Hi,

I want an iPad, the WiFi and 3G version. I have a friend in the US who'll order it it in their name and then send it on to me.
If I get one, I've read things that concern me about its working here (Spain).

One US website says that in the US, "The iPad’s 3G frequencies are different than those used on T-Mobile’s network, so anyone using a T-Mobile SIM would be limited to the carrier’s slower 2G network. That would make your shiny, new iPad about as fast as a first-generation iPhone." (http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2010/01/ipad-mini-sim/)

What? Since when does 3G have any different versions? And why would Apple design it to work only on certain networks if it's not locked to a carrier.
And I've also read that control of the data is through the iPad itself - you buy data chunks or months directly from the device.
So my question is really - if I can get a microSIM (maybe by cutting a normal SIM carefully, which some sites say does work - they're electrically identical apparently) to work in the iPad - will it work?
In this case it would be a Vodafone Spain SIM - which has 3G data enabled. It would be a normal gen 2 SIM, so would support voice and data if put in a phone.
But will its data ability be accepted by the iPad as a limitless 3G source? (and voice ignored?) The device isn't locked, but buying the data through it perhaps means that it needs to be in control of the data.

Want an iPad, want one now, but it has to be the 3G flavour and I just wonder if buying it from the US would be a mistake. A very costly mistake! (Then again, prices will of course be much higher in Europe which means that'd cost me money as well).
As far as I know, the iPhone is identical between the US and Europe - if you buy one it'll work in either location (as normal, or jailbroken). So perhaps they'll follow the same concept with the iPad.
Then again, chances are I'll jailbreak the iPad anyway, which would mean I could control this kind of thing.....head about to explode.

Help! Any thoughts?
Diz.

You could get a MiFi widget and just a WiFi iPad.

Yeah I thought of that. It's just less....elegant.
Another gadget, another power source/charger etc etc.
Thanks though.

D

There is that - but with MiFi you can share it with other devices, so it does allow a little more flexibility.

I’m waiting to see what the UK prices and mobile deals are first.

Note the 3G iPad uses a weird variant of SIM cards, so you won't be able to wander into a shop and buy a standard pay as you go SIM and plug it in. Even if you get a US iPad, you'll probably have to buy an 'iPad tariff' from a UK mobile comms provider. So you won't be saving anything that way.

To be honest, given it looks very much like the UK & US will get the 3G version at pretty much the same time and there are significant pre-orders already in the US, you're likely to get charged a premium for a US iPad 3G. Add on shipping and the fact you'll have to buy the 3G deal UK users will anyway and you're probably going to find you're saving little if anything over just buying one in the UK.

I have heard rumours of OLED in iPad 2 so that might be a reason to wait.

America's mobile carriers use different frequencies and technology to each other - essentially they need different custom chipsets for each carrier. The 3G iPad should work on AT&T, the same as the iPhone, so it should work in the UK.

T-Mobile USA use a similar 3G, but slightly different, so an international/AT&T device won't work properly in 3G mode on T-Mobile USA.

Verizon and Sprint use a totally different bandwidth and technology, which means that the Apple kit is totally incompatible with their networks.

With the rollout of 4G in America, the situation isn't going to improve. Half are going WiMax and half are going EV-DO Revision C (now called UMB).

Wow, I had no idea that anything so cataclysmically stupid was going on 3G-wise in the US.
Am I correct in thinking that there is only one European-wide 3G technology that works on all carriers in all countries?
Or am I totally and utterly wrong?

What I am now thinking is that since I live in Barcelona (Spain) where the delays will be even greater and the prices will probably be even higher, I might get my friend in the US to buy 2 WiFi-only versions now, ship them here, sell them at a mark-up on ebay and the profits should more or less pay for my 3G when it arrives.

However - and most importantly - is there a general consensus here that an ordinary Spanish SIM card (whittled down to size to fit in the iPAd - various sites say this should work electronically if nothing else) won't work with its ordinary 3G data capabilities (those of the SIM)? ie it has to be a special SIM that the iPad can interact with so it can buy data on the hoof?

If that's the case then yeah, I should get a MiFi and forget about the whole 3G headache until its sorted out and we know what's going on.
(To be honest the only places we would need it would be the summer house (no landline=no ADSL) and the ski chalet (same issue)) - home and office are WiFi'd up the wazoo.

Thanks.
Diz

There is no guarantee that the European versions will be delayed long enough for you to sell your iPads at a profit and that may not be such a sure bet as many will know that it will be out here soon enough and so can wait. You could end up not making as much as you hoped or not selling them at all.

I don't know Amnesia, a friend of mine was told by his boss to get a 3G iPad delivered by the end of last week!

Even after my friend pointed out that the 3G iPad doesn't even exist yet (as a deliverable product), the boss still told him to get it immediately!

Yes but if you are buying a version for yourself and intend to keep it then it does not matter so much about the price. I think that the 3G versions are shipping soon. 7th May according to the Apple US website. So he could order it and claim that it has been held up because of demand.

yeah.. I assume you advised your friend to start looking for alternative employment? Anywhere being run by people of such titanic levels of stupidity probably won't be around for very long..

They have probably seen them on TV and think that they can get them now. I know that Apple have had masses of programs mentioning the iPad. All the major US chat shows have mentioned the iPad. The Gadget show did a review earlier this week, and yet it is still not available here.

I know I might not make as much when I do it but there are a couple of iPads on ebay spain currently selling for 1000 € +!
And that's around 800 dollars just for the WiFi version.

Something to think about.....
D

If you are going to do it. Do it quickly before Apple start selling them here.