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wifi only -> 3g

trollied

trollied

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 22, 2009
105
45
Sheffield, UK
Hi,

I've had a wifi only 64Gb iPad 2 for a few months, but now I regret not getting the 3g version.

Would an Apple store swap my current iPad for a 3g version if I paid the difference and a restocking fee?

I've spent >£15k on Apple products over the years, so I'd like to think they'd be nice to me and do it ;)

If not, I'll just ebay it.

Cheers,

P
 
Well, wandered to the Apple store after work as it's only a slight diversion.

The sales assistant said "Put it on Ebay" :)

Cheers,

---P
 
Sandman1969 said:
Perhaps look into a 4G Hot Spot and get faster speeds when not on WiFi? I am thinking of picking up the Verizon 4G-LTE to go with our two Wifi iPads. Though wife is setup for tethering so still debating my options and how often we will be away.

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SCH-LC11-Verizon-Mobile-Hotspot/dp/B005NISFP6
Click to expand...

That's the model I have. Works extremely well. Makes it very difficult to put up with 3G, though. :) I was on a business trip last week and found the "free wifi" in my hotel to be virtually worthless. Downloads averaged about .5 mgps. The Samsung hotspot consistently delivered 4G speeds (5-12 mgps) at the hotel. And that was in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where you might not expect 4G coverage.
 
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trollied said:
I've had a wifi only 64Gb iPad 2 for a few months, but now I regret not getting the 3g version.
Click to expand...

I have the 3G version but find that I don't use the 3G feature at all, rather I activated tethering on my iPhone. Now I can use the iPad anywhere I want, plus my laptop and my (WiFi-only) Kindle - all through my iPhone.
 
seanfranklin said:
I have the 3G version but find that I don't use the 3G feature at all, rather I activated tethering on my iPhone. Now I can use the iPad anywhere I want, plus my laptop and my (WiFi-only) Kindle - all through my iPhone.
Click to expand...

With tethering, aren't you connecting to, say, your iPhone via wifi to use the iPhone's 3G data? I bought the 3G iPad and now I am thinking I could have gotten the wifi iPad instead and saved me some bucks.

To the OP, why don't you just tether through your iPhone?
 
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Yr Blues said:
Can you stream movies over 3G like Netflix?
Click to expand...

Yes. However, 3G is much more subject to signal strength variations and access contention. So you may find buffering to be a problem depending on your location and time of day. In some cases, the problem is significant enough to make video unwatchable. Audio streaming is subject to the same limitations though much less frequently.
 
jsh1120 said:
Yes. However, 3G is much more subject to signal strength variations and access contention. So you may find buffering to be a problem depending on your location and time of day. In some cases, the problem is significant enough to make video unwatchable. Audio streaming is subject to the same limitations though much less frequently.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Netflix would probably be difficult without the unlimited rate, which is out of my price range.
 
I'm pretty sure Verizon maxes out at a 30-day restocking fee policy. After 30 days, they won't take the device back.
 
Yr Blues said:
Thanks. Netflix would probably be difficult without the unlimited rate, which is out of my price range.
Click to expand...

Yeah I bumped the wife's plan up to the 2GB from the 200mb when she went on a trip.

She watched 2 movies, I think... our son watched a couple shows. They ate up 1.6GB over those 2 nights. I read around 200mb every 30 minutes or there about.

Now she has the tethering plan which ups it to 4gb. Which I am glad they finally gave you something for the $20 extra a month. Before it was $20 just to tether on the same 2GB plan. Utter crap.

Just with the Verizon Data plans were more reasonable for the MiFis. $50 is a little steap.

I may just make my phone a 4GB tether as well and lose my unlimited plan. I never get even near 1GB currently.
 
Sandman1969 said:
Yeah I bumped the wife's plan up to the 2GB from the 200mb when she went on a trip.

She watched 2 movies, I think... our son watched a couple shows. They ate up 1.6GB over those 2 nights. I read around 200mb every 30 minutes or there about.

Now she has the tethering plan which ups it to 4gb. Which I am glad they finally gave you something for the $20 extra a month. Before it was $20 just to tether on the same 2GB plan. Utter crap.

Just with the Verizon Data plans were more reasonable for the MiFis. $50 is a little steap.

I may just make my phone a 4GB tether as well and lose my unlimited plan. I never get even near 1GB currently.
Click to expand...

You make some good points.

() The temptation to consume large amounts of data increases tremendously when you move from a 3"-4" screen to an iPad.

() My mifi data plan with Verizon (on my mobile hotspot) makes sense for me because I travel at least once a month and need to have guaranteed internet access. (For my laptop as well as my iPad). For those who can frequently go for more than 30 days without cell-based internet access, it's a relative expensive luxury ($50 whether one uses a single kb it or not) even though it provides a higher (5 gig) data ceiling.

() Most folks, I think, hesitate to lose their grandfathered unlimited data plans. I have one on my Android phone. But if one analyzes just how much cell-based access one needs for a phone once you have an iPad, you're not likely to need unlimited data on your phone unless you can also tether your iPad to it.

Ideally, of course, we'd all like to continue our grandfathered unlimited data plans on our phones AND tether the iPad to the phone, preferably a 4G/LTE phone. But the carriers have figured that out, too. One can save a few bucks at the margins with tethering or with an on/off iPad only data plan (depending on usage). But carriers have spreadsheets and they've structured data plans and tethering access specifically to encourage the retirement of unlimited data plans.
 
The whole pricing for Tethering is such a scam. I can understand them scared of unlimited plans when tethering is used. Especially when folks start using it for their main connection and eat up 15+GB.

However, for the 2GB plans. I think Tethering should be free. I pay for 2gb data, it shouldn't matter how I use it. If I go over it, you charge me, I pay.

At least AT&T added 2GB to it with the $20 bump so it isn't as bad as it was.

My wife was using that data for Netflix on her phone before we got the iPads. But definitely could see it being more tempting now. But at least she has a 4gb data plan now.

And the 200MB plan should be illegal. You over they charge you another $15 for another 200MB. The 2GB plan you go over you pay $10 for 1GB. :confused:

I am tempted of getting a Mifi, but think I am just going to give up the unlimited for myself as well and get the 4GB tethering plan. $40 a month extra for both of us that can be turned on and off as needed and we get a total of 8gb.

95% of our usage is WIFI at home or friends anyway. I can definitely see wanting some other option if I was on the road like you are.
 
Sandman1969 said:
The whole pricing for Tethering is such a scam. I can understand them scared of unlimited plans when tethering is used. Especially when folks start using it for their main connection and eat up 15+GB.

However, for the 2GB plans. I think Tethering should be free. I pay for 2gb data, it shouldn't matter how I use it. If I go over it, you charge me, I pay.

At least AT&T added 2GB to it with the $20 bump so it isn't as bad as it was...
Click to expand...

Well, you'll seldom finding me defending the pricing policies of cell carriers. I view them all as vampires devoted to sucking every possible dollar from my wallet.

And you're not alone (by any stretch) in finding an additional tethering charge with no additional data to be, at best, unconscionable. There have been a multitude of complaints to the FCC about this practice and I strongly suspect that's a major reason that AT&T changed their policy, essentially selling you 2 Gigs of additional data each month (whether you use it or not) at the standard rate of $10 per gig. In short, they aren't charging you extra for data you've already paid for; they're charging you for the additional access. At least that's the line they'll take with the FCC.

At least to some extent I have some sympathy for the cell phone carriers. The unlimited data plans did encourage some users to drop (or never get) broadband connections for their homes. And the cell phone networks are increasingly hammered by the huge increase in devices, both smartphones and now tablets, that utilize the internet on an ongoing basis. Trying to shift from the "unlimited" promotional plans the carriers used initially to a more user-fee based pricing scheme is understandable as the networks become an even more tempting alternative to land line based internet access.
 
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