Orange UK iPad 3G monthly data plans run £15 for 3GB, £25 for 10GB
Wireless carrier Orange U.K. gave the first glimpse at international 3G data plans for Apple's iPad, with four different pricing options, including a pay-as-you-go price plan.
Users can pay monthly for what they use, at a cost of 5 pence (7 cents U.S.) per megabyte through the Orange plan. Daily plans, offering up to 250MB of use, cost £2 ($2.94), while a weekly plan with 1GB of bandwidth runs £7.50 ($11.01 U.S.).
A recurring monthly plan with 3GB of 3G data and unlimited browsing at Wi-Fi hotspots costs £15 ($22.02 U.S.), while a £25 ($36.71 U.S.) plan offers 10GB of monthly bandwidth. Activation of any Orange iPad data plan also earns customers a £10 credit for use at any time.
Orange U.K.'s iPad 3G tailored data plans will be offered starting Monday, May 10, the same day the iPad is available for preorder internationally. Users can also preregister for an iPad-compatible MicroSIM at Orange.co.uk/iPad.
Orange UK will offer tailored 3G data plans for iPad Wi-Fi + 3G, from 10th May, and will launch a pre-registration site for SIMs at Orange.co.uk/iPad.
For comparison, AT&T offers iPad users two data plans in the U.S.: $15-per-month for a 250MB cap, and $30 for unlimited access. Orange's plans do not include an unlimited option, though both companies' plans offer Wi-Fi hotspot access.
In the U.S., most data-only plans on wireless carriers run $60-per-month, and often come with subsidized hardware that is discounted in exchange for a contract commitment. Apple's iPad is unsubsidized, with the 3G model costing an extra $130 in the U.S. and £100 in the U.K. over the Wi-Fi-only counterparts.
Apple announced earlier Friday that both the Wi-Fi and 3G models will be available in nine new countries, including the U.K., on May 28. Nine more countries will see the device in July. Apple has delayed and staggered the international launch of the iPad due to strong demand for the hardware in the U.S.
Users can pay monthly for what they use, at a cost of 5 pence (7 cents U.S.) per megabyte through the Orange plan. Daily plans, offering up to 250MB of use, cost £2 ($2.94), while a weekly plan with 1GB of bandwidth runs £7.50 ($11.01 U.S.).
A recurring monthly plan with 3GB of 3G data and unlimited browsing at Wi-Fi hotspots costs £15 ($22.02 U.S.), while a £25 ($36.71 U.S.) plan offers 10GB of monthly bandwidth. Activation of any Orange iPad data plan also earns customers a £10 credit for use at any time.
Orange U.K.'s iPad 3G tailored data plans will be offered starting Monday, May 10, the same day the iPad is available for preorder internationally. Users can also preregister for an iPad-compatible MicroSIM at Orange.co.uk/iPad.
Orange UK will offer tailored 3G data plans for iPad Wi-Fi + 3G, from 10th May, and will launch a pre-registration site for SIMs at Orange.co.uk/iPad.
For comparison, AT&T offers iPad users two data plans in the U.S.: $15-per-month for a 250MB cap, and $30 for unlimited access. Orange's plans do not include an unlimited option, though both companies' plans offer Wi-Fi hotspot access.
In the U.S., most data-only plans on wireless carriers run $60-per-month, and often come with subsidized hardware that is discounted in exchange for a contract commitment. Apple's iPad is unsubsidized, with the 3G model costing an extra $130 in the U.S. and £100 in the U.K. over the Wi-Fi-only counterparts.
Apple announced earlier Friday that both the Wi-Fi and 3G models will be available in nine new countries, including the U.K., on May 28. Nine more countries will see the device in July. Apple has delayed and staggered the international launch of the iPad due to strong demand for the hardware in the U.S.
Comments
£15/ 3GB is the same as the 3 network offer for their mifi on a 1 month contract or PAYG so they're market rates.
Then there is wide scale fleeing going on
There is some fleecing going on methinks
True but the reality distortion field exchange rate makes it look like a good deal.
True but the reality distortion field exchange rate makes it look like a good deal.
I would jump on their 3GB plan over our 250MB plan.
$15 / 250 megabytes = $0.06 per megabyte.
$22.02 / 3000 megabytes = $0.007 per megabyte.
An order of magnitude cheaper, and I could live well on 3GB a month + WiFi.
And metered use at $0.07 is more attractive as well. The 251st megabyte on AT&T costs you $15. At Orange it's just another $0.07.
I wonder if we will be able to take our iPads to, say Japan, and but a Japanese data plan while we are there?
Short answer - iPads are unlocked so yes.
The logistics and cost of acquiring the requisite micro sim and PAYG plan who knows.
I'm still shuttering to thing what the rates will be from Rogers in Canada or maybe Bell or maybe Telus.
Odds are this great multi carrier system we have in this country will result in all 3 charging the same ridiculously high rate.
Smallwheels
The logistics and cost of acquiring the requisite micro sim and PAYG plan who knows.
Not sure about data plans but a MicroSIM takes seconds to make from a MiniSIM, the currently common SIM card used.
I would jump on their 3GB plan over our 250MB plan.
$15 / 250 megabytes = $0.06 per megabyte.
$22.02 / 3000 megabytes = $0.007 per megabyte.
An order of magnitude cheaper, and I could live well on 3GB a month + WiFi.
And metered use at $0.07 is more attractive as well. The 251st megabyte on AT&T costs you $15. At Orange it's just another $0.07.
Look at it the other way, for heavy usage.
$30 / Unlimited = $Depends on usage
$36.71 / 10GB = $0.003671 per megabyte.
As long as you're using more than 8.2GB, the US plan is cheaper. If you're using a LOT of data, the US plan is WAAAY cheaper.
Personally, I think anyone accepting a limited data plan on the iPad is going to be shocked when their bill comes round. I would never settle for anything less that an unlimited plan. The AT&T plan looks pretty good, for the US.
I'm currently paying $25 per month for unlimited 3G HDSPA/2G WAP data.
Wife - received 140 MB, sent 10MB.
Me - received 178MB, sent 12MB.
We did not download any music, movies or videos by 3G except possibly a short YouTube video or two. Those would have chewed up gobs of wireless usage. We chose the 250MB minimum monthly AT&T plan for $14.95/mo, which makes sense for starters since we can buy the $30/mo unlimited plan at any time if necessary. We'll be home in a couple days, however, using our home wifi network, so it'll be interesting to see whether we cross the 250MB threshold for the month.
3G iPad owners who plan to use their units at home most of the time and have broadband service already should especially consider buying a wireless router if they don't already have one. A reasonably priced wireless-N router can pay for itself in four months at a $15/mo savings with the 250MB AT&T plan. Besides, movies and other content will download faster than by 3G.
The UK price of the iPad is over 100$ more per lowest end model, so they had damn well better have good data plans. The current USA ATT plans are ridiculous.
You do realise that the UK prices include tax and the USA prices exclude tax.
If you remove the tax from the UK price making the comparison fair, then the base model is only $35 more.
You do realise that the UK prices include tax and the USA prices exclude tax.
If you remove the tax from the UK price making the comparison fair, then the base model is only $35 more.
which is very good price for a UK market that is much smaller than the biggest consumer market in the world.