Apple's new 'iPad 3' released in the UK

 

New iPad tablet available from Orange, Three, O2 and Vodafone.

The latest iPad device from Apple has officially gone on sale in the UK. Simply called the new iPad - not the “iPad 3” as many expected - the tablet has been upgraded with a high-definition (HD) screen and a more powerful 5-megapixel camera.

Prices start at £399 for a Wi-Fi only model or £499 for Wi-Fi plus 4G. However, there is currently no 4G network - supplying the “fourth generation” of mobile internet - available to UK consumers. Until the technology is developed, the new iPads with 4G will connect to 3G or faster 3.5G networks.

For people looking to buy the new iPad from a mobile company and sign-up to a monthly contract, 3G network Three is offering a 16GB iPad for £99, plus £29 a month over 24 months. This includes 15GB of data a month. Paying £159 upfront brings the monthly charge down to £25.

Vodafone has also launched a 24-month agreement, charging £199 upfront for the iPad, then £27 a month including a 2GB allowance plus 1GB of monthly BT Openzone access. Orange also charges £199 for the new iPad, with contracts starting from £25 a month.

With Orange you get a smaller 1GB data limit, with an additional 1GB Quiet Time data (midnight - 4pm), supplemented by up to 10GB free Wi-Fi from BT Openzone hotspots, available throughout the UK.

Pippa Dunn, consumer chief marketing officer at Everything Everywhere, which operates the Orange 3G mobile network, said: “New iPad customers will benefit from the widest 3G coverage in the UK and, with our advanced 3.5G roll-out, they will also benefit from a really fast network.”

There are also sim-only iPad deals, which usually work out cheaper in the long run, but these involve paying the full price of an iPad upfront. From the Apple Store and retailers such as PC World, the 4G version is £499 with 16GB storage, £579 for 32GB or £659 for the biggest 64GB tablet.

Once an iPad has been purchased, micro sim-only deals are available from most UK mobile providers. Vodafone is offering 2GB of data for £15 a month, while O2 charges £10.21 a month for 1GB, and £15.32 a month for a 2GB allowance.

Three charges £7.50 a month for 1GB or £15 a month for a much bigger 10GB download limit.

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