Carrier-sold iPad 2 Sim locks snag unwary buyers
Caveat bites emptor
Requirements Checklist for Choosing a Cloud Backup and Recovery Service Provider
Buying an iPad 2 from a network operator - or one of its third-party resellers - comes at a price beyond the cost of the data contract and the hardware, it seems: the 'magical... again' gadgets are Sim-locked.
So says Reg Hardware reader Ryan who, having tracked down an iPad 2 at his local Phones4U - he had to stump up for the 64GB model in his haste to possess the new tablet - found that the gadget, sold with an Orange Sim, is locked to that network.
The retailer's in-store rep, he claims, told him that was not the case, that iPad 2s are not locked.
To be fair, some seemingly are not. Apple sells 3G-enabled iPads 2s with or without a Sim, and makes no distinction between them. "The iPhone sold by the Apple Online Store is Sim-free," Apple says.
So is the iPad 2. Since Apple doesn't know which network you may subsequently connect the tablet to, the gadget has to be unlocked. Not that Apple's website makes this clear, mind you.
The moral: if you want an unlocked device, don't buy it from a carrier or one of its agents. You wouldn't expect a phone sold by O2 - or any other operator - to be unlocked, so don't expect 3G iPads - or any other tablet - to be either.
If you buy from a retailer who can only supply devices with a specific network's mobile broadband package, it's a good bet the tablet will be locked to that network.
Ryan is currently trying to get a refund from Phones4U - we wish him luck. But emptors who wish to avoid this particular caveat should learn from his example. ®
COMMENTS
wuh?
Isn't this pretty much true of all phones and other 3G gadgets? If you buy it from a carrier it'll be locked to that carrier. If you want unlocked you have to buy from somewhere like Expansys or (in the case of JobsGadgets) the Apple Shop. I wouldn't trust the shopdrone to tell me what day it is truthfully, especially not P4U or CFW.
Re: Why bother with 3G iPads anyway?
Came in handy last night.
The power failed, so the wireless router went down. Turn the mobile data on the iPad on, and carry on regardless.
Admittedly it does spend 99% of it's life on wifi of some sort, though.
indeed
if it was RRP/apple store price then I would be pissed. If it was subsidised then of course it will be locked. It wasnt really stated in the article how much the ipad cost.

IT infrastructure monitoring strategies
What you need to know about cloud backup
Enabling efficient data center monitoring
Agentless Backup is Not a Myth
Top 10 SIEM Implementer’s Checklist