best carrier for ipad 3g?

irishglass · 11-10-2011 5:15pm #1

Im getting an ipad on friday and was wondering who should I go with for 3g?

culabula · 11-10-2011 5:26pm

irishglass wrote: »

Im getting an ipad on friday and was wondering who should I go with for 3g?

Three, for all you can eat data plus ability to roam in certain countries free of charge.

irishglass · 11-10-2011 5:41pm

Ill check it out, thanks

Smcgie · 11-10-2011 10:21pm

Without being an apple whore here..

Buy an iPhone and use the "local hotspot" facility. It will save you having both a phone bill and a 3G bill for iPad.

Very handy and cheaper. Or if you can get an alternative phone that can do the same, likewise.

culabula · 11-10-2011 10:35pm

Smcgie wrote: »

Without being an apple whore here..

Buy an iPhone and use the "local hotspot" facility. It will save you having both a phone bill and a 3G bill for iPad.

Very handy and cheaper. Or if you can get an alternative phone that can do the same, likewise.

I am an Apple Bitch and have access to hotspot (and a MiFi) but I thoroughly recommend getting a 3G iPad. Hotspot crucifies the iPhone battery life and if you run out, you're screwed. On both devices.

With a 3G ipad, you'll get 8 hours battery life and in Ireland, you can get a SIM that will give you 500mb for 5€ a month, or with a little bit of research you can get a 3 Italy SIM that will give you 3Gb in Ireland for the same 5€.

irishglass · 11-10-2011 10:59pm

Im looking to go pre-pay if possible so whats the best I can get?

culabula · 11-10-2011 11:58pm

irishglass wrote: »

Im looking to go pre-pay if possible so whats the best I can get?

Depends how much data you expect to use: if you get a 3pay microSIM you can stick as little as 5€ on it and get 500mb of data. 20€ will get you 5Gb on Vodafone for a month whereas 20€ will get you All You Can Eat on Three.

7€ will get you 1Gb a month on Tesco. The others have differing amounts and deals.

You get the picture, it's your call. If you think you're going to use huge amounts then go Three.

Best about pre-pay is, if it doesn't suit, throw it away and try another.

discombobulate · 12-10-2011 11:32am

3's 3G coverage isn't as good as Vodafones though. I've regularly been places with only Edge when people on Vodafone have 3G. Thats on the iPhone not the iPad but presume it'd be the same.

If 3 had as good of coverage as Vodafone they'd be unbeatable

culabula · 12-10-2011 11:43am

discombobulate wrote: »

3's 3G coverage isn't as good as Vodafones though. I've regularly been places with only Edge when people on Vodafone have 3G. Thats on the iPhone not the iPad but presume it'd be the same.

If 3 had as good of coverage as Vodafone they'd be unbeatable

I hear you.

Having said that, iPad will typically outperform iPhone owing to the much larger antenna -even on 3. I have received a signal in the most remote of places where I no longer have any signal on iPhone.

Eoin · 12-10-2011 1:15pm

It depends on the coverage where you're most likely to use it. All can you eat data is no use if the signal is crap. Can you get some pre-pay SIMs from Meteor/Three etc and try them out?

irishglass · 12-10-2011 1:26pm

coverage is important but I think the data cap is a bigger deal for me but I will have to shop around I guess

culabula · 12-10-2011 1:31pm

irishglass wrote: »

coverage is important but I think the data cap is a bigger deal for me but I will have to shop around I guess

You can get free SIMs from most of the providers, but not microSIMs, I think. However, Meteor and Vodafone will do you data on a per diem basis so that you can test. If you can get good coverage on 3 for your needs, then that is largely unbeatable as you can top it up on an adhoc basis, get AYCE data when suits and use it in 4 other countries abroad.

If the latter, don't get their iPad SIM, get a PAYG MicroSIM and apply data to that after topping up.

maninblack · 12-10-2011 1:32pm

culabula wrote: »

you can get a 3 Italy SIM that will give you 3Gb in Ireland for the same 5€.

does that actually work? Just get a sim from italy then top it up here?

culabula · 12-10-2011 1:48pm

maninblack wrote: »

does that actually work? Just get a sim from italy then top it up here?

Been using one since iPad was released: costs me 60€ a year!

Get a SIM from Italy, top-up online or get someone in Italy to do it for you. 36Gb a year for 60€. Class.

curly.bert · 12-10-2011 2:27pm

Here's the elephant in the room question - must it be a 3G model? I have a WiFi only iPad2 and I've rarely needed to hook it up to the phone for mobile data.

I have WiFi at home and work, where I use the device mostly.

No 3G = 1 less bill. Plus the WiFi only models are cheaper

best carrier for ipad 3g?

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