NEW! Cheapest iPads - article discussion

Beatlefan · 24 January 2012 at 1:39AM

Thanks Humphrey, sound advice.

I mostly work from home, so have access to wifi here, so would only use the 3G on the three or four occasions each month that I go to London for meetings. I had hoped to use the iPad on the train to catch up on articles I've bookmarked via Twitter or Facebook on news or sports sites. Or to access online versions of newspapers which are harder to read on an iPhone.

However, the journeys I make are mostly on local trains, so there's no WIFI on board. And the 3G reception on my iPhone is pretty hit and miss on board too.

As you say, £100 extra is a lot of money to pay out if I will only use the 3G a few times a month.

On very rare occasions, I stay overnight in London in a hotel, although again, as you say I'd be in a WIFI zone then anyway.

We sometimes go away to a caravan park to the coast, but the connection via 3G is very unreliable in the caravan there anyway, so again the 3G model would offer much added benefit either.

Think I'm definitely coming round to the WIFI only model!

And the tethering option or the dongle would be much cheaper as you say.

Thanks again.

marvell-kid · 24 January 2012 at 2:27PM

Tethering

I have an iPhone 4S on contract with 3 (The one Plan, which gives unlimited data). I use its hotspot setting to use my iPad WIFI 16GB whilst on the road. The other week I was able to watch the Manchester Derby FA cup game on tvcatchup between London and Nottingham, with minimal drop outs. Thats strange you don't get the option to connect via WIFI on your phone. Bluetooth is the only other way to connect iPads, iPods and iPhones together as they don't have USB connectors.

With WIFI you just search for the personal hotspot like you do when looking for a new WIFI connection and Bluetooth should be similar, but havent tried it.
If you are on the One Plan, tethering should be included in your contract so won't cost any more, but if you are on another plan, check with 3 to see how much it would cost extra a month (or maybe see if you can change to the one plan).

You will be allowed to do this, as the option wouldn't be given to you otherwise. I had a 3GS on o2 and it never gave me the option to create a personal hotspot. You will also need to consider the amount of data that you may use, as an iPad will use more data than your phone.

Mobile devices - MiFi, etc

MiFi is basically a portable router (like what you will have at home, connected to the phone line that give you your home WIFI) with the option to plug it into the phone line or to insert a 3G sim card. The MiFi device will then receive the 3G signal and broadcast it as WIFI thus creating your own little WIFI area. Which you will access like you do at home.

You will not be able to plug it into the iPad (or other iMobile devices) as the only have the 30pin dock connector and not a USB. So a 3G dongle wont work, unless you plug it into a laptop and broadcast the signal from there (basically tethering to your laptop).

You will need the portable router for your iPad.

Data allowance question from K8C

K8C might of gotten confused. The Data allowance probably refers to the phone they are tethering off, or the plan they will have with their MiFi device.

Guarantees

The guarantee is with apple, but you will normally use the shop as a 'middle man' to apple if you encounter any problems with your device. So if you buy from argos, you will need to take it back to argos. But if the company goes bust then you most probably be able to take it directly to apple.

Note: the 2nd year of the JL guarantee is with JL themselves, so if they go bust (very unlikely), then you lose the 2nd year of the guarantee.

Flash

You are correct. Just like an iPhone, the iPad wont support flash, but thats not a massive problem.

Hopefully this helps

marvell-kid · 24 January 2012 at 2:39PM

Refurbished iPad's direct from Apple are the best value I can Find:
I got one, when they first released the referb's on the site in September and you don't notice any difference.
This is the direct link to the Refurbished iPad's direct from apple: http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/ipad

Currently they don't have many in stock but you will be able to save £60 off the cost of the current generation (iPad 2) and £180 off 1st gen (iPad 1)

Bringing the costs to these prices.

iPad 2 WiFi 16GB = £339.00
iPad 2 WiFi 32GB = £419.00
iPad 2 WiFi 64GB = £499.00

iPad 2 WiFi + 3G 16GB = £439.00
iPad 2 WiFi + 3G 32GB = £519.00
iPad 2 WiFi + 3G 64GB = £599.00

iPad 1 WiFi 16GB = £219.00
iPad 1 WiFi 32GB = £299.00
iPad 1 WiFi 64GB = £379.00

iPad 1 WiFi + 3G 16GB = £319.00
iPad 1 WiFi + 3G 32GB = £399.00
iPad 1 WiFi + 3G 64GB = £479.00

From the apple website:
All Refurbished iPad models include:
+ The same 1-year warranty as a brand new iPad
+ All manuals and accessories
+ A new battery and outer shell
+ A new white box (that says refurbished on it)
More here about Apples Refurbishments: http://store.apple.com/uk/browse/home/specialdeals/refurbfaq_popup

Humphrey10 · 24 January 2012 at 6:31PM

marvell-kid wrote: »

So a 3G dongle wont work

Sorry I thought the 3G+wifi things were called dongles too, you're right they appear not to be!

Also, no matter where you buy an iPhone or iPad, you can always deal direct with Apple, no need to go to the shop you bought it from.
Legally yes the shop you bought it from is liable, but why faff around arguing with them when Apple are so easy to deal with?

Beatlefan · 24 January 2012 at 11:26PM

Thanks both. You've both been really helpful. :T

I've got an iphone 3G, not a 4. I'll check with 3 whether I'm on the One plan. I know it's unlimited internet usage. That way I'd be able to tether one to the other.

Re a mobile device, to sum up then, the thing I need to look for, if I go down that route instead of tethering, would be a portable router. I'll Google that and see what's available. As you say, I'd need to get a SIM card for that if I bought one.

Will order my WIFI ipad in the morning. Am very excited!!

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver · 25 January 2012 at 12:14AM

*Me want. Says 'Hi' to Fellow Salivators over Ipad2*

Beatlefan · 27 January 2012 at 12:37AM

Just ordered the WIFI model through Tesco!!

I got £10 off thanks to the code Barry100 posted and earned a further £20 through going to Tesco via Topcashback!!

So £479 down to £449. Still a lot of money, but a good saving.

Thanks again everyone!

morganlefe · 2 February 2012 at 2:52PM

T-mobile offer a cheaper deal than 3 for the iPad 2 if you are an existing customer. You can get the 16gb iPad for £199 and then 24 months at £25 per month and they offer 1GB normal time and 1gb 'quiet time' data allowance. I am just saving up in my piggy bank for the up front cost LOL

savemoney · 14 March 2012 at 12:30PM

:spam: reported

tom-thurlow wrote: »

I have just bought an iPad 2 16GB 3G from a company called xxxxxx in xxxxxx at £130.00 upfront and £19.00 per month for a 5GB data bundle. I dont normally post onto forums but thought this was a good deal and would be appreciated.

I also normally only buy through main street dealers but the company is a Vodafone Gold Distributor (whatever that means!!) and the service was brilliant. The offer only runs to the end of March and I dont know how many they have in stock but I think its a good deal. Saying that though I'm no tech junkie!!!!