Traveling in Italy with iPad1

[mwyler]

I brought my iPad to Italy in hopes that I could buy a sim card to activate the 3G.......I was told at the Vodaphone store that the iPad was 'locked', and that the sim card would not work........any suggestions out there? Would I have had to do this before I left the states?

Thanks,

M

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[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Is yours an AT&T or Verizon iPad?

Tim

[mwyler]

Verizon

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

A Verizon iPad will only work in the US and a very few other countries. It uses a 3G standard that's not supported in many countries and does not use a SIM card - you have no SIM card slot in your iPad. So I'm afraid you'll only be able to use your iPad in the US and a couple of other countries that support Verizon's CDMA standard. The AT&T iPad uses GSM which works world-wide. So the Vodafone shop was correct; your iPad is locked to Verizon, I'm afraid.

Tim

[mwyler]

Sorry, I must have ATT (Verizon is my phone) as there is a sim card slot. The tech at the store took it out and tried to put in a sim, but told me it was locked.........and thanks
for the quick response!

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

OK - if it's AT&T and there's a SIM slot it's most definitely NOT locked. There are no locked AT&T iPads in the US. The Vodafone Store person is incorrect. In Europe some iPads are locked, so the person may be confused with those. A Vodafone microSIM will work just fine in your iPad. No problem. Many US Members have used SIMs in Italy without any problems at all.

Tim

[mwyler]

OK - if it's AT&T and there's a SIM slot it's most definitely NOT locked. There are no locked AT&T iPads in the US. The Vodafone Store person is incorrect. In Europe some iPads are locked, so the person may be confused with those. A Vodafone microSIM will work just fine in your iPad. No problem. Many US Members have used SIMs in Italy without any problems at all.

Tim

Thanks......I'll try again.

[Tim SPRACKLEN]

Yes - but don't be too hard on the Vodafone shop personnel. As I said, they may not have realised it was a US model (though they should have done!). Go for a pre-pay card and simply exchange the SIMs. There might be some (minimal) configuration to do (the so-called APN - Access Point Name - plus, sometimes, an account name and password). Sometimes, though, this is done automatically, so it's difficult to know in advance. If you have problems when you've put the new SIM card in, get back in contact and we'll try and help you through it.

Tim