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iPad iPad Air 2 pre-order/launch UK
- Thread starter Loopy65
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I presume because a) it's not a soft-SIM (they're still being fought on that) b) two SIMs would mean space for two SIM slots which would defeat their drive to minimise the space wasted on the SIM (see the drive to the nano-SIM) and c) they're only offering this in US and UK at the moment, which would mean carrying two models again for everywhere else or shipping Apple SIMs to people who can't use them.
When the news about Apple SIM broke, one article said you can buy an Apple SIM from EE for £3.95 which makes you wonder if you could buy one to use with older iPads too, or if it needs hardware changes only in the new models. If it only works with new models, who would be buying one, since it comes with one anyway.
iPad Air 2 pre-order/launch UK
Sorry for the poor quality but I had to skip signing in and restoring iCloud etc to see it.
Photos are in order and should make sense.
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I just put it in my unlocked iPad mini 2 - it said "invalid SIM".
Sorry for the poor quality but I had to skip signing in and restoring iCloud etc to see it.
Photos are in order and should make sense.
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I just put it in my unlocked iPad mini 2 - it said "invalid SIM".
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If built in, it wouldn't need to take a SIM slot though. Most of the SIM is about the contact area and the actual silicon is tiny, and would take practically no space on the main board. It wouldn't be necessary to carry two models because it could just be enabled or disabled by region settings, like NFC and Apple Pay.
same carrier, delivery to work today in central London; i just need to know their delivery MO. I'd be really
if they turned up after i'd gone home
Thanks for clearing that up, and many thanks for the pictures. It's bizarre that this is the first actual concrete information about how it works and what it costs, and we've had to wait until an actual real person got hold of one.
No worries, appreciate the effort!
Don't look like great value to me, in fact EE sims here look like much better value, though wouldn't give you quite the flexibility.
I suppose prices might come down as other carriers join, but it's looking more likely that I'll go with wifi and Instant Hotspot since that seems to work brilliantly and my travel is more likely to be to Europe than elsewhere in the UK (or the US).
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True, but I suspect that the carriers refused to sign on to something like that since they'd have even less security even if they did get you to take a plan from one of their own SIMs...
There's definitely an element here of one step at a time so as not to rock the boat too much, but I think where we are inevitably headed is towards an iPhone and iPad with no SIM slot at all. If networks want those customers, who are after all the biggest spenders in mobile, they'd better get used to it and get on board.
Delayed
My 64GB Space Grey cellular shipped yesterday but according to the UK Mail tracker its is delayed with an expected delivery date of Monday 27th.
So annoyed, I was looking forward to setting it up tonight.
My 64GB Space Grey cellular shipped yesterday but according to the UK Mail tracker its is delayed with an expected delivery date of Monday 27th
.So annoyed, I was looking forward to setting it up tonight.
They all look like quite poor value when you consider with Three I pay £12.90 a month for unlimited data with phone service included! But Three's iPad offerings aren't all that good either, in comparison to the phone plans.
Agreed, but soft-SIMs are still a step too far it seems.
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Definitely true. In this case I was just seeing if EE were playing fair on the plans (or being forced to by Apple, despite Apple presumably taking a cut). I guess not!
the three best iPad Sim plan is
three £7.50 1Gb data month included 4G
three £15.00 10Gb data month included 4G
EE £20.00 15Gb data month 4GEE+
three £7.50 1Gb data month included 4G
three £15.00 10Gb data month included 4G
EE £20.00 15Gb data month 4GEE+
I have the Three 10GB for £15 a month on my rmini and the missus has the 1GB for £7.50. I'll be transferring my rmini SIM to the Air2
Yeah, I had the £15 one a while back and it worked great. It was 3G then, but no issues with it however I was living broadband free at the time and I needed it to tether from and to get online. The EE deal isn't terrible in comparison, if you are gonna be a heavy user.
Now that I'm not off the grid, I've stopped the plan and it isn't really an issue. Potential job change coming up will have me travel more, but I still can't see the cellular being worth the £100 for me...
I admit I probably won't be using the cellular side much, so it's a bit of an indulgence, but I really like the idea with Apple SIM I can just buy and activate service if and when I need it, with no hassle. Most of my data will still be consumed on the phone (streaming internet radio and music). Unless data-only plans come down a lot, anyway. I never use WiFi except at home, as I don't trust public hotspots, and they are usually slower than 3G in any case.
Likewise, public wifi is usually a massive pain to set up and then so slow it's useless anyway.
I'm still tempted to indulge in the cellular, for the exact reason you mention, but at the moment I don't take my iPad out of the house (don't need it for business etc) so I can't convince myself it isn't just a waste of money. Main reason I'm still dithering really, tempted to get the capability but don't see much likelihood of my usage pattern changing significantly (in the UK, anyway). If Apple SIM was already in Europe, I'd be more tempted but at this point it's a complete unknown.
I don't think the Apple SIM is for the same target audience though.
if you are a heavy user then yes Apple SIM EE offerings look expensive ....but they are more PAYG than the monthly ones you linked to.
If you are a moderate / regular cellular Data user then you will be much better off buying a contract SIM.
If you only need it every now and then, then it is an easy option that is not too expensive.
I think it addresses two situations that carriers will get revenue that they may not have previously seen.
1. I need access for 24 hours because I am somewhere without internet access will I pay a few pounds to solve the issue .... yes... will I go hunting a SIM from a shop to load with credit ... no.
2. Travellers to say the UK, where say EE would not get that much revenue because the visitor would not know how to get a SIM PAYG offer.
I think that the Apple SIM works well for these cases.
longer term ... I can see Apple trying to become an MVNO for multiple carriers so your relationship is with Apple and whoever the carrier is for the data / voice .... the user should not care. .... but will the carriers be happy with this? No
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yes, they usually come as separate deliveries.
Dispatched!
But no tracking info yet...
Me too - just come up despatched and advising delivery by Monday which given the end of my window was today is disappointing but it's not as though the world will end I guess.
Agreed, and that usage case is the exact reason I'm not sure which to get. The trouble at the moment is that with only four carriers in two countries onboard, it's very hard to properly evaluate how useful this might be...
Doesn't help that I'm with EE for phone, so I'd not gain any other signal options with Apple SIM (at the moment), nor the convenience really since Instant Hotspot seems to eliminate the mating dance that was needed before. I'd only gain that bit of performance lost in the iPhone-iPad tether and the battery cost to the phone.
Mine has just dispatched also. How long did it take for you guys for the tracking info to become available?
I sold my iPad Air today, and so am now 'iPadless' for the first time since the launch or the original iPad! I don't like it!!!! First world problems eh.
I sold my iPad Air today, and so am now 'iPadless' for the first time since the launch or the original iPad! I don't like it!!!! First world problems eh.