iPad 3G model availability in UK

[jonnyb]

When Steve Jobs said in his keynote that they hoped to have 3G agreements in place outside the US by the summer, I assumed that meant we wouldn't be able to buy a 3G model in the UK until the summer. But a couple of days later the UK Apple site changed to reflect what was on the US site, apart from a note about pricing.

http://www.apple.com/uk/ipad/

The text reads ' Wi-Fi models shipping in late March.
3G models shipping in April.
UK pricing to be announced."

So, does that mean we'll get the 3G models at the same time as the US and, since the 3G sign up is done on the iPad itself we just have to then wait until we can do so?

If we did have to wait for the 3G model then they could have just said '3G models shipping in the summer' for the UK.

So my current thinking is that we will get the 3G model in April but we might just have to wait to use the 3G function. It's just the UK pricing we're waiting for.

Is that how others read this?

 

[robbieduncan]

My understanding is that you can buy the device as per the timeline on the Apple site but Apple will not have agreements with a carrier (or carriers) in the UK for iPad specific data-only 3G contracts. So to use the 3G component you will need a 3G contract or pay-as-you go SIM of your own. Or you could just use it on WiFi until the iPad specific deals are available...

 

[jonnyb]

My understanding is that you can buy the device as per the timeline on the Apple site but Apple will not have agreements with a carrier (or carriers) in the UK for iPad specific data-only 3G contracts. So to use the 3G component you will need a 3G contract or pay-as-you go SIM of your own. Or you could just use it on WiFi until the iPad specific deals are available...

Cool, that's what I thought. Although, since the iPad takes the newer Micro SIM I doubt there'll be anyone who already has one...?

 

[robbieduncan]

Cool, that's what I thought. Although, since the iPad takes the newer Micro SIM doubt there'l be anyone who already has one...?

This is true. There has been some speculation that you can just shave some of the outside of a standard SIM to make a Micro SIM though...