Carrier Best iPad Cellular Plan - UK?

[AlexSykes]

I'm planning on getting the iPad Air 2 with 4G + WiFi, however I have no idea who provides the best value plans.

I don't need too much data, my new car however allows an iPad to be inserted into it for entertainment and internet abilities, and being able to have the iPad itself at the centre of the experience makes me think that it would make sense to get the dual model, instead of just the WiFi model, like I have always purchased historically.

On that basis, anyone else in the UK have a plan for their iPad, or anyone with more experience than me found some good deals and providers? I only seem to be aware of the main providers, and they don't seem to be offering very good deals?

Thanks to anyone who can provide me any advice!

 

[Pluto88888]

I'm planning on getting the iPad Air 2 with 4G + WiFi, however I have no idea who provides the best value plans.

I don't need too much data, my new car however allows an iPad to be inserted into it for entertainment and internet abilities, and being able to have the iPad itself at the centre of the experience makes me think that it would make sense to get the dual model, instead of just the WiFi model, like I have always purchased historically.

On that basis, anyone else in the UK have a plan for their iPad, or anyone with more experience than me found some good deals and providers? I only seem to be aware of the main providers, and they don't seem to be offering very good deals?

Thanks to anyone who can provide me any advice!

Hello, If you are in a three 4G area join three iPad sim plan only you will get 10GB Data for £15.

http://www.uswitch.com/broadband/compare/ipad_sim_only_deals/

 

[r-m]

As mentioned, Three UK £15 for 10gb is the better value. Even if you wouldn't use all that data, for not much cheaper, you get a hell of a lot less. All the other networks seem a rip-off in comparison.
I used the sim in my iPad 3, and it also allowed tethering. Handy for if your mobile's data allowance is running low, or if there's other devices in the car (kid's laptop, or iPod, for example) that need a connection.

I only got rid of that deal, because I went for Three's "the one plan", so now I just use my iPhone as a hotspot and connect the iPad to that.
That may also be worth you looking into - can you add tethering? It may save you £10 a month, and £100 by not getting the wifi+cellular version.

 

[AlexSykes]

As mentioned, Three UK £15 for 10gb is the better value. Even if you wouldn't use all that data, for not much cheaper, you get a hell of a lot less. All the other networks seem a rip-off in comparison.
I used the sim in my iPad 3, and it also allowed tethering. Handy for if your mobile's data allowance is running low, or if there's other devices in the car (kid's laptop, or iPod, for example) that need a connection.

I only got rid of that deal, because I went for Three's "the one plan", so now I just use my iPhone as a hotspot and connect the iPad to that.
That may also be worth you looking into - can you add tethering? It may save you £10 a month, and £100 by not getting the wifi+cellular version.

Actually, that's true. I just checked and remembered that I signed a 12 month contract with Three just before the 5s came out, this included at the time unlimited 4G and unlimited tethering. I checked online and it said that the minimum contract term ended on October 11th, and I move on to my next contract month tomorrow? I checked and it says that unless i'm unhappy then my contract continues as agreed at the point of signing until I inform them that I wish to upgrade or cancel? Does this mean that I still have my unlimited tethering and that I do not need to sign for a new contract with them also?

Tethering does sound like a better option, are there actually any benefits to having a cellular iPad over just the regular WiFi with tethering iPad?

Thanks for the information you've already provided btw!

 

[TheDeviceUser]

EE do 2GB for £15 (Up to 30 days).
O2 do 3GB for £15 (Up to 30 days).

I'm going to see what Apple Sim is going to be like.

 

[Loopy65]

I use 3 pre-loaded data cards. Currys/PC world have them on offer sometimes and I stock up! I use the 1GB ones, they cost me £2.50 each in the summer! I don't need a heap of data coverage so the 1GB will last me a month usually.
Also though, not sure who you're with for phone but again, I'm with three and have a monthly contract that allows up to 4GB of tethering so I'm just going with the iPad sim in emergencies for the most part. I know Three tethering won't work abroad for example.

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Actually, that's true. I just checked and remembered that I signed a 12 month contract with Three just before the 5s came out, this included at the time unlimited 4G and unlimited tethering. I checked online and it said that the minimum contract term ended on October 11th, and I move on to my next contract month tomorrow? I checked and it says that unless i'm unhappy then my contract continues as agreed at the point of signing until I inform them that I wish to upgrade or cancel? Does this mean that I still have my unlimited tethering and that I do not need to sign for a new contract with them also?

Tethering does sound like a better option, are there actually any benefits to having a cellular iPad over just the regular WiFi with tethering iPad?

Thanks for the information you've already provided btw!

Three will carry your contract until you want to ditch it. If you signed for certain allowances and price then it stays at that! Very good deal imo!

 

[AlexSykes]

I use 3 pre-loaded data cards. Currys/PC world have them on offer sometimes and I stock up! I use the 1GB ones, they cost me £2.50 each in the summer! I don't need a heap of data coverage so the 1GB will last me a month usually.
Also though, not sure who you're with for phone but again, I'm with three and have a monthly contract that allows up to 4GB of tethering so I'm just going with the iPad sim in emergencies for the most part. I know Three tethering won't work abroad for example.

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Three will carry your contract until you want to ditch it. If you signed for certain allowances and price then it stays at that! Very good deal imo!

Thanks for the information, that does sound like a good deal! However as you say that Three will honour and continue my contract until I ditch it, would you therefore say it's probably a better idea to get the WiFi only model? I recall using my MacBook Pro in the car (obviously not whilst driving, was using it whilst it was pouring it down in a country park ) and from using tethering in a 4G area from Three it worked amazingly with the iPhone 5s I had at the time.

Saving the £95 (business discount of an amazing £5 between the WiFi and WiFi/4G!) and not buying the cellular model would be beneficial then? As I assume with the Internet tethering there would be no advantage over getting a cellular iPad?

 

[r-m]

Thanks for the information, that does sound like a good deal! However as you say that Three will honour and continue my contract until I ditch it, would you therefore say it's probably a better idea to get the WiFi only model? I recall using my MacBook Pro in the car (obviously not whilst driving, was using it whilst it was pouring it down in a country park ) and from using tethering in a 4G area from Three it worked amazingly with the iPhone 5s I had at the time.

Saving the £95 (business discount of an amazing £5 between the WiFi and WiFi/4G!) and not buying the cellular model would be beneficial then? As I assume with the Internet tethering there would be no advantage over getting a cellular iPad?

I'd personally save the £95.
The only advantages I can see with having a cellular iPad, is the battery life and convenience.
iPad battery will last longer than your phone (unless you have a 6 Plus, then they may be about the same). Tethering will drain the phone battery, but the compromise is that you're in your car so could have it charging.
Convenience, because cellular iPad is instantly connected. Tethering to the phone means switching on the hotspot feature, then connecting your iPad. I'm okay with that little dance (when it works.. See below current annoyances).

With iOS 8, if the iPhone and iPad are both using the same iCloud account, there's a new feature that allows the iPad to turn on the iPhone's hotspot. I'm actually having issues with that right now, and it also sometimes isn't working properly when I manually switch on the hotspot. I'm hoping for a fix in iOS 8.1.

I usually leave hotspot turned on (it automatically switches off the wifi part of it after a few minutes of idle), and use Bluetooth tether - on my iPad, in Bluetooth settings, tapping my iPhone would get my iPad using hotspot over Bluetooth.
With iOS 8, what should happen, I tap my iPhone in the wifi settings of my iPad and it gets switched back on and uses hotspot over wifi.

 

[stringent]

Also there is a proper GPS chip in the cellular version.

I liked having the cellular version last time, it was on a different network to my iPhone and sometimes where I didn't get a 3 signal, I had an EE signal on my iPad. Does it warrant the extra £100 and SIM charges? Well I got a £10/mo EE SIM with unlimited 3G ages ago. That does me fine, if I see a 4G tariff for 3GB data then maybe I'll swap!

 

[Loopy65]

Thanks for the information, that does sound like a good deal! However as you say that Three will honour and continue my contract until I ditch it, would you therefore say it's probably a better idea to get the WiFi only model? I recall using my MacBook Pro in the car (obviously not whilst driving, was using it whilst it was pouring it down in a country park ) and from using tethering in a 4G area from Three it worked amazingly with the iPhone 5s I had at the time.

Saving the £95 (business discount of an amazing £5 between the WiFi and WiFi/4G!) and not buying the cellular model would be beneficial then? As I assume with the Internet tethering there would be no advantage over getting a cellular iPad?

I've pondered the same thing a lot! Have always gone for the cellular though because I want to get online if I need to (not sure that makes sense?!). Tethering used to slow the connection but it seems not to now.
If the money's an issue then get wifi, if not then cellular. It's not quite such an instant 'on' with tethering and it can drain phone life.
Still pondering lol

 

[yegon]

I use EE, 6gb valid for 90 day sims off Amazon for £15. If you're a heavy streamer, probably not for you, but for general usage it's fine. Worse case scenario, you run out of data before the 90 days are up and bung in another. I've never had to do that, always had about a 1gb left, although I watchc locally stored HD video content.