With the iPad 3G + Wifi release date being tomorrow to get the 3G iPad in stores (if you’re having your iPad 3G ship from Apple, and you got in on the early iPad 3G ship date, your 3G iPad should arrive tomorrow too), questions are heating up about two things: the battery life for the iPad 3G (being called by some the AT&T iPad), and how does the AT&T service for the iPad 3G really work. Here, straight from the horse’s mouth, is how the AT&T service will work with the 3G iPad.
First, about battery life: Apple clearly states that the iPad with 3G and wifi should get 9 hours of battery life while surfing with 3G. Apple also clearly states that the iPad original flavour, without 3G, should get 10 hours, and we’ve gone nearly 2 days before needing a charge. So, while your milage may vary, we think that it’s reasonable to expect 9 hours of use battery life.
Now, how will the AT&T “pay as you go” service actually work? By which we mean, not how robust will the 3G connection be (all bets are off there – if you don’t know to what we are referring, read here), but how do you set it up? How does the signing up, and signing on and off as needed, work?
Here, directly from an announcement on the subject put out by AT&T, are the answers to your questions:
AT&T is offering simple and straightforward 3G pre-paid data plans for iPad – complete with
easy, on-device activation and management. Data plans for iPad include access to more than
20,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide at no additional cost. Check out 3G plans for iPad,
and some helpful Q&A, below.The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.
CashApp us
Venmo us
Paypal us
Domestic Data Plans for iPad – Recurring monthly charge with no long term contract
$14.99 per month for 250 MB
$29.99 per month for unlimited data
Unlimited access – no added cost – to AT&T’s 20,000+ Wi-Fi Hot Spots
How do I manage my 3G plan for iPad? Can I turn service off or change my plan?
Once you sign up for iPad 3G data service, you can add to or cancel your domestic plan at any time – no penalty. For domestic plans, if you do not cancel, your service will automatically renew every 30 days to provide a more seamless data experience on an ongoing basis. For example, if you activate service on May 9, your service will automatically renew 30 days later with the same plan. If you do make a change, a new 30-day window begins.
What happens if I exceed the amount of data in my selected plan before the end of one month?
With the on-device management system, you can check your data usage in Settings>Cellular Data on your iPad at anytime. Also, for the $14.99 plan, iPad will even let you know when you’re about to reach your 250 MB data limit. You’ll get three alerts — at 20 percent, 10 percent, and zero. With each alert, you can choose to add more data or wait and do it later.
If you do exceed the amount of data in your plan, your plan will expire, but it’s easy to add another one. Also, with domestic plans, you can wait until the 30th day from your purchase when your plan will automatically renew going forward.
AT&T also includes these “helpful reminders”:
One month is based on 30 consecutive days, and starts at the date and time of your purchase
Charges will appear on credit card bill
Change domestic data plan at any time
Visit Settings>Cellular Data on iPad to check data use
For more information, you can also read what Apple has to say about the 3G iPad at Apple’s iPad 3G web page.
The Internet Patrol is completely free, and reader-supported. Your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP.
CashApp us
Venmo us
Paypal us
