Share of Tablet Owners Utilizing Cellular Connectivity Declining

[*LTD*]

I've been with Wind since August. I pay $39.55 after taxes. I have UNLIMITED data, unlimited local and canada wide long distance, unlimited canada wide text messaging and voice mail.

This is what Wind speeds are capable of when tethered to my HTC Panache via wifi;

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This is what others are capable of getting;

St. Catharines:
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Kitchener:
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Toronto:
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Being a Rogers or Bell is nothing to be proud of. Their duopoly in Canada has stifled so much potential. Their bandwidth caps are some of the worst in the world and Canadians also pay for the highest prices in all developed nations in the world.

Do yourself and the rest of Canada a favour and quit Rogers.

Hmmm . . . interesting.

I might just give retention a call. They might even cave and throw me a great deal. But that $39.95 figure looks pretty good. With Rogers I get nearly 40mbps down, though (cable internet.) I suppose I can downgrade some without noticing too much.

On the mobile side, yes, I can certainly see myself switching. Hopefully the leaner and meaner competition supports iPhone features like Visual VoiceMail, etc. Though I doubt that sort of thing is carrier specific . . .

 

[cvaldes]

I bet a lot of people got 3G iPads “just in case,” and then did try it out for a time since a month or two isn’t much cost; knowing, though, that in future they might reactivate it rarely or never. And that plan has proven true: they just don’t need it much.

I'm one of them.

I bought the original iPad in October 2010 and upgraded to the iPad 2 this year (the original iPad was gifted to a family member), so I've had an iPad for about 14 months. I bought the entry level 3G data package just twice, both times while traveling and finding myself in a place with spotty WiFi availability.

The second time, I was three-quarters through the month when my iPad 2 was delivered; I just switched micro SIMs and my new tablet picked up where I had left off with 3G data.

I only wish that the iPad would accept a GoPhone SIM (the one in my iPhone) so I could use the data when absolutely necessary on the iPad.

It's nice to have the GPS chip in my 3G iPad. Don't want to give that up.

 

[ZipZap]

What are those numbers? What was the sample set? 60% of how many users? How many devices are WIFI-only? This article is a load of crap. Sure, it may be a true trend that tablet owners are foregoing cellular connectivity, but that's not well-supported by the shown statistics. And what exactly is "none"? What are those users typically doing?

This article is so weak.

You may think its weak, but I have no doubt that data usage is down and will continue to fall.

Carrier networks are shoddy at best and its no wonder they charge what they do. They have to limit use, their networks can handle unlimited data for all.

 

[nick_elt]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8C148 Safari/6533.18.5)

Mmm what do ppl do with an ipad who doesnt use wifi or 3g at all as shown in that chart?? Im sure you can get cheaper and smaller calculators from casio....

 

[Stella]

I too can vouch for Wind - same plan too. Cheap and yet, on my experience, very reliable. I just wish Wind came earlier. Previously I've tried Bell and Rogers - both piss poor companies who haven't a clue. Only thing they are good at is ripping off the consumer. ( Due to my job, I still have a Rogers plan for the iPhone , but I'm not paying for the contract )

On a very regular basis I'm tethering my other phone ( unfortunately, iPhone isn't penter band - spelling) to my computer for internet access while out. Works great. If I had a tablet I'd do the same. I wouldn't bother with a SIM version. I have a backup power pack for my other phone so won't run out of battery soon due to the amount of tethering.

In Canada, data plans need quite a price drop. Still, way too expensive on ROBELUS.

I've been with Wind since August. I pay $39.55 after taxes. I have UNLIMITED data, unlimited local and canada wide long distance, unlimited canada wide text messaging and voice mail.

This is what Wind speeds are capable of when tethered to my HTC Panache via wifi;

Image

This is what others are capable of getting;

St. Catharines:
Image

Kitchener:
Image

Toronto:
Image


Being a Rogers or Bell is nothing to be proud of. Their duopoly in Canada has stifled so much potential. Their bandwidth caps are some of the worst in the world and Canadians also pay for the highest prices in all developed nations in the world.

Do yourself and the rest of Canada a favour and quit Rogers.

 

[Mark Booth]

The day that Apple offers a model of the MacBook Air with built-in 3G capability and a pay-as-needed data plan (like the one found on the 3G iPad) is the day that I will walk into an Apple Store and buy a brand new MacBook Air.

I RARELY find myself in a circumstance where I want to use my MacBook Pro and don't have access to a WiFi network. However, on those few occasions when I do find myself in need of 3G, it would be awesome to be able to buy just one month (or 1GB) of data and not be stuck to some longterm contract.

A MacBook Air with such capability would suit my needs FAR more than an iPad would. That is the main reason I haven't purchased an iPad yet.

Mark

 

[GSPice]

If this data is consistent, I like it because it might call AT&T's bluff as they promote their wi-fi hotspots. In other words:

a) Smartphone/tablet users load up AT&T's cellular network
b) AT&T scrambles to block/cap/charge extra for data, and desperately encourages customers to use "free" and "fast" wi-fi hotspots
c) Smartphone/tablet users increasingly rely on wi-fi
d) AT&T whistles past their 3G graveyard

So AT&T wins by pulling the wi-fi quarter out of customers' ears, while pick-pocketing 3G.

The article might call AT&T's bluff by showing that poor AT&T, beat down by all those "gluttonous" mobile users, will do nothing to improve their 3G speed/quality/coverage/pricing even as users shift to wi-fi.

Feel free to replace "AT&T" with the wireless carrier of your choice.

 

[Bregalad]

Despite all the talk about portability most tablets never leave the living room, something I predicted when the iPad was first announced. Those who have integrated tablets into a more portable lifestyle use them in places with WiFi or tether them to a 3G device like an iPhone.

Try walking down the street using your tablet, try using it standing on the subway being jostled by fellow passengers, try simply holding it in one hand for more than 5 minutes, and where are you going to put it while standing in line at the grocery store... it's simply not practical as a go-everywhere device so it doesn't need go-everywhere connectivity.

I think this data says something about the possibility of a MacBook Air with built-in 3G. While there is certainly some demand for such a product it's probably not nearly as big as supporters think it is.

I don't want a tablet, 3G or not, because they're all too big to go everywhere. I'd be perfectly happy with a 4.5" screen, but the cell phone companies won't sell just data for a smartphone. They insist on bundling voice and data into packages that either skimp on the data or cost a fortune and include way more minutes than I'll ever use.

I've worked out a package that I'd like a cell phone company to offer. It's my current pre-paid minutes plan plus a pre-paid iPad data plan together on a smartphone of my choosing. I'll bring an unlocked phone so the carrier doesn't have to pay Apple, HTC or Samsung a penny. But nobody will do it.

So I live without mobile data and my cell phone provider gets a small fraction of the money they could be getting from me. It's almost as if they don't like money.

 

[csjcsj]

people who don't use G3 have never been stuck in DFW for hours, where there is no free wi-fi, only free ethernet. Anybody make an ethernet adapter for the iPad? (rhetorical - I wouldn't get one if it did exist)

 

[wikus]

I think this data says something about the possibility of a MacBook Air with built-in 3G.

The next batch of Macbook Pros should have that capability. Wireless data everywhere on the go on a REAL computer for REAL work? Yes please. Not everyone needs or even wants to be at a starbucks to get work done.

 

[mingoglia]

I wonder if some of the decline could be due to a decline in tablet use outside of the home? For example, I have a 3G iPad (which admittedly I still pay the $20/mo for data) and for a solid year I had that thing everywhere with me. Since I use it to stay connected with work I had it everywhere with me. I'm in the Internet business so connectivity is important. Eventually I just started using the iPhone. I found that although the screen was (obviously) much smaller, it was so much more convenient to carry around. I started within the past couple months carrying my iPad out of the house less and less. It now just sits on my counter and I plug it in to charge it every now and then just to keep it topped off. If I use it at all it's just for around the house "surfing" which can be done on my home wireless.

Could the novelty of the iPad have warn off with some of the users that have had them awhile?

Mike

 

[Amazing Iceman]

I wonder if some of the decline could be due to a decline in tablet use outside of the home? For example, I have a 3G iPad (which admittedly I still pay the $20/mo for data) and for a solid year I had that thing everywhere with me. Since I use it to stay connected with work I had it everywhere with me. I'm in the Internet business so connectivity is important. Eventually I just started using the iPhone. I found that although the screen was (obviously) much smaller, it was so much more convenient to carry around. I started within the past couple months carrying my iPad out of the house less and less. It now just sits on my counter and I plug it in to charge it every now and then just to keep it topped off. If I use it at all it's just for around the house "surfing" which can be done on my home wireless.

Could the novelty of the iPad have warn off with some of the users that have had them awhile?

Mike

IMO, those with both an iPad and iPhone decided to just have 3G data on the iPhone, just what happened to you, and may happen to me once I get an iPhone.
There are lots of places that offer free WiFi (Starbuck's, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's, Denny's, etc), even some cities too, so the 'absolute' need for 3G has now become 'optional'.

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Not everyone needs or even wants to be at a starbucks to get work done.

I wouldn't mind at all!!!