Get it straight: pop in sim card and go, or not?

[CocoaNut]

Hello, one of my first posts on here. I have done some searching for the below, but was unable to find a clear response to my question.

I will be leaving on vacation to Cyprus in a week, and would like to purchase a local data SIM card for my new iPad. Ideally, I would arrive at the airport, buy the card, pop it in the iPad, and start using it.

On the Apple support pages I read that the SIM card needs to be activated through iTunes or it will not connect to the network, but my iTunes library is located on my 17" MBP and I would only eventually carry along my 11" MBA for obvious reasons.

So, how does this work? Does Apple really require one to potentially haul their (main) Mac around to get a SIM card working while traveling?

 

[Kaiser99]

Hi might not be much help to you but in the UK I order my 3 network sim cards off amazon and when I pop them in my iPad I don't have to activate them they just start working and I can even see from the website when my credit will run out, I can't see why this would be different in Cyprus, you may find if it's and iPhone sim you will need to activate, but I cannot see why a iPad sim would need activation.

Cheers

 

[CocoaNut]

Thanks Kaiser99, you are indeed helpful. This is information I had previously found myself, but not in a clear way as you stated.

 

[cfs]

Hello, one of my first posts on here. I have done some searching for the below, but was unable to find a clear response to my question.

I will be leaving on vacation to Cyprus in a week, and would like to purchase a local data SIM card for my new iPad. Ideally, I would arrive at the airport, buy the card, pop it in the iPad, and start using it.

On the Apple support pages I read that the SIM card needs to be activated through iTunes or it will not connect to the network, but my iTunes library is located on my 17" MBP and I would only eventually carry along my 11" MBA for obvious reasons.

So, how does this work? Does Apple really require one to potentially haul their (main) Mac around to get a SIM card working while traveling?

I only have experience with sims abroad in one country. But in my experience, the local sh you get it from will either set it up for you, or they will give you the information to type in on the iPad that is needed to activate the card. No computer needed that I know of.