Cheapest PAYG Sim for Ipad Air?

sasparillo

Hi, I used to have Samba for my iPad but am now looking for the cheapest Pay As You Go sim to run on an IPad Air which I can also use on London Underground ie Virgin Media Broadband and Virgin Monthly customers, EE, T-Mobile and Orange, Vodafone, O2 or Three. Not sure whether the tube wireless applies to data only sims? Does anyone know and what would you suggest? TIA!

16:39 No one can help me with this ? Or am I just being impatient?!! If no one can help, can anyone recommend any previous threads that could help me?

Im_just_careful

Sadly there is no perfect answer to your question.


If you had a phone, the "3" 3 2 1 PAYG SIM would have been a good answer but that will be blocked if you use it in an iPad.


Why networks take this view with PAYG I don't know, but they do.


I find for raw data, buying 3 data SIMs when they are on offer and using those (the last ones cost £3 for 1GB lasting a month) quite good but I think they won't physically fit in your iPad Air.


Low volume PAYG data is hard to find.


https://www.exa.net.uk/business/connectivity/mobile


will charge per MB but you won't need to use much to be better off in giffgaff and their gigabag and you will be able to get a SIM to fit your iPad without difficulty.


http://giffgaff.com/gigabags


Some find giffgaff slow for data but I find the performance as good as Vodafone and a bit slower than "3".

sasparillo

Hi, Thanks so much for your reply! I can see it's a knotty situation ... Perhaps the network providers want to keep the mobile phone and the tablet markets as separate as possible, even though by having sims in tablets, the markets have merged?!!!

I really want one of Virgin Media Broadband and Virgin Monthly customers, EE, T-Mobile and Orange, Vodafone, O2 or Three, so that I can use the ipad on the underground.

So I suppose I was hoping someone knew of a special offer PAYG sim (it can be both data and voice although as you say Three's 321 is blocked for the ipad).

Anybody out there know of such offers?

Anyway, thanks again for your response, I'm_just_careful !

Chorlie

Has IJC states, I bought several Three Data Sims (1GB 30 day or 3GB 90 day) when they were on offer for use in my iPad from Curry's a few months back; I think they were £2.99 (they had Standard, Micro & Nano Sims).

The Three's 321 won't work in an iPad (I've tried it) but my old Nokia phone has Bluetooth and I can pair it to my iPad and it works fine that way. I'm not sure if it would work in a MiFi.

Lastly; consider buying a Sim cutter (off eBay / Amazon etc) so you can cut a Standard Sim down to a Micro Sim or a Micro Sim to a Nano Sim, I use them and they work fine and they were only a couple of £ so gives you more options.

sasparillo

Thanks so much Chorlie! Between you and IJC I now have a great deal of info! I think I may go down the sim cutter route as I want one of the network providers that work on the London tube for wireless.

I'll just have to buckle down to my own research unless anyone has any suggestions on full size sims and micro sims, which would be great!

d123

Have a look on eBay for the EE 90 day 6GB data sims, they are often priced around £15.

Scrounger

One solution would be a cheap T-Mobile data SIM in conjunction with an 'Internet Booster' as required.

Scrounger

sasparillo

They both look interesting deals, d123 and Scrounger. Thanks! Do data only sims have their own phone number in spite of not having voice - being basic here as wifi on the underground demands a phone number to log in?

Chorlie

Do T-Mobile still offer the Internet Booster? If they do its a good deal 1Gb a month for £3.33 and no messing around switching sims each month, after 6 month just pay another £20 and start again.

I remember T-Mobile offered 12 months free Internet on PAYG f you had an iPhone, so I go the sim (with £10 top-up) activated the sim in an iPhone & put it in my iPad, Internet for a year for a £10; but that's long gone...

You just need to see if it will work in an iPad or if they do like Three 321 and block it, if so you could try using it via a phone to make a wifi / Bluetooth link.

Also consider how much data you use each month, if its only a very small about (on average around 250Mb) then the Three 321 should be cheaper (it's only 1p a Mb) but if you use often use more (500Mb) then the T-Mobile with Internet Booster should be cheaper, however if you use more that 1Gb than you'll need to look at a sim that gives you several Gb's over a period of time.

Lastly if you're mainly looking for free wifi on the tube, than make sure the network includes it within the package.

d123

sasparillo wrote: »

They both look interesting deals, d123 and Scrounger. Thanks! Do data only sims have their own phone number in spite of not having voice - being basic here as wifi on the underground demands a phone number to log in?

Yes, they do.

Im_just_careful

As mentioned by "Chorlie", Bluetooth tethering an iPod touch or iPad can work well. Your phone needs to support PAN Bluetooth profile but I have a phone that does and that works nicely even with the 3 2 1 SIM in the phone. I haven't abused this but I've never triggered any tethering detection on "3" even though it isn't allowed under their T's & C's.


I have a cheap Chinese SIM cutter, very useful.


I've no idea if T-Mobile look for Phone SIM use in an iPad. If not their 6 Month web deal is worth a look. You could invest £5 in trying in on a PAYG SIM (1 month is £5, 6 months is £20).