Three to Offer Cellular Versions of iPad Air and Retina iPad Mini in the UK

[monty77]

"Can't wait to get your hands on iPad Air? Well, we've got some exciting news for you.

Tomorrow, you can order yours for only £29 a month and £119 upfront cost with 15GB of data."

So that's £815 for the life of the contract. Works out at roughly £13 a month for the data.

Any idea if they do discounts for existing phone customers?

 

[69650]

Vodafone coverage is / was marginally better than Three's, as I noticed when I switched, but I have hopes for the 4G rollout in the next twelve months.

Why would anyone pay £25 per month for a 15Gb limit on the iPad, when they could just buy the iPad, plus a 'ONE' plan micro sim with all you can eat data from Three, and put that in the iPad for unlimited data at the same £25 per month?

Better still, put the same sim in your iPhone and tether it to a cheaper WiFi version of the same iPad and get phone and iPad effectively unlimited for the same price. When are you going to be walking around with an iPad when you don't have your phone on you to tether it to?

Or am I missing something ?

Oh, and potential Three customers please note, you need to have your phone and account up and running for sixty days before you can unlock it for use outwith the UK - understandable but REALLY annoying as it applies to contract as well as PAYG.

Nope you're not missing anything. That's exactly what I do. Tethered my iPhone to my MBA and iPad using 3's One Plan with unlimited data for £15/month.

 

[Deanoaka]

EE all the way for me.

- £46 per month
- 11GB Data
- 2 for 1 Movie Tickets every Wednesday
- Excellent coverage everywhere I've been in UK
- Plus, My iPad can share this data. I don't need a separate plan.

The movie ticket offer alone is worth £28 per month because I go every week.

You do know that you can't have an iPad as a leading sharer right? Your main share plan has to be a phone, then it's an extra £26 per month for the iPad + £99 upfront.

 

[weckart]

EE all the way for me.

- £46 per month
- 11GB Data
- 2 for 1 Movie Tickets every Wednesday
- Excellent coverage everywhere I've been in UK
- Plus, My iPad can share this data. I don't need a separate plan.

EE is haemorrhaging customers by the day. The merger between T-Mobile and Orange has had a negative effect with a large number of masts decommissioned with plenty to follow and other masts affected while updates to accommodate 4G are underway. In due course, EE will have one of the best 4G networks in Europe but until then it is a pretty hit and miss customer experience, especially considering the eye watering prices for the 4G service.

Up to now, only Vodaphone (£150 cashback for a 6GB contract) and Three make any sense for 4G depending upon your local reception quality.

As 3's 3G speeds are often better than EE's 4G speeds in some areas, it might be a better bet to get a WiFi iPad and spend the £100 on a cheap 3G Android phone + spare battery to use exclusively as a MiFi rather than run your iPhone's battery down by tethering that.