iPad 3 on T-Mobile

[georget99]

I'm planning on buying an iPad 3 next weekend (MA sales tax holiday), but I'm not sure which carrier would be best for me -- AT&T or Verizon. The plans are AT&T $15=250 Mb, $30=3 Gb, $50=5 Gb; and Verizon $20 = 1 Gb, $30=2 Gb, and $50=5 Gb.

My experience with my Kindle Fire and MiFi show I'm mostly on WiFi and use about 300 Mb in a typical month. Given that I'll probably use more with the iPad, the Verizon plan looks better unless I use lots more, in which case it's AT&T.

My question in can I use the iPad 3 on T-Mobile? Which version can work on T-Mobile, the AT&T or the Verizon, or do either or neither. I've done online research but most of what I've found seems to be about the iPad 2.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

[rogerski1]

Neither one will work on Tmobile. The at and t one is possible, but you would only get edge speed, which to me is unusable.

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[Mr. D.]

If you have an android phone that supports wifi hotspot, you can save the $130 upcharge on the iPad for cellular connectivity. In my experience with my Optimus T, even 3G speeds are more than adequate for most web data sharing, except perhaps HD video streaming.

[curdean]

I think the verizon Ipad 3 has both GSM and CDMA radios..

[PhotoJim]

If you might ever leave the US and want data connectivity (for a trip, e.g.), make sure your iPad supports GSM/UMTS/LTE networks so that you could get a SIM card locally. If the Verizon model in the US is a separate model, it won't work on cellular networks in any other country. (It could theoretically work on legacy networks in Canada but the Canadian carriers won't support it; they use the GSM/LTE model on their new networks instead.)

[Haas_Dave]

I think the verizon Ipad 3 has both GSM and CDMA radios..

It has CDMA, GSM, UMTS, and LTE radios (LTE works only on VZW and its rural LTE partners).

A T-Mobile SIM will work on the VZW model 3rd gen, just as it would on an AT&T model. If you're not in a refarmed spectrum area, it will be edge only.

The at&t/international model might be better off, since it has the LTE band T-Mobile will be using and the LTE radio can be used in Canada on Bell or Rogers. Once again, it will be edge only unless you're in a refarmed area or (eventually) in an area that has LTE deployed.