iPad News: iPad 3G Review Apple scores a home run

Posted May 3, 2010 at 5:17PM EST by QJ Staff

Listed in: iPad News Tags: 3G, apple, ios, news, tablet, wifi

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On the outside, the new 3G version is pretty much the same as its Wi-Fi housemate. A black plastic strip covers the 3G antenna and there’s a slot for the AT&T microSIM on the side. Other than that, you’re getting exactly the same device. To make use of its 3G capabilities the first thing you need to do is set up your account with AT&T. There are two choices on offer: $15 per month buys you a 250mb plan, $30 per month gives you unlimited usage. The good thing about both plans is that they are not contract based. You can cancel your month’s subscription any time and use the Wi-Fi only option, which is also available on the 3G model. Signing up to your chosen plan involves typing in a username, password and credit card details. If you already have a cell phone with AT&T, your credit card data is recognised and your address autofills in the box. There are a couple of down-sides with the ‘not a contract’ deal with AT&T. The first it this: if you want to stop using the 3G functionality, you must remember to opt out of the service. If you don’t, you aren’t prompted and AT&T will automatically charge your credit card once a month. The second annoyance relates to opting back in: if you have bought a month of 3G service and then decide to cancel, buying another month’s service requires you to got right back to the start of the process and input all your details from scratch. I would have thought your details could easily be remembered. As predicted on ipad.net, the AT&T network is already feeling the strain on this sudden surge of demand. This has produced some reports of slow downloading times and weak connection, usually from the larger urban areas across the US. Having said that, streaming doesn’t seem to be affected in any way. Work that one out! So which one to buy – the Wi-Fi only or the 3G version? Given the choice, I would pay the extra and go for the 3G, no question. The iPad relies on web connection to be fully functional, and 3G really liberates it to ‘use anywhere’ freedom.

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