iPad 101: Managing your 3G data plans
Much as I love AT&T's prepaid services, their interactive system for purchasing feature packages... well, it kind of sucks. I can't count the number of hours I have spent on their 611 purchase line trying to get the chirpy fake human at the other end (no, seriously, the robot is very cheerful and upbeat) to properly confirm my correct order. With the help of human operators (who cannot, by the way, actually effect the purchase), I have a cheat sheet that sits next to my computer and gets updated as they change their menu system: sometimes you have to say "yes". Sometimes you have to say "buy it". It's all a bit of a mess.
So when I read through Apple's updated iPad 3G page, I was delighted to see that you can add your prepaid 3G feature packages from the iPad without ever having to speak to chirpy fake humans. It's all done from the padtop. And that, let me say, is marvelous.
No, you won't be able to use AT&T prepaid cards, which is a pity. I'd rather enter a card number onto my iPad when sitting at an airport, for example, than my personal credit card information (thank you, AT&T, not), and you have to sign up for recurring plans (see the screenshot), but it looks like it's going to be a way better and friendlier experience than my 611 nightmares.
One of the great things about the 250 MB limited plan is that you'll be warned about how much of your data you've used. Apple's writeup states, "[iPad] will even let you know when you're running out [of data]. You'll get three alerts as you near your 250MB limit -- at 20 percent, 10 percent, and zero." At that time, you can add more data (in 250 MB increments) or upgrade to "unlimited" (likely capped at 5GB) for the forseeable future. There is no option for "oops, I underestimated my needs, can I just pay the remaining difference and hop onto the unlimited plan just for this month," so keep that in mind as well.
There's a big old "Cancel Plan" button that you can tap at any time that will get you out of any further purchases. Being a pre-paid AT&T plan, there's pretty much a zero percent chance that you'll get any refunds on unused services, so watch your calendar carefully while living in auto-renew-land. As TUAW reader DJFriar points out, the service change takes effect when your current plan runs out of data or reaches its normal expiration date, i.e. it follows AT&T's norm for prepaid feature plans. See the Plan Options wording on this graphic from Apple's website.
Apple's write-up indicates that your device can automatically take advantage of Wi-Fi connections when they are available, in places like Starbucks and Barnes & Noble, which offer free Wi-Fi for anyone who has signed up for an AT&T data plan. That's going to be another way to stretch your data if you opt for the 250MB plan.
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Source: http://www.apple.com/ipad/3g/
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Much as I love AT&T's prepaid services, their interactive system for purchasing feature packages... well, it kind of sucks. I can't...
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If you have an existing account, but are currently "cancelled", I wonder if you can get to AT&T's website to renew from the iPad (like the limited access that WiFi vendors give you until you sign up). I don't expect to use data very often (which is why I cancelled my iPhone plan), but can imagine (for example) being out shopping and on the spur of the moment wanting to look up prices. I guess we'll find out after getting our hands on these things.
Regarding 3G service with AT&T, Apple states, " Best of all, there’s no contract. So if you have a business trip or vacation approaching, just sign up for the month you’ll be traveling and cancel when you get back."
My question is what happens when you want to sign up again after you have canceled the service? Normally, to reactivate service with AT&T after 60 days a new SIM card is required. If service is canceled in June then will a new SIM purchase be required in order to start service again after August?
I need to know if I will be able to use my international credit card to create an account.
Coming to the US for a month. It would be great to have net access 24/7 while Im there.
If you can't use your international card, just go to a drugstore (Walgreens, CVS, etc.) They have prepaid debit cards which you can purchase. Sometimes called gift cards but they work just like a debit card. You should probably be able to use that.
April 29 2010 at 4:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyTotally unrelated to the article: Would you please teach your "bloggers" to learn the difference between effect and affect. Is it really that easy to become a "professional blogger" these days?
"With the help of human operators (who cannot, by the way, actually effect the purchase)..."
I talked with an Apple rep, and they said that they don't have details about mid-month upgrades, so they aren't sure if it'll be just the difference or the full amount. Also, one other plus is that it is truly month-by-month contract free. I signed up for a local "contract free" 3G provider, and there was a $40 re-connect fee if you don't use it constantly. Apple said that there will be NO reconnect fees, so it really is "buy as you need" which will seal the deal for a lot of people on the 3G model.
March 12 2010 at 3:58 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyIt says on the Apple page that if you do it in the middle of the month "it will start when the current plan runs out of data or reaches the end date, which ever comes first." (last graphic). It says that option applies to the "Cancel Plan" option as well.
March 12 2010 at 4:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyWhy can't you just add it to your iTunes account? Why make me enter my CC again? Odd.
March 12 2010 at 3:29 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyProbably because you are paying AT&T for the 3G connectivity rather then Apple...
March 12 2010 at 4:03 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyI noticed on apples new 3G specific page that there's a screen shot that has a button for "add international plan," has anyone heard any pricing figures for that?
March 12 2010 at 3:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyFrom article:
There is no option for "oops, I underestimated my needs, can I just pay the remaining difference and hop onto the unlimited plan just for this month," so keep that in mind as well.
Is this true? The iPad site says nothing about this, and other users of sites (macrumors, etc) seem to report exactly the opposite.
I'm curious about this as well. Every other mention I've seen states that it will automatically bump up to the unlimited if you use more than 250MB.
March 12 2010 at 4:01 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyNope, Erica is correct.
If you pay $15 for 250 Megs, you have two options...
1. You sign up for another 250 megs at $15, which will take effect once your original 250 megs are depleted or your month is up.
2. You sign up for the unlimited plan for $30, which will take effect once your original 250 megs are depleted or your month is up.
You can't "upgrade" to the unlimited plan for $15 halfway through the month, or when you run out of data.
That's why I'm going with the WiFi version. I don't feel like getting nickel and dimed to death by AT&T esp. since I already pay $30 a month for my iPhone data plan.
Funny - I can share my minutes between all my phones on AT&T but I can't share my data between my devices on AT&T.
Give me a pool of data and let all the devices on my plan just pull from that instead of forcing me to pay $30 for each device I have :( (Currently at $90/mo)
Your iPad also gets a phone number too.
March 12 2010 at 3:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyAll 3G data plans get phone numbers too... think of it as a legacy appendix.
March 12 2010 at 3:17 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down ReplyHot Apps on TUAW
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