International iPad Usage

[MikeTheRocker96]

Hi all, I am a teenager looking to purchase an iPad for school and my personal use. I live in Canada. During the Summer, my parents are going on a road trip along the Oregon coast and they plan to buy an iPad (16 GB WIFI ONLY) there and bring it back home because it seems they're cheaper there ($550 CDN, $500 USD). Two questions:
1. Will an iPad purchased in the US (Oregon) work in Canada (BC, if it matters)?
2. Will it actually be cheaper to buy there and use here with the whole currency exchange and price difference?
Any help you can offer is appreciated.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

1. Will an iPad purchased in the US (Oregon) work in Canada (BC, if it matters)?

Are you looking at getting the 3G version? I don't know if the 3G ones are locked in the States, so that might bring up some issues.

The wifi model is exactly the same in all the countries its currently available for sale in AFAIK.

 

[CristobalHuet]

iPad 3G purchased in the US will not work unless you get a ROGERS/Bell/Telus micro-SIM card. The 3G one comes with an AT&T card, so other than that, it's no big deal.

 

[jsh]

I'm from the states but go to school in Canada. I picked up a Wifi + 3G on launch day, and have been using it in Canada with no problems. Like most Apple products, the warranty on the iPad is international (cf, https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/925214/), so there are no issues. As the other poster said, the 3G version comes with an AT&T micro SIM, so you'd need to get one from a Canadian carrier if you do decide to go that route. Wifi only needs nothing special.

Aside from getting it on launch day, I saved about $150 by buying the iPad from the states, factoring in the currency conversion at the time and tax. But I also didn't have any foreign currency conversion fee since I also have US credit cards. I'd assume that would increase the price by about 2% based on the Canadian cards I have -- have them check with their credit card company.

 

[MikeTheRocker96]

I saved about $150 by buying the iPad from the states, factoring in the currency conversion at the time and tax. But I also didn't have any foreign currency conversion fee since I also have US credit cards. I'd assume that would increase the price by about 2% based on the Canadian cards I have -- have them check with their credit card company.

How did you save that much?! I don't understand how that's possible.

 

[nasa25]

I'm from the states but go to school in Canada. I picked up a Wifi + 3G on launch day, and have been using it in Canada with no problems. Like most Apple products, the warranty on the iPad is international (cf, https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/925214/), so there are no issues. As the other poster said, the 3G version comes with an AT&T micro SIM, so you'd need to get one from a Canadian carrier if you do decide to go that route. Wifi only needs nothing special.

Aside from getting it on launch day, I saved about $150 by buying the iPad from the states, factoring in the currency conversion at the time and tax. But I also didn't have any foreign currency conversion fee since I also have US credit cards. I'd assume that would increase the price by about 2% based on the Canadian cards I have -- have them check with their credit card company.

that's impossible. I got the 64gb wifi in buffalo on April 3rd and winded up paying $891 cdn with ny tax, duties, and a par dollar which means I paid 3% currency conversion to visa. In Canada, the iPad would have cost $846.

So I paid $45 extra for the priviledge of having the device 2 months early. Its impossible under any scenario to get the iPad for $150 less.

Actually, only way would be to purchase the most expensive iPad (3g 64) in a state where there is no tax. So you pay $829.

Assuming a par dollar, no conversion fees, and no duties at the border as well on that $829.

The 3g 64 in Canada (with 13% tax in Ontario) would cost $993.....so $163 more.

 

[El Aurens]

If they're buying in Oregon there shouldn't be a state sales tax. Assuming they are away for a week the personal exemption would be $750, allowing them to bring the iPad back without paying the HST. Savings on a 16gb iPad would be around $100 after FX conversion.

The question is whether there will be any iPads available for sale when they are down there.

 

[yvrgal]

Hi all, I am a teenager looking to purchase an iPad for school and my personal use. I live in Canada. During the Summer, my parents are going on a road trip along the Oregon coast and they plan to buy an iPad (16 GB WIFI ONLY) there and bring it back home because it seems they're cheaper there ($550 CDN, $500 USD). Two questions:
1. Will an iPad purchased in the US (Oregon) work in Canada (BC, if it matters)?
2. Will it actually be cheaper to buy there and use here with the whole currency exchange and price difference?
Any help you can offer is appreciated.

The problem with buying an iPad from the States is Warranty. You must have a US address when you register the iPad with Apple. If you don't, there will be no warranty. Anything happens to it, you are SOL.