I have to unlock my iPhone, go back to the hotspot screen to get it to broadcast again, and then reconnect my iPad. Not a big deal until you do it a few hundred times with a password more than 4 numeric digits on the damn phone.

Also, WiFi+Cellular use on the iPhone drains the battery very quickly. If I am traveling, I might not be able to charge it for 12-24 hours. This means I'm screwed after about 3 hours of usage. If my iPad has its own cellular modem, I get about 9-10 hours instead of 3 plus my phone isn't dead.

Now, not everyone will have the same issues and need a cellular capable device to get by. That is why they made two models... one for people who don't need LTE and one for people who do. Choose which works for you and enjoy.

[kycophpd]

Originally Posted by bogatyr

Couple issues I have with this.

The WiFi hotspot on my iPhone stops broadcasting after a few minutes unless I leave it on the hotspot options screen and don't put it to sleep. Then if my iPad goes to sleep, the connection is lost and I have to unlock my iPhone, go back to the hotspot screen to get it to broadcast again, and then reconnect my iPad. Not a big deal until you do it a few hundred times with a password more than 4 numeric digits on the damn phone.

Also, WiFi+Cellular use on the iPhone drains the battery very quickly. If I am traveling, I might not be able to charge it for 12-24 hours. This means I'm screwed after about 3 hours of usage. If my iPad has its own cellular modem, I get about 9-10 hours instead of 3 plus my phone isn't dead.

Now, not everyone will have the same issues and need a cellular capable device to get by. That is why they made two models... one for people who don't need LTE and one for people who do. Choose which works for you and enjoy.

Just a word on the connectivity. If you are carrying an iPhone, choose the Bluetooth option instead of wifi on personal hotspot. It wakes your phone from sleep if you have not used your connection in a while. It has a much better reconnection than wifi and mine stays steadily connected even an hour or two apart from using it.

[FoCo]

I received an update from Apple with the 16th as the delivery date. However, when I tracked the package through FedEx, I am seeing a delivery of 11/19.

For what it's worth, I called several times attempting to have my original 11/23 delivery date bumped up, but to no avail. Needless to say, I was happily surprised to see this update this morning.

[michaywood]

I too just logged into my Apple account and when I clicked TRACK SHIPMENT it says it shipped out today, but Estimated Delivery date is Monday, Nov 19th, not friday.

[bogatyr]

Originally Posted by kycophpd

Just a word on the connectivity. If you are carrying an iPhone, choose the Bluetooth option instead of wifi on personal hotspot. It wakes your phone from sleep if you have not used your connection in a while. It has a much better reconnection than wifi and mine stays steadily connected even an hour or two apart from using it.

Are there speed limitations if using Bluetooth? I always thought there was a huge limit on speed with it.

[sno1man]

Originally Posted by bogatyr

Are there speed limitations if using Bluetooth? I always thought there was a huge limit on speed with it.

There is a significant impact. You are pretty much operating at the medium end of 3g speeds on the device that's connected via bluetooth.

Additionally bluetooth limits your connection to one device at a time compared to Wi-fi allowing multiple devices.

That being said, he has a good point about it keeping an always alive connection so for low bandwidth usages like email it's a good option.

It's so typical of many of the posters here to call something stupid just because it's not something they would do/use, like the guy who called LTE in tablets stupid. At this point, I will buy an LTE enabled mobile device over Wifi only, every time, but that's just me

[lkwan]

Originally Posted by iAco

LTE tablets are stupid.

If you're gonna own an LET table, you probably own a LET phone. And with that, you can just use your phone as a hotspot to connect your tablet to (WiFi). It works just flawlessly with Verizon.

"At the cost of carrying your phone with your tablet. Which is irrelevant really because you always have your phone with you, and more importantly, you save $130 over the LET-enabled tablets.

Yeah but have you ever tried to do this? We as consumers are constantly buying things to make our lives easier. I use to work in wireless retail, and i would tell customers to save the $130 and just enable hotspot like you suggested.

That was before with 3G. If you are luckly to have good LTE coverage in your city, like i do in Sugarland, tx. My speedtests are regularly 20mb+ or higher with ATT LTE. Acutally the fastest i have hit is 55mb, near my wifes school and at my church near Reliant Staduim where the 8-1 Texans play!
So far from my personal tests, ATT doesn't cap maximum d/l speeds. So if you close enough to a tower, you can easily hit 50mb. My friend has verizon LTE ipad, and never gets anywhere near my speeds. He also has a i5 through Sprint, and barely hits 15mb+ on a good day!

Once enabled LTE on my ipad, instead of using my verizon hotspot. I saw why it was better! It is just more convenient. If apple made a quick widget to turn on/off the hotspot, then my answer would be different.

My ipad with the mobile share plan on ATT only costs me $13.50 a month. Before I was paying $50 a month. I really like the new mobile share plans.

[barkomatic]

Originally Posted by iAco

LTE tablets are stupid.

If you're gonna own an LET table, you probably own a LET phone. And with that, you can just use your phone as a hotspot to connect your tablet to (WiFi). It works just flawlessly with Verizon. At the cost of carrying your phone with your tablet. Which is irrelevant really because you always have your phone with you, and more importantly, you save $130!

The typical, "because I personally don't use a device in this manner that must mean its stupid for *anyone* to use a device in that manner" post. You need to look beyond your one usage patterns and needs. It's very clear that there is a market for cellular models and there are many good reasons articulated in this thread as to why.

Mine is that I don't need cellular data on my iPad every month and so I like to get it when I travel. However, I don't want to give up the unlimited data on my iPhone just so that I can get a more expensive tethering/shared data plan--and I don't want to jailbreak my phone either. I don't even have LTE on my iPhone yet, its still on the pokey 3G anyway.

[squash4dave]

Originally Posted by barkomatic

The typical, "because I personally don't use a device in this manner that must mean its stupid for *anyone* to use a device in that manner" post. You need to look beyond your one usage patterns and needs. It's very clear that there is a market for cellular models and there are many good reasons articulated in this thread as to why.

Mine is that I don't need cellular data on my iPad every month and so I like to get it when I travel. However, I don't want to give up the unlimited data on my iPhone just so that I can get a more expensive tethering/shared data plan--and I don't want to jailbreak my phone either. I don't even have LTE on my iPhone yet, its still on the pokey 3G anyway.

If you upgrade to LTE, you will probably lose your unlimited data plan. My sister has unlimited data with Verizon, but was told that if she gets an LTE phone, she will lose it, unless she pays full price for the new phone. I had read this, also. So don't be surprised if you switch.

[Medic311]

still no update


"preparing for shipping"

[eim23x]

Originally Posted by Medic311

still no update


"preparing for shipping"

That in regards too what iPad or iPad mini?

Because both of my order are same status Preparing for shipping.

[barkomatic]

Originally Posted by squash4dave

If you upgrade to LTE, you will probably lose your unlimited data plan. My sister has unlimited data with Verizon, but was told that if she gets an LTE phone, she will lose it, unless she pays full price for the new phone. I had read this, also. So don't be surprised if you switch.

That's the policy for Verizon, but AT&T will let you keep your unlimited data plan even when upgrading to an LTE phone. Unlimited data is actually throttled on AT&T LTE after 5GB, but that's still better than paying $30 for 3GB for the same price.

Verizon will also let you keep unlimited data when you upgrade by the way, but you must pay the full unsubsidized price for the phone sadly.

[yegon]

Originally Posted by barkomatic

The typical, "because I personally don't use a device in this manner that must mean its stupid for *anyone* to use a device in that manner" post.

Nailed it.

I probably would never have bought into tablets had cellular versions not been available. For me, it makes the experience radically better for reasons already described in this thread. Tethering has its place, but if you want to extensively use it away from wifi, inbuilt is vastly superior. Free wifi? Crippled dog slow speeds in specific locations, no thanks.

However, I can totally understand how it'd be a waste of money for some people based on their usage. Most people I know with iPads never take it out of the house. In contrast, I see lots of people on the train using them

Choice = good.

Narrow mindedness = bad.

[scorpio1973]

Originally Posted by iAco

LTE tablets are stupid.

If you're gonna own an LET table, you probably own a LET phone. And with that, you can just use your phone as a hotspot to connect your tablet to (WiFi). It works just flawlessly with Verizon. At the cost of carrying your phone with your tablet. Which is irrelevant really because you always have your phone with you, and more importantly, you save $130!

Unless you have an LTE phone with grandfathered unlimited data that you would lose by enabling the hot spot feature. For me, the extra $130 was worth it.