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iPad 3G outside of the US

D

DKatri

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 2, 2009
475
0
Birmingham, UK
So basically like the rest of the UK apple fans, save for a few lucky ones, I am itching to get and iPad. I am pretty much set on getting the 3G model for a few reasons.
My question is, if I get a friend to get me a 3G iPad while he is in New York over the next 2 weeks will it work the same over here? Are all of the 3G iPads identical or are they region specific?
 
I'd like to know the answer to this question aswell. But I fear that no one will know for sure, at least until the US 3Gs hit the streets. :(
 
A US iPhone is the same as a UK iPhone, why should an iPad be different? the only difference I believe will be the SIM card sitting in the removable SIM card tray. In the UK, there won't be a SIM card.
 
Which UK carriers have microSIMs?
To my knowledge, none of them do.

This is the only thing holding me back purchasing a 3G iPad later this year when I'm in America.

Saying that though, they will be out some time. I presume for now you could use it without a SIM card until o2 or Orange or whoever release their microSIMs.
 
kAoTiX said:
Which UK carriers have microSIMs?
To my knowledge, none of them do.

This is the only thing holding me back purchasing a 3G iPad later this year when I'm in America.

Saying that though, they will be out some time. I presume for now you could use it without a SIM card until o2 or Orange or whoever release their microSIMs.
Click to expand...

O2, orange and vodafone have all said that they will be releasing plans for the iPad at the end of may, so MicroSIMs cant be too far off.
 
kAoTiX said:
Which UK carriers have microSIMs?
To my knowledge, none of them do.

This is the only thing holding me back purchasing a 3G iPad later this year when I'm in America.

Saying that though, they will be out some time. I presume for now you could use it without a SIM card until o2 or Orange or whoever release their microSIMs.
Click to expand...

Currently none but at the end of may I would imagine at least one carrier will have a micro sim ready.

But for now you could just chop a normal sim down to size since it's only the plastic that is smaller not the actual chip.
 
mattyboy7110 said:
A US iPhone is the same as a UK iPhone, why should an iPad be different? the only difference I believe will be the SIM card sitting in the removable SIM card tray. In the UK, there won't be a SIM card.
Click to expand...

FUD.

Yes there will be a sim card :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I think that's enough :rolleyes: to show how 'true' that blatantly false statement was.
 
one thing i have not been able to find out is whether the SIM is removable or now. the diagram does not indicate a SIM card tray like on the iPhone, while the "in the box" information does indicate a SIM ejection tool is included. speaking with both an ATT corporate rep as well as Apple Tech support and Genius, the Micro SIMs are internal and can not be removed with the Genius actually indicating it was soldered to the board.

the FCC photos do not seem to provide any additional help on the matter.

anyone know anything that might indicate a removable or internal SIM?
 
Read the iPad manual on apple.com, it shows you can remove the SIM and it even says you can replace it with another microsim if you travel
 
MacRumorUser said:
FUD.

Yes there will be a sim card :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

I think that's enough :rolleyes: to show how 'true' that blatantly false statement was.
Click to expand...

There's no SIM card in the iPhone, you are given it seperately by your carrier. The iPad will come with no SIM card and you'll have to ask for one from your mobile provider. Do you really think Apple are shipping over some with o2 sim cards, some with Orange, some with Voda? No. They'll be separate. In the US they only work with AT&T so the sim card comes installed.
 
O2 are going to have both Pay Monthly (Contract), and Pay & Go microSIM's - it' on the stock ordering system, ready for delivery (to O2) by the middle of May.

Good news for anyone who doesn't want to be tied into a contract!
 
The "pay-as-you-go" 3G with AT&T really appeals to me. I'd love to have the 3G model and activate the service if I ever needed it...kind of like an insurance policy. However, I live in Canada, and I expect Rogers to force iPad 3G users to a million year (okay, maybe 3) contract and rob us every month. $80 CDN (about $78 USD) for 5GB a month wtf is that ****.
 
Agent-W said:
O2 are going to have both Pay Monthly (Contract), and Pay & Go microSIM's - it' on the stock ordering system, ready for delivery (to O2) by the middle of May.

Good news for anyone who doesn't want to be tied into a contract!
Click to expand...

This is good news. I hope that you'll be able to manage the data used and data purchased from the iPad like what you can do on AT&T.
 
.summerfree said:
The "pay-as-you-go" 3G with AT&T really appeals to me. I'd love to have the 3G model and activate the service if I ever needed it...kind of like an insurance policy. However, I live in Canada, and I expect Rogers to force iPad 3G users to a million year (okay, maybe 3) contract and rob us every month. $80 CDN (about $78 USD) for 5GB a month wtf is that ****.
Click to expand...

That would really stink for your guys. I certainly hope you can get something not too far off from what at&t offers in the US. Since I do travel to Vancouver every now and then, I was actually hoping that I could get an on-demand service from Rogers and use it when need it. If it's not available, they just won't be getting any of my money.
 
I can definitely say though that by the end of May, you will see micro-sims appearing on at least one former exclusive carrier
But im still ordering a US 32GB iPad ;)
 
here are the main points to international ipads with 3G

If you look at the spec of the ipad.. 3G is with 1900/2100 bandwidth freq.

Only AT&T has 3G at 1900 bandwidth here in the US.
While Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile won't work even if they made their own micro sim to put it in the ipad because of difference freq.

But for UK and Asia, the freq band is at 2100 which is included in the ipad 3G model. the reason that ipad 3G won't come with any sim in UK or Asia is because multiple carriers utilizes that bandwidth of 2100. so you can just request a sim from your carrier and pop it into the ipad. what plans those carrier provide is another story.

For the US, only AT&T has that bandwidth, so it makes sense that Apple put the sim in there since AT&T provide the service for the iphone and no one in the US can utilize the 1900 bandwidth.
 
hexproject said:
If you look at the spec of the ipad.. 3G is with 1900/2100 bandwidth freq.

Only AT&T has 3G at 1900 bandwidth here in the US.
While Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile won't work even if they made their own micro sim to put it in the ipad because of difference freq.

But for UK and Asia, the freq band is at 2100 which is included in the ipad 3G model. the reason that ipad 3G won't come with any sim in UK or Asia is because multiple carriers utilizes that bandwidth of 2100. so you can just request a sim from your carrier and pop it into the ipad. what plans those carrier provide is another story.

For the US, only AT&T has that bandwidth, so it makes sense that Apple put the sim in there since AT&T provide the service for the iphone and no one in the US can utilize the 1900 bandwidth.
Click to expand...

Are you saying that the UK and the US models will be different? The main thing I wanna know is, if i get a US 3G model will it work the same as a 3G model purchased in the UK? I looked at the spec sheets on both the UK and US apple sites and both are identical listing the supported bands as:

# UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
# GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

So I'm guessing I'll only get 3G speeds on 850, 1900 or 2100 MHz?
 
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