....and, is it possible to buy a pre-loaded, pre-paid data SIM card with a specific data amount? IOW, pay for the data whenever and however it is used? I kinda don't dig the "monthly" plans. Suspect that's what we are stuck with though.
Not really.
Assuming your iPad cellular data usage is light, here in the USA about the best you can do is sign up for T-Mobile's free 200MB of 4G data (the counter resets every thirty days), then consider an On Demand Pass for extra usage if you exceed your quota.
I've never had a cell enabled iPad, so I'm curious to know: if you get one, and pay for a data plan (through this new feature or otherwise) can you use the iPad and data via wifi tether to other devices?
It depends on your carrier.
I have a prepaid SIM in mine, $A125 gives me 15GB and I top up once a year, I can use it for tethering.
My guess is that Apple is certain that there will be a lot of unforeseen issues, so they wanted to limit how many people may run into issues for now.
True. They might also be working on a much bigger project that will put them in a bigger roll with cellular carriers. Kind of like what they did with itunes. Put everything in one place and have us the users choose what is best for us. This is very interesting.
....and, is it possible to buy a pre-loaded, pre-paid data SIM card with a specific data amount? IOW, pay for the data whenever and however it is used? I kinda don't dig the "monthly" plans. Suspect that's what we are stuck with though.
That's what I did for my Dad's iPad here in the UK (cheap data only sim from EE : it was a non advertised sim/offer and had to ask if they did it).
So now shouldn't they technically be able to get rid of the SIM card all together? I'm sure that's what they are working towards. This is just the first necessary step. That chip and tray takes up much needed space on the motherboard. Not to mention it is an extra hole in the body to let water and dust in.
In Australia prepaid sims for iPad are common. Eg 12gb or twelve months, whichever comes first.
Anyhow, to change carriers in the past, you always had to swap out the sim which is tied to a particular carrier. Presumably, an Apple sim allows the user to choose the carrier using a software menu based system. For unsupported carriers, you just swap the carrier's sim in.
I think a physical sim will be required for a long time as too many carriers will not participate. And carriers would no doubt prefer the old lock in system as it captures the user and the carrier does not have to compete on performance so much, mainly the initial seduction to purchase a locked device.
With an Apple Sim, and potentially it's eventual child a sim-less software based solution, the carrier loses out on the lock in. If eventually the apple sim allows swapping between carriers on the fly, an MVNO could exist that has deals with multiple carriers. The iPad linked to this MVNO invisibly swaps between carriers depending on a perhaps user selected preference made up of location, bandwidth and price. In this scenario the carriers compete on who can deliver the best mix of these near the iPad.
My iPad is cellular, but my next will be wifi-only. With iPhone tethering, it's simply redundant. I will miss GPS, but I think that even this is passed over with iPhone tethering.
I've never had a cell enabled iPad, so I'm curious to know: if you get one, and pay for a data plan (through this new feature or otherwise) can you use the iPad and data via wifi tether to other devices?
It depends on your carrier.
I have a prepaid SIM in mine, $A125 gives me 15GB and I top up once a year, I can use it for tethering.
Interesting. I think that's the way to go, but I'm not sure such a prepaid SIM is available in the US. I did just look at the iPad Air 2, and it doesn't have carrier specific models, so this new SIM feature seems to support the idea.
Anyone know of a source for this kind of pre-paid SIM card in the US?
Interesting. I think that's the way to go, but I'm not sure such a prepaid SIM is available in the US. I did just look at the iPad Air 2, and it doesn't have carrier specific models, so this new SIM feature seems to support the idea.
Anyone know of a source for this kind of pre-paid SIM card in the US?
There is no such thing here in the USA. The closest you can get is a Tru SIM, but there are a couple of gotchas that really make this unattractive.
First is the cellular data rate, $0.09 per MB. Thus, it is only good for people who sporadically need small amounts of cellular data. As I mentioned earlier, the 200MB 4G freebie from T-Mobile USA is a better option for people who need small amounts.
Second, is the fact that Tru SIM does not get you onto LTE networks. It's an MVNO and they are buying bandwidth from major carriers with cellular towers, T-Mobile USA in this country. If T-Mobile reception is not available, then the SIM will connect to AT&T, but there is no 3G data. Thus, you are stuck paying a premium for lesser speeds. Again, the 200MB T-Mobile freebie is a better deal.
A few years ago, AT&T GoPhone offered data packages for their Pay As You Go SIM. These data packages would rollover unused data to the next month, so you could alternate between a large data package and a small one. Unfortunately, GoPhone scrapped this offering and their PAYG SIMs are not a useful option for tablet cellular data.
Disregarding cellular reception coverage area, T-Mobile USA is the best bargain for iPad cellular data in this country.
Tru SIM is more useful for travelers who want to retain an American phone number abroad without paying for crushingly high international plans or roaming fees. Their cellular data rates are not competitive.
My iPad is cellular, but my next will be wifi-only. With iPhone tethering, it's simply redundant. I will miss GPS, but I think that even this is passed over with iPhone tethering.
You mean navigation? You don't need the internet for GPS.
There is no such thing here in the USA. The closest you can get is a Tru SIM, but there are a couple of gotchas that really make this unattractive.
First is the cellular data rate, $0.09 per MB. Thus, it is only good for people who sporadically need small amounts of cellular data. As I mentioned earlier, the 200MB 4G freebie from T-Mobile USA is a better option for people who need small amounts.
Second, is the fact that Tru SIM does not get you onto LTE networks. It's an MVNO and they are buying bandwidth from major carriers with cellular towers, T-Mobile USA in this country. If T-Mobile reception is not available, then the SIM will connect to AT&T, but there is no 3G data. Thus, you are stuck paying a premium for lesser speeds. Again, the 200MB T-Mobile freebie is a better deal.
A few years ago, AT&T GoPhone offered data packages for their Pay As You Go SIM. These data packages would rollover unused data to the next month, so you could alternate between a large data package and a small one. Unfortunately, GoPhone scrapped this offering and their PAYG SIMs are not a useful option for tablet cellular data.
Disregarding cellular reception coverage area, T-Mobile USA is the best bargain for iPad cellular data in this country.
Tru SIM is more useful for travelers who want to retain an American phone number abroad without paying for crushingly high international plans or roaming fees. Their cellular data rates are not competitive.
Ah. Thanks.
I do note a spiffy little wifi thingy called the Karma. It appears to be a pay as you go wifi-cell bridge. But of course, another thing to drag around with you.
My iPad is cellular, but my next will be wifi-only. With iPhone tethering, it's simply redundant. I will miss GPS, but I think that even this is passed over with iPhone tethering.
You mean navigation? You don't need the internet for GPS.
The wifi iPad has no GPS, so if you have no wifi and no iPhone, it won't track you. I presume that if you tether an iPhone, though, that it will then pick up your position courtesy of the iPhone's GPS.
The wifi iPad has no GPS, so if you have no wifi and no iPhone, it won't track you. I presume that if you tether an iPhone, though, that it will then pick up your position courtesy of the iPhone's GPS.
So how does the 'Find my iPhone' thingy work on a iPad sans GPS?
fwiw, in the US, the iPad contracts are generally month to month. If you decide you don't want data, you can simply have the carrier turn it off, then turn it on when you need it. The only issue is that you need to pay the going rate when you turn it on again. For me, I am still grandfathered under the original iPad unlimited data plan which is no longer available so I end up paying every month.
Not really. Nobody is subsidizing anything. You are simply paying off (more) the cost of the handset over the period of contract. Your contract service price does not go down when you finish the contract.
If it was a "subsidy" the carrier would be absorbing losses, which in this case, does not happen. they in fact recover more over a 2 year period
Nope, it is subsidized, because if you break your contract before the 2 year period, you have to pay out your contract not the cost difference of the phone.
For instance, with AT&T I paid $499 subsidized for my top line iPhone 6+ that sells unlocked for $949. The BYOB option is $25/month, but my subsidized cost is $40/month. A difference of $15/month. Multiply that by 24 and you get $360 which is less than the cost differential. oth, if I dumped my phone right after purchasing, I would still have to pay for service somewhere so the subsidizing of the phone locks me into their 2 year contract.
I haven't done the math, but I suspect that the subsidy might drop (and may go negative) for lower cost phones.
Comments
....and, is it possible to buy a pre-loaded, pre-paid data SIM card with a specific data amount? IOW, pay for the data whenever and however it is used? I kinda don't dig the "monthly" plans. Suspect that's what we are stuck with though.
Not really.
Assuming your iPad cellular data usage is light, here in the USA about the best you can do is sign up for T-Mobile's free 200MB of 4G data (the counter resets every thirty days), then consider an On Demand Pass for extra usage if you exceed your quota.
http://prepaid-phones.t-mobile.com/prepaid-plans (scroll to bottom)
If you consistently need more than 200MB every month, then you'd have to sign up for one of their prepaid Monthly Passes.
I've never had a cell enabled iPad, so I'm curious to know: if you get one, and pay for a data plan (through this new feature or otherwise) can you use the iPad and data via wifi tether to other devices?
It depends on your carrier.I have a prepaid SIM in mine, $A125 gives me 15GB and I top up once a year, I can use it for tethering.
True. They might also be working on a much bigger project that will put them in a bigger roll with cellular carriers. Kind of like what they did with itunes. Put everything in one place and have us the users choose what is best for us. This is very interesting.
....and, is it possible to buy a pre-loaded, pre-paid data SIM card with a specific data amount? IOW, pay for the data whenever and however it is used? I kinda don't dig the "monthly" plans. Suspect that's what we are stuck with though.
That's what I did for my Dad's iPad here in the UK (cheap data only sim from EE : it was a non advertised sim/offer and had to ask if they did it).
Anyhow, to change carriers in the past, you always had to swap out the sim which is tied to a particular carrier.
Presumably, an Apple sim allows the user to choose the carrier using a software menu based system. For unsupported carriers, you just swap the carrier's sim in.
I think a physical sim will be required for a long time as too many carriers will not participate. And carriers would no doubt prefer the old lock in system as it captures the user and the carrier does not have to compete on performance so much, mainly the initial seduction to purchase a locked device.
With an Apple Sim, and potentially it's eventual child a sim-less software based solution, the carrier loses out on the lock in. If eventually the apple sim allows swapping between carriers on the fly, an MVNO could exist that has deals with multiple carriers. The iPad linked to this MVNO invisibly swaps between carriers depending on a perhaps user selected preference made up of location, bandwidth and price. In this scenario the carriers compete on who can deliver the best mix of these near the iPad.
I've never had a cell enabled iPad, so I'm curious to know: if you get one, and pay for a data plan (through this new feature or otherwise) can you use the iPad and data via wifi tether to other devices?
It depends on your carrier.
I have a prepaid SIM in mine, $A125 gives me 15GB and I top up once a year, I can use it for tethering.
Interesting. I think that's the way to go, but I'm not sure such a prepaid SIM is available in the US. I did just look at the iPad Air 2, and it doesn't have carrier specific models, so this new SIM feature seems to support the idea.
Anyone know of a source for this kind of pre-paid SIM card in the US?
Interesting. I think that's the way to go, but I'm not sure such a prepaid SIM is available in the US. I did just look at the iPad Air 2, and it doesn't have carrier specific models, so this new SIM feature seems to support the idea.
Anyone know of a source for this kind of pre-paid SIM card in the US?
There is no such thing here in the USA. The closest you can get is a Tru SIM, but there are a couple of gotchas that really make this unattractive.
First is the cellular data rate, $0.09 per MB. Thus, it is only good for people who sporadically need small amounts of cellular data. As I mentioned earlier, the 200MB 4G freebie from T-Mobile USA is a better option for people who need small amounts.
Second, is the fact that Tru SIM does not get you onto LTE networks. It's an MVNO and they are buying bandwidth from major carriers with cellular towers, T-Mobile USA in this country. If T-Mobile reception is not available, then the SIM will connect to AT&T, but there is no 3G data. Thus, you are stuck paying a premium for lesser speeds. Again, the 200MB T-Mobile freebie is a better deal.
A few years ago, AT&T GoPhone offered data packages for their Pay As You Go SIM. These data packages would rollover unused data to the next month, so you could alternate between a large data package and a small one. Unfortunately, GoPhone scrapped this offering and their PAYG SIMs are not a useful option for tablet cellular data.
Disregarding cellular reception coverage area, T-Mobile USA is the best bargain for iPad cellular data in this country.
Tru SIM is more useful for travelers who want to retain an American phone number abroad without paying for crushingly high international plans or roaming fees. Their cellular data rates are not competitive.
You mean navigation? You don't need the internet for GPS.
There is no such thing here in the USA. The closest you can get is a Tru SIM, but there are a couple of gotchas that really make this unattractive.
First is the cellular data rate, $0.09 per MB. Thus, it is only good for people who sporadically need small amounts of cellular data. As I mentioned earlier, the 200MB 4G freebie from T-Mobile USA is a better option for people who need small amounts.
Second, is the fact that Tru SIM does not get you onto LTE networks. It's an MVNO and they are buying bandwidth from major carriers with cellular towers, T-Mobile USA in this country. If T-Mobile reception is not available, then the SIM will connect to AT&T, but there is no 3G data. Thus, you are stuck paying a premium for lesser speeds. Again, the 200MB T-Mobile freebie is a better deal.
A few years ago, AT&T GoPhone offered data packages for their Pay As You Go SIM. These data packages would rollover unused data to the next month, so you could alternate between a large data package and a small one. Unfortunately, GoPhone scrapped this offering and their PAYG SIMs are not a useful option for tablet cellular data.
Disregarding cellular reception coverage area, T-Mobile USA is the best bargain for iPad cellular data in this country.
Tru SIM is more useful for travelers who want to retain an American phone number abroad without paying for crushingly high international plans or roaming fees. Their cellular data rates are not competitive.
Ah. Thanks.
I do note a spiffy little wifi thingy called the Karma. It appears to be a pay as you go wifi-cell bridge. But of course, another thing to drag around with you.
The wifi iPad has no GPS, so if you have no wifi and no iPhone, it won't track you. I presume that if you tether an iPhone, though, that it will then pick up your position courtesy of the iPhone's GPS.
So how does the 'Find my iPhone' thingy work on a iPad sans GPS?
It doesn’t. Unless you’re connected to Wi-Fi.
I hope we get to try this here in the Philippines as well.
fwiw, in the US, the iPad contracts are generally month to month. If you decide you don't want data, you can simply have the carrier turn it off, then turn it on when you need it. The only issue is that you need to pay the going rate when you turn it on again. For me, I am still grandfathered under the original iPad unlimited data plan which is no longer available so I end up paying every month.
Not really. Nobody is subsidizing anything. You are simply paying off (more) the cost of the handset over the period of contract. Your contract service price does not go down when you finish the contract.
If it was a "subsidy" the carrier would be absorbing losses, which in this case, does not happen. they in fact recover more over a 2 year period
Nope, it is subsidized, because if you break your contract before the 2 year period, you have to pay out your contract not the cost difference of the phone.
For instance, with AT&T I paid $499 subsidized for my top line iPhone 6+ that sells unlocked for $949. The BYOB option is $25/month, but my subsidized cost is $40/month. A difference of $15/month. Multiply that by 24 and you get $360 which is less than the cost differential. oth, if I dumped my phone right after purchasing, I would still have to pay for service somewhere so the subsidizing of the phone locks me into their 2 year contract.
I haven't done the math, but I suspect that the subsidy might drop (and may go negative) for lower cost phones.