WiFi-only iPad Coming to Verizon: Skip Their iPad 3G Plan if You Have an Android or BlackBerry VZW Phone
If this announcement by Apple and Verizon Wireless is any indicator, we can expect two things in the near future:
Verizon Wireless Offers iPad at Stores Nationwide on October 28
1. Apple’s iPhone is heading to Verizon Wireless in the not too distant future
2. We may long for the day of AT&T’s relatively simple pricing schemes after Verizon gets their complex pricing structures into motion at full steam
Let’s take a look at just one iPad bundle and one 3G data plan.
A 16GB WiFi-only iPad bundled with a Verizon MiFi 2200 Intelligent Mobile Hotspot will cost $629.99. The iPad alone is $499. If you buy a MiFi alone with a two year contract, its cost is free for new subscribers. iPads can be purchased without a MiFi from Verzion. But, there’s no advantage to buying one from Verizon compared to Apple’s own store.
Verizon is offering what looks like a no-contract month-to-month 3G plan similar to AT&T’s offering. However, while AT&T provides 2GB of data for $25 per month, Verizon’s plan only provides 1GB for $20. Verizon’s plan does have the advantage of letting you use the MiFi with devices other than the iPad, however. If you have an Android, BlackBerry or other smartphone from Verizon that can act as a mobile hotspot, Verizon has a $20 month plan (in addition to your phone’s data fee) that provides 2GB per month. So, you should skip Verizon’s iPad data plan if you have one of these phones.
