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Apple Tablet to Support Multiple Wireless Carriers Including Verizon?

kdarling said:
...Question to Kindle owners though: aren't you able to surf the web, too? If so, how is that charged?
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That's what I actually meant by "baked in" to the initial price. Kindle's Whispernet is "free" for the life of the device. There is a rudimentary web browser on the Kindle. No monthly charge for 3G access to Sprint's network.
 
With the caveat inherent in the word "may" in this post.....if Apple indeed shows up with an iTablet or whatever, it really depends upon how they market it to the average user as well as the carriers. If they push this as a Kindle killer, as well as a kind of iPhone add-on (presumably, you won't be accessing the internet on both devices at the same time), then those who have data plans with their carriers can augment those plans by using this device.

Kindle of course offers data access at no additional cost so if this is just a sort of super e-book, then the logic behind that might mean we'll not end up paying for another data plan. At least there's some hope here.

I doubt very many of us (any of us?) are willing to pay for another data plan.
 
psingh01 said:
They need to let me put my iPhone sim card in there to get 3G! I'm not paying a monthly internet subscription for each device I own.
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You'd want to disable your iPhone whenever you want wireless on the tablet? 😉

Clearly tethering would be the way to go, it already works... It's just whether AT&T is going to "turn it on". And I guess the question is whether the tablet would put significantly more demand on their data network than the iPhone (enough that the extra "tethering revenue" wouldn't be worth it for them).

I agree with the previous poster though, something like a $15/mo data plan (something between a typical data plan and something like Amazon's "free" Whispernet) would go a long way...
 
GeekLawyer said:
I buy the concept of non-exclusive carrier choice for the iSlate (or iWhatever).

What I don't buy - literally - is the likelihood that people are going to pony up for yet another expensive data plan. I have internet service at home. I have internet service for my iPhone. I have a 3G dongle for my MBP when I'm on the road. That's it. I'm not adding a fourth internet contract/fee/expense. No way.

There are a few ways Apple could handle this. And maybe if the price is truly approaching $1000, maybe they've figured out a way to bake 3G connectivity into the purchase price (as has Amazon). Otherwise, I hope they sell a version that either doesn't require 3G or one that will finally take advantage of my iPhone's ability to tether.
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derek1984 said:
$15 a month would be fair. Anything more wouldn't.
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$15 is a dream. the price will simply be the same as a USG 3G dongle or tethering. certainly no less than the $30 data plan for the iphone 3G with ATT. so expect something around $50 per month. alternatively run it as wifi only device.
 
iOrlando said:
Realistically, are people, besides apple zealots, willing to pay monthly data plans for 1) home 2) cellphone 3) tablet?
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That is a question I have been asking myself. What's the cost going to be, I don't see the end user being able to afford:

$49 a month for home internet
$30 a month in cell phone data charges
$30+ a month for tablet data charges

I own or have owned every gadget known to man, like many here and the big turn off is always the monthly charge.
 
GeekLawyer said:
That's what I actually meant by "baked in" to the initial price. Kindle's Whispernet is "free" for the life of the device. There is a rudimentary web browser on the Kindle. No monthly charge for 3G access to Sprint's network.
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It does not work well on the Kindle, however its free which makes me happy. It has a good enough browser to get something in a pinch or read a blog etc. I put up with the poor quality because the Kindle is a great eReader and I use mine daily for reading not web browsing, however when I do, I don't complain because that is a free extra...
 
I''m not

iOrlando said:
i've struggled with this idea and the tablet.

I still am leaning towards no 3G/data connectivity for the first version but I can see pros/cons for each side.

Realistically, are people, besides apple zealots, willing to pay monthly data plans for 1) home 2) cellphone 3) tablet?
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I am not. Cell coverage is still to sketchy in my area for me to get rid of my home phone. My wife and I have cell phones. Adding a third item relying on 3G for connectivity and having to pay an additional data fee for it just doesn't make sense. If Amazon can include data connectivity up to 3G on the Kindle, I'd like to see Apple should do so too. Make the cost part of the purchase so it's only a one time thing and I'll be more interested. Competitive plans combining home, cell, and tablet 3G pricing would also make me more interested.
 
andiwm2003 said:
$15 is a dream. the price will simply be the same as a USG 3G dongle or tethering. certainly no less than the $30 data plan for the iphone 3G with ATT. so expect something around $50 per month. alternatively run it as wifi only device.
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And likely pay $200-$300 more for the device from Apple. 🙁
 
Yvan256 said:
Let's just hope that 3G is an option and not a requirement. Or maybe there's two "iSlate" models, similar to the iPhone/iPod touch choice.
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Agreed. Having to pay another monthly bill for cell access would most likely be a deal-breaker for me. I want to use the device via WiFi or tethered to my iPhone (when AT&T wakes up). I can't add another device to my AT&T plan, as I have it maxed out with 5 iPhones. Verizon doesn't provide adequate service, where I live.
 
It would be smart to not have the 3G capability built it, just allow it to tether to the iPhone via Bluetooth! It would keep the cost down and whats the point in having two 3G devices on you at the same time?

I think the tablet device, if it exists, will work in UNION with a Desktop based Mac/PC and iPhone. Its not going to be an All-In-One solution.

Look where apple were going with the MacBook Air.. it was made to work in conjunction with another Desktop based Mac and not as a total replacement..

just my opionion.. too many clowns in the media are getting worked up about nothing. .then after the Apple event happens its going to be.. "Apple couldnt deliver.. " etc etc!
 
Having the ability to have multiple carriers is a good thing. Competition between carriers should help to keep prices from being too unreasonable. 🙂
 
While I'd like it to be open to multiple carriers, I have a problem seeing this happen before the iPhone. The iPhone seems to be Apple's flagship product now so it seems weird if Apple were to get another product out that's open to multiple carriers before the iPhone.
 
SteveSparks said:
And likely pay $200-$300 more for the device from Apple. 🙁
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Aeolius said:
Agreed. Having to pay another monthly bill for cell access would most likely be a deal-breaker for me. I want to use the device via WiFi or tethered to my iPhone (when AT&T wakes up). I can't add another device to my AT&T plan, as I have it maxed out with 5 iPhones. Verizon doesn't provide adequate service, where I live.
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Wayazo said:
If you could tether your iphone to the tablet for 3G, and do so at no extra charge, I'd go for that.
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I don't see a chance that the 3G data plan is going to be less than $50. Also the whole concept of a tablet is a internet device. So a version with 3G is very likely.

To me a wifi only version is useless because I need it as internet device at work where I don't have wifi for security reasons.

Maybe apple can make a deal with ATT to get a discounted data plan for iphone users at $30. or they subsidize the tablet. But it will be an expensive toy on 3G no matter what.

The other important question to me is how much of apples mac software will run on the tablet: iphoto, safari, mail, keychain, itunes, idisk, pages/numbers/keynote/powerpoint, preview, pixelmator/photoshop versions and such in addition to apps from the iphone.

I also can imagine that 3G access to ebooks and emagazines is free because it's paid via your subscription to the magazines and the data amount is low compared to video downloads. but free internet browsing via 3G will be costly because bandwith is limited and expensive.
 
psingh01 said:
They need to let me put my iPhone sim card in there to get 3G! I'm not paying a monthly internet subscription for each device I own.
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How do you answer your phone when the sim is in the slate.

The thing a lot of people need to remember on here is, that a vast majority of mobile phone users don't have data service on their contract. They use their phones for calling people and txting.

Maybe their happy enough to leave the phone to do something simple really well and then have a slate or a laptop for email/browsing etc.

I think we'll see the slate with the cellular modem built in (dongles currently cost about £20 on payg), so integrating the chip without the flash memory/case and other gubbins should be pretty damn cheap.

Then the option is buy the tablet at full price and use it with wifi only, with the option to add a sim later. Add tethering to an existing mobile contract or buy the tablet discounted from a mobile company subsidized by a data contract.

M.
 
iOrlando said:
I still am leaning towards no 3G/data connectivity for the first version but I can see pros/cons for each side.

Realistically, are people, besides apple zealots, willing to pay monthly data plans for 1) home 2) cellphone 3) tablet?
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If Apple includes 3G then that opens up the tablet being a subsidized product -- no 3G, no subsidy.

Like Google's new phone, Apple could offer the tablet without a contract at a higher price, and let the carriers offer it at a discount with a data plan.

In either case, the tablet would need to have WiFi, Bluetooth, and the ability to get data over a cell network, either through built-in capability or a quick add-on. It seems that the best solution would be to build it in.

From a media perspective (my world) publishers want tablet owners to be able to download content from anywhere, so 3G capability would be essential for them . . . and a media store would be nice, too.
 
Already have 3 carriers in Australia. Even so, I hope tethering with iPhone is possible. Is tethering with multiple devices at once possible?
 
Carrier independence is one thing... the question is: is the slate going to be unlocked. Can you put in your existing spare SIM and run on any network, freely?

Its time that Apple, if you buy an iPhone outright ( which you can do ), it comes unlocked - switch around carrier networks as you please.
 
tiguk said:
As I'm paying for the privilege of tethering my MBP from my iPhone with O2, I was kind of hoping that I'd be able to use my iPhone tethering for the Tablet too.

Anything else would be a waste.

I guess eventually even AT&T might get around to offering tethering too! 😉
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AT&T is having enough problems with there network, and customers along with billing and you want them to offer a tethering program with the iPhone.

I'm seriously hoping Vzw is coming over to LTE and that there picking the new iPhone up this summer.

I am NOT saying there going to be better, there network is much much better, but this advertisement that AT&T is running with being able to talk and surf at the same time does nothing for me, and I wonder how many others?
 
How ironic regarding the rumors

The Publishing Industry is gearing up for the Tablet and yet the Telco/Wireless industry analysts are all talking about what? Their hope they aren't out of the loop on this device, by proclaiming such fantasy as this one.

This isn't a 3G hot spot wizbang machine.
 
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