I have an Apple iPad 3G on order in the USA that I am planning to send to a friend in the UK.

I assume that 3G service carriers in the UK and in other countries have little information, since the iPad is not yet for sale outside of the USA. However, does anyone anticipate any issues when using the 3G service in other countries when the iPad was purchased in USA?

Are carrier frequencies different in countries other than the USA, or are the iPads manufactured to be compatible with carrier frequencies in other countries?

Thank you in advance for your response.

Jobs said in the keynote that there will be 3G service overseas

3G is an industry standard and the modem built into the iPad supports all worldwide available 3G frequencies. So YES, it will work in UK and everywhere else.

But beware if the iPad has a US AT&T microsim card, you might have horrendous data roaming charges outside the US.

Thank you. That is very reassuring.

I am not going to be using it as a roaming device in the UK. It will be used strictly with a UK 3G service provider. But now that you mention it, if it does use a SIM card for USA AT&T, why can't it be removed and replaced with one from a UK wireless service provider?

Thanks.

Also beware that LTE is around the corner...and could be out before the second gen iPad hits the shelves.

It should be a while before LTE rolls out.

There will always be other upgrades and better things waiting to happen, so why not enjoy the 3G while it's here?

iPAD 3G USA is locked to AT&T

I was shocked to hear from iPAD Applecare support that the iPAD 3G bought in the USA is infact locked to AT&T so you cannot simply replace the micro-sim card. I am moving from the USA to the UK soon & wanted to buy an iPAD in the USA, but now will wait until I am in the UK. This is very strange since I thought that Steve Jobs said in his iPAD keynote speech in January that the iPAD will be unlocked. So, either Steve Jobs doesn't know what he's talking abut or Applecare support doesn't know what they're talking about!!!

I am pretty sure, that the poor support guy mixed up a few things. Steve Jobs clearly said, that the iPad will be unlocked!!

By Friday, when the first 3G devices will arrive, we all will know. Be patient and make you decision after the weekend.

On the day it arrives, my first 3G iPad will be shipped to the UK. By the time it reaches it's destination, it will be too late to find out if the 3G will not work there. If it does not, I will have it shipped back to the USA. If the 3G does work in the UK, then I will immediately order one for myself.

The only thing that worries me is that iPad's release in the UK is scheduled for late May. One wonders why the delay, other than that Apple cannot meet the demand of the foreign market.

Do note that the iPad 3G uses a micro sim which is different in size from the mini sim generally used in most countries (such as mine, for instance). There are those who suggest that one need only cut a mini sim down to micro sim size (as the contact points are identical in both) for it to work. Until we actually get our hands on one, it may only be conjecture at this point. I am hopeful that it works, though, or I would have wasted bucks on obtaining the +3G premium

iPAD3G

I have no doubt that the USA iPAD 3G will work on the UK 3G network as is, but the question is how much is the roaming/ data charge. What we want to know is, following the iPAD3G release in the UK, can you simply take out your micro-sim from your US model & put in a micro-sim from a UK iPAD 3G provider. It will mechanically be possible, but will it work ie. is the US iPAD 3G truly locked to AT&T.

Steve Job's clearly said it was unlocked, so my suspicion is that since the Applecare folks probably haven't been trained properly on the 3G version when I called (about 3wks ago) they probably didn't really know.

Unfortunately, you won't find out whether it is truly locked to AT&T until the iPAD 3G is launched in the UK & you can get hold of a UK micro-sim card to put in your US model.

Hope this all makes sense!!!

Let us know how you get along when you get it.

I actually need it to work in the US, UK & Japan over the summer since I'm travelling! If only there was a universal micro-sim!!!

p.s. just spoken to Apple technical support & they recommended that I ask the question at the weekend after the launch since they don't have the technical support documents yet! So, it seems they don't really know the answer!

Try Truphone

iPAD3G

What's the difference vs Skype?

so are you saying I can pop a Truphone local anywhere sim into my US iPhone or US iPAD & get local rates in the UK...?

That's all well and good, but once we receive the iPad 3G, how will we know if it is locked or unlocked. I am sure it will work on AT&Ts 3G network, but the big question for me and others is, "Will the 3G unit purchased in the USA work with UK 3G network(s)?"

Thanks to everyone who responded.

It looks like you are correct. According to Apple Support today (1-800-MY-APPLE), the US version of the Apple iPad 3G is locked to AT&T. Even if you can change the SIM card, it will not connect to other carriers (both USA & UK) unless jail-broken.

They have already shipped my 3G iPad, so I am going to have to wait until May 10th to order one from the UK. And according to Apple, the 3G won't be available until late June.

From the horse's mouth, so-to-speak.

It is still difficult to believe since Steve Jobs said it was unlocked, plus I bet Applecare don't have access to the real information until today. Also why would the iPAD include a sim card removal kit in the box?