Proud owners of the 4th generation iPad (iPad 4) and iPad Mini can now connect to the internet without any available Wi-Fi; with a data plan, that is. As promised, Apple’s latest tablets are now available for purchase with LTE connectivity and will ship to buyers for free in two weeks if bought from Apple’s website. If you don’t feel like waiting, however, don’t worry. Sprint and AT&T both announced this morning that the two carriers will have the iPad 4 and iPad Mini SKUs available in stores today.
Those interested in purchasing either iPad today should hurry. Sprint stressed that supplies are extremely limited and likely will be at AT&T as well.
iPad Mini Pics
Sprint’s data plans are available with no contract allowing users to opt out whenever they want. Conversely, AT&T’s packages come in month-to-month or a 2-year deals.
The burning question for the Apple faithful is how much LTE is going to cost. Both iPads already cost a pretty penny and, at first glance, look severely overpriced when to Google’s comparable and cheaper Nexus 7 tablet.
Sprint is offering four data plans. For $14.99/month, users get 300MB of data; for 3GB goes for $34.99/month; 6GB for $49.99/month; and 12GB for $79.99/month. AT&T is currently only offering three plans at similar cost. 250MB goes for $14.99/month; 3GB for $30/month; and 5GB for $50/month.
iPad 4 Pics
Early reviews indicated that both iPads would be a smash hit, especially for those already loyal to Apple. The only qualms were in regards to pricing, which was not only undercut by Google’s flagship tablet but also by Barnes & Noble’s Nook HD and Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD all three of which were promoting their respective tablets as the best and most affordable.
If you’re lucky enough to grab an iPad 4 or iPad Mini with LTE connectivity, be sure to let us know how well (or not) it performs. Will it be worth the extra cash? Give us all the details in the comments section below.
