AT&T's no-contract iPad data plans run $15/mo. 250MB, $30 unlimited - Page 3

Any iPhone data plan is an all-you-can-eat plan but for the small plate only. Like at buffet, you might have to differently-sized plates, you can pile as much as you want on your plate but if you want to use the larger plate, you'll have to pay for the larger plate.

I think it's still a good bet that Verizon gets in this fall, if they want to at the price Apple is asking. I believe Apple is waiting for availability of some recently announced chips that can handle CDMA and GSM. Apple finds the current method of making a worldwide phone to exceed the amount of space they want to allocate to it.

With the absolutely unusable (AT&T) 3G service in NYC I couldn't endorse either of these over 3G, and having my phone conversation die because I walked away from a WiFi hotspot is just unacceptable.

Also this device seems to be running iPhone OS -- no multitasking. Using Skype or Google Voice means I can't browse the web while on the phone. Another deal-breaker for me...

Apple specifically referred to a GSM microsim. So for now, that's a barrier.

So the family that has 6 wireless devices like the iPhone and iPad should pay no more than the person who has only one?

I believe it will. The specs specifically mention GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPDA.

Ok everyone, it's time to buy stock in a man-bag company... those things are going to fly off the shelves thanks to the iPad

Isn't multitasking rumored to come in an (eventual) iPhone OS upgrade?

I read that a week or so ago. Multitasking is really needed now, especially on the iPad...IMHO.

As a shareholder, I can appreciate how Apple designed the iPad just so, so that people would still need an iPhone and a Mac, and still have a reason to buy another one next year. So no camera (back or front), no GPS, no 1080p HD (on screen or video out), no Mac apps, no third-party multitasking.

But as a consumer/user, I really wish Apple would put more stuff in it so I only need to buy one thing (or at most two).

The iPad will not sell anywhere near as well as the iPhone. Not even close. As the iPad is not quite the "portable" device that the iPhone is I expect a larger percentage of iPad traffic will be over wifi (evidenced in part by the versions that don't even include 3g capabilities), as opposed to the carry everywhere use of the iPhone. I also expect many like myself will use the iPhone much less for data, deferring to the iPad.

This is just silly, I just read last week that AT&T was starting to quietly pass the blame on their terrible service to problems with the iPhone. The iPad looks pretty epic, I'd like to get my hands on one, but again... Apple has dropped the ball and missed out by going with AT&T over the big red V.

AT&T thinks so.

On another note, I'm kind of disappointed that the iPad isn't coming with a dual-band chip. That really would be the ultimate unlocked device. Although I own and use an iPhone, I am a fan of Verizon. For those here that are telling me to go suck it because Apple stuck with AT&T (or AT&T begged Apple to stay?), I find that amusing seeing as how it was AT&T that not oh-so long ago complained that iPhone users were hogging bandwidth and crippling its network due to so-called excessive 3G use. And now AT&T is throwing its arms open to yet another 3G intensive device from Apple. Hmmm.

Me too. It's tempting me to buy the 3G version instead of the wifi version. Then it could be easily used by a passenger in a car. Altho it's possible to get a MiFi that could be shared among multiple iPad/iPod touch users in a car. Anyone have a MiFi who could report on how well it works?


The open question is how much better is the A4 than a Snapdragon or ARM. Does it use less power? Or is it faster? Or both? And in the longer run, can Apple invest enough resources to out-innovate others since its processors are being used by a limited set of products, though no doubt the next iPhone and iPod touch will use Apple Ax chips.


The Apple website shows an iPod camera connection kit that provides either a USB port or an SD slot. But yes, no taking pictures or video; Jobs probably thought it would look dumb for someone to hold this up to take a picture/video.


Apple left a lot to still be done - not sure if this is because they weren't ready or if they didn't sign up partners or what. As of today, they stayed within their lane (see apps including iWork) for the most part instead of getting into further innovation for newspapers and magazines. They used the open epub standard and provided an additional set of multitouch gestures; just the tools to let others (or Apple) to work out a better way to design "printed" media.

This is not entirely accurate. First, Apple is a fab-less ARM design licensee. Their license grants them the write to make proprietary design changes to the reference ARM designs as is the case with many other developers, but the underlying core design and technology is very much ARM. Although Apple is calling their chip the "A4" it is likely based on a goosed-up version of the Cortex A8 (iPhone 3GS) or A9 (multi-core/multi-thread capable). Additionally, Apple holds a small but significant stake in PowerVR which makes the SGX graphics core for the iPod touch and iPhones. There is no reason for Apple to use anything else at this point. So we can also assume that a PowerVR graphics core (unmodified) is either integrated into the A4 SoC, or sits on its own on the board.

To the issue of camera connectivity, if you look at Apple's spec page for the iPad, you will see that they are offering a camera connectivity kit specifically to address the lack of USB and SD card slot. I can imagine plenty of people who will never have use for it on a mobile device and will simply wait to get home to load their photos on their computer. But for those who want that functionality, the kit provides two adapters that plug into the 30-pin dock connector in the iPad. One allows you to hook up a camera directly using its USB cable, while the other is basically an SD-card reader on 30-pin connector so that you can bypass the camera itself. Photos can then be transferred directly into the Photos app.

This is clearly an advantage of using OS X as the basis for the iPhone OS, since you don't need to re-engineer the functionality of camera connectivity. It's already there, and you avoid the complexities of needing to make specific drivers for every iteration of camera out there. My hope is to see Apple extend this adapter's functionality to the iPhone an iPod touch in the next software update. It only seems logical. But it should also serve as a reminder that there is a lot of untapped functionality that can be added to the iPhone OS should Apple decide to do so.

Finally, my $0.02 on this product is that Apple is on the right track. Yes, there was nothin earth shattering today, certainly not on the level of the original iPhone. However, if you pay attention to where Apple is going with this, they are focusing on the core mobile experience; NOT computing. It has a more than capable web browser and now in an easier to use 9.7" screen. It plays music and videos, reads newspapers and textbooks and novels, etc. None of these functions requires an optical drive, a physical keyboard, or a trackpad, or even a 13"/15"/17" screen. You just need something big enough to use for these purposes without the extra weight and heft of all the unnecessary "stuff" on a full funtion laptop/desktop. And Jobs is right, this is the job that netbooks attempted to accomplish, and in many ways, even the new slate (no pun intended) of tablet devices from other manufacturers are attempting to bring a desktop-like computing experience to a tablet form. But yet again, Apple has demonstrated that what people are looking for in the mobile space is a streamlined and highly focused device that handles the majority of core mobile functions exceptionally well.

I know some people disagree, but to me, this device really does make sense.

P.S. I don't recall a single mention of McGraw-Hill during the presentation. Hahahaha!

Are the micro-SIM's just the cut-down SIM cards that you use in the dual-SIM adapters? If so, you should be able to cut-down your SIM card yourself (say from iPhone), and just put it in one of the sleves to use in your phone. Makes purchase of the 3G iPad a no-brainer... just need a place to store the SIM-Removal pin.

Who cares? At least they didn't call it US Letter ....

Actually the A4, like the Snapdragon is based on ARM processors which are licensed chip designs, I'm guessing Cortex A8. Apple used their in-house chip designers P.A. Semi which they bought a couple years ago to design the A4 to their exact specifications. So it is an ARM through and through, it's just got Apple's special sauce in there

How prevalent is Free WiFi in the US? Would one really need 3G data connection with a provider AT&T or otherwise?

True. But do you think Apple is introducing a fork? Or is everything in that special sauce going to be as easily applied to the next major ARM update, let's say the A10? If it needs to be modified for an A10, I hope it doesn't take a long time.

Apple used to design many chips for its earlier Macs (that weren't used in PCs), but over time, they've moved away from that to take advantage of economies of scale.

Personally, on the surface, I like the PA Semi move for it allows Apple to differentiate and put more distance between them and competitors. But I don't know enough to know the full cost-benefit of this move.

MacDonalds, Burger King, Panera Bread, Starbucks, most public libraries, most turnpike rest areas, many other restaurants, some airports, Apple Stores, some shopping malls, Amtrak trains, a few airlines, some train stations.

I've found 3G useful when in a car (as a passenger), waiting in a car (for other passengers), waiting for performances/shows/movies to start (theatres, schools, conservatories, etc), waiting in airports/shopping malls (those that are not free).

So my question is this. Can I sign up for the iPad unlimited account and take that SIM card and put it into an unlocked iPhone and use the data services on the iPhone? This would allow for a user to make 100% free calls and texts using GV/Gizmo/Fring combo. All with no contract.

I am in now way affiliated with the MyWi development team only a VERY satisfied customer.

I use to be in the same boat, thinking that jailbreaking an iPhone was a bad idea. Then I did it.

People always complain how "closed" the iPhone is, well, if you want to take full advantage of your phone/data plan, it is one way to do that....

(Plus themeing is definitely a major time sink.)

Again, why should I shell out $30 more dollars to AT&T when I have unlimited data as it is and a phone perfectly capable of providing data to an iPad. Why should the iPhone be the only device crippled on their network?

The mobile market has much greater fragmentation than the traditional desktop/laptop markets, where Intel and AMD primarily dominate and where the x86 instruction set is de facto standard. For this reason, real economies of scale do exist for Apple.

The mobile space is more fragmented. ARM produces reference designs, but companies like Apple, TI, Marvell, Samsung, etc., are free to produce their own custom variants on those designs. And because no particular chip itself has become a widely accepted standard, nor is there any guarantee of cross platform compatibility, it still makes sense for Apple to engineer it's own take on the ARM processor. fragmentation exists even within Apple's own product line. I believe the original iPhone and iPod touches run on Samsung ARM7 designs. Then the iPhone 3GS and new iPod touch running Samsung Cortex A8 designs. And now we have Apple's proprietary "A4" chip, which is likely still made by Samsung but now based on Apple's own design, which could be modified off of a Cortex A8 at faster clocks, or possibly the Cortex A9.

As far as future designs, at least Apple is on a level playing field this time. ARM sends off the designs and specs for it's new processors to everyone at the same time. Therefore, everyone is in the same boat as far as making design changes unless the manufacturer chooses to use the reference design unmodified. And until a particular chip design becomes
standard, I don't see Apple giving up the design control any time soon especially when they are the current market leader.

why not just tether it to your iphone? Someone will figure out how to do it sooner or later.
OOOps! AT&T, Did I just say that? LOL

"We'll be back this summer with some even better deals for our customers internationally," he said.

Let me know how those negotiations go with Rogers and Bell, SteveJ. I'm sure they'll give up their $60/month/2GB data rates if you say pretty please. Unlimited data plans and no contract here, in Canada? That was the funniest thought I've heard in years.



Oh, and also when iBooks is available here too. I'm sure Chapters-Indigo will be thrilled.

Oh, lookie! Hell's frozen over and Toller Cranston's here for a skate!

I am sure that Steve Jobs will sleep better tonight now that he has your blessing! As someone else asked though, what is it to you or anyone else if the iPad was available on Verizon, Sprint or TM in addition to ATT? I for one find the current network situation to be problematic at times already and unlimited data on the iPad can only make this worse. Opening it up to multiple networks would help share the load.

It makes the iPad very difficult to clone. You won't see iPad clones until the iPad is long obsolete, if ever. The iPad may even be far more difficult to hack than the existing iPhone. The A4 is possibly the future direction for iPhones, too.
How much better is that?

Jerseymac wrote: Keeping people from choosing the best plan for the area they live in is not a wiesist choice sir. I'm not a Verizon fan boy. I just want to be able to make a phone call without dropping it five times. Why can't anyone seem to understand this simple concept?

Hello jersey, I went again thru the specs and event and kept finding the same info. The ipad is an unlocked device and it is not tied up to AT&T in USA as the only provider, the iPad is unlocked... just get it and if you have a data plan with another cell provider put your sim card on it. I guess you will have to make a couple of calls to tech support to enable the IMEI (or MAC Address) in your account. At least when I used to work for t-mobile I was able to change and update new IMEI's of smartphones and enable them. I did this hundreds of times for iPhones to be more specific.

For must of us outside USA, to have this device that is more capable than the iPhone in terms of computing, real state screen is wonderful to have it unlocked and affordable.

The pay-by-month plan is key because I wouldn't be interested in an iPad if it was locked to AT&T and if I had to sign a contract.

The whole iPad concept would have been a non-starter at $60 a month. The question I would ask is what sort of package price will AT&T put together for a person with both an iPhone and an iPad? I would not find it attractive to pay $30 each when it is unlikely that I would be using both simultaneously. Maybe $10 a month extra for "both"?

If the reports that the iPad does not have Flash I definitely will not be interested in it because it can not access "all the internet" as Steve promised in his original iPhone presentation. I will not say it would be useless, but it would definitely be limited.

Flash is on the way out. It's proprietary and shouldn't even be a defacto Web standard.

It is a Steve issue, nothing else. Steve lied. Ignoring it does not change the fact that it is a de facto standard. "It shouldn't be" is simply a state of denial. Step away from the reality distortion field.

So could one in theory use the unlimited internet access option to serve as their ISP???

Currently, I can't download any app over 10 MB over the 3G... Will this change with the iPad??

I am not a Verizon fan boy. Far from it, I actually deeply hate verizon. But, I'm not going to buy a new iPhone and sign a new contract, unless I can actually make phone calls on that iphone.

Fools, he never said you could by a NAKED Data plan for $30! You'll probably STILL have to buy garbage MaBellopoly phone service. If they DID sell the Data Plan by itself for that brick, there'd be Trial attorneys lining up to start Class Actions against AT&T and APPLE for iPhone customers who've been forced into bloated 2 year con-traps.

That makes no sense at all. You're saying that you think you're going to have to buy a minute-plan that you're never going to use, just to have the ability to buy pre-paid data for an iPad?

1. There is no reason you are in AppleInsider because you love PC and have no Apple products.
2. You love Verison and are in bed with them.

So the only end statement would be shut up and remove yourself from AppleInsider.