Got an iPad for V day from hubby. 3G. Before I did anything went back in the store it came from, took it to the apple guy, asked everything I could think of. Took it home, synced it to up load my iPod info. Kept getting a no sim error. never once did he mention a sim card to me at the store. So looked everywhere, no sim, inside box, inside iPad. Call the store, their telling me they can't get me a sim, that they have to have the iPad back (swap) I have to replace it with a new one, with a sim... Super aggravate. Does this sound right? I really can't understand why the sim can't just be replaced. Feedback much appreciated

the iPad 3G doesn't come with a sim card, you have to go sign up with one of the phone venders to get one, if you go in to settings you can turn the 3G off until you make up your mind to get one. have a look under Settings/Cellular Data there's a switch there to turn it off

I don't understand the store's reaction. First of all, at least in the UK, a 3G iPad does not come complete with a SIM. You purchase that separately from a service provider of your choice. It seems from the posts here that AT&T are the provider that many people are using. The iPad accepts a 'microSIM' and many service providers have special iPad data packages where you pay a regular monthly charge and receive a regular monthly data allowance.

I can certainly see no reason why you would need to return the iPad to the store. I'm sure that other (US) Forum members will be able to recommend a suitable service provider; you'll see too that there's a special section of the Forum devoted to 'Carriers' - another word for a service provider. So I'd recommend having a look there and doing some research on which service provider would be best for you. Issues are how much is your monthly data allowance, the cost (of course!) and the coverage that the service provider has in the area where you expect to use your iPad on 3G. In the UK, for historical reasons to some extent and the fact that it's a geographically small country, we have more-or-less universal coverage but, in the US, as a result of its geographical size, coverage is very variable and there are many rural areas with no coverage at all.

Tim
Scotland

Originally Posted by Tim SPRACKLEN

I don't understand the store's reaction. First of all, at least in the UK, a 3G iPad does not come complete with a SIM.

In the US they come with the AT&T or Verizon SIM pre-installed.If it's somehow missing, simply return it and get another. The store will clone your data so the only loss will be the time it takes to effect the return.

Almost right. There is no Verizon SIM. Verizon iPads are the WiFi only models. They are sold with a MiFi portable 3G hotspot. The CDMA technology that Verizon uses does not use SIMS.

AT&T uses GSM, the same as many other countries. Those countries also provide more than once choice of carrier, which is why they often get iPads without a SIM. The carrier provides it.

As for the original question, at a guess, the Apple store probably doesn't have extra iPad SIM cards laying around. That's more of an AT&t thing. They probably find it a lot easier just to give you a new iPad than try and send you a SIM, and then tell you how to set it up, and then have to take the iPad back again if it turns out not to be the SIM after all. Error messages don't always tell the truth.

In short, they are playing it safe, trying to solve your problem in one shot instead of potentially dragging out through several episodes. Or they could be incompetent. Even Apple has a few bad, um, apples, in the bunch.