Apple iPad

Apple has recently launched the Apple iPad, a gadget that’s a cross between a mobile phone and a laptop, also known as tablet – a device that is no doubt going to be extremely popular for several years to come.

 

What is an iPad?

The iPad is a revolutionary new product made especially for people on the move, with users being able to browse the Internet with their fingertips, flick through photos, read e-books and even watch films. You can even watch the TV on it.

The iPad offers Wi-Fi + 3G superfast data speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps over the 3G mobile networks so users can access the Internet wherever and whenever they need to. The iPad seamlessly switches between 3G and Wi-Fi so you can always get the best connection available.

To enable 3G service on your iPad, you need a micro SIM card and a data plan.

Click here to view all iPad contracts, iPad data plans, and iPad SIMs available.

iPad Deals

GREAT DEAL: 3 currently have a great offer on at the moment - you can get 10GB for just £15 a month. Ideal if you intend on using more than 1GB of data each month.

 

Click here to view the 3 iPad contract offer.

Get iPad contract comparison here.

iPad Contracts

All major mobile broadband providers offer the iPad Micro SIM required to surf 3G networks. Providers currently offering iPad contracts are as follows:

3 iPad contract

Vodafone iPad contract

O2 iPad contract

T-Mobile iPad contract

Virgin iPad contract

iPad Data Plans

There are a huge variety of iPad data plans out there at the moment.

You can pick from the amount of data you’ll need each month, to the speed of your 3G connection or your favourite provider.

Be sure to pick a data allowance that will be realistic for your needs and usage. You don’t want to get a 1GB deal if you intend on regularly downloading music and watching films and TV.

iPad Micro SIMs

If you intend on using the iPad to surf the Internet on the move, you’ll need an iPad Micro SIM, rather than a traditional SIM that would be used for a mobile phone or a USB dongle.

See all iPad Micro SIM deals here.

What does the iPad look like?

The iPad has a large 9.7 inch backlit LED display, and your fingers do the surfing with the responsive multi-touch screen.

It's also exceptionally lightweight weighing just 1.5lbs (or just 0.68kgs) and is incredibly thin at just 13.4mm in depth.

What can you do on an iPad?

The features to the iPad are never ending. As well as surfing the web with your fingertips using the amazing touch screen, there are more than 200,000 apps on the App store and the iPad can run almost all of them.

From games, reading iBooks and watching HD films and TV programmes, the iPad has something for everyone.

What are the iPad’s technical specifications?

Size and weight:

Height: 242.8 mm (9.56 inches)

Width: 189.7 mm (7.47 inches)

Depth: 13.4 mm (0.5 inch)

Weight: 0.68 kg (1.5lbs) Wi-Fi model; 0.73 kg (1.6lbs) Wi-Fi + 3G model

Display:

9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology

1024 x 768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)

Fingerprint-resistant oleo phobic coating

Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously

Wireless and Mobile Network:

Wi-Fi Model:

Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)

Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

Wi-Fi + 3G Model :

UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)

GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Data only

Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n)

Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology

Inside:

16GB, 32GB or 64GB flash drive

1GHz Apple A4 custom-designed, high-performance, low-power system-on-a-chip

Accelerometer

Ambient light sensor

Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz

Audio formats supported: HE-AAC (V1), AAC (16 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), MP3 (16 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3 and 4),

Apple Lossless, AIFF and WAV

User-configurable maximum volume limit

Support for 1024 by 768 pixels with Dock Connector to VGA Adapter; 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable

H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4 and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format

Dock connector port

3.5-mm stereo headphone jack

Built-in speaker

Microphone

Micro SIM card tray (Wi-Fi + 3G model only)

Battery and Power:

Built-in 25-watt-hour rechargeable lithium-polymer battery

Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music

Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system