US Users Pay Higher Price For iPad Data (STUDY)

wired.com:

iPad users in the United States are getting ripped off in how much they are paying for data on the device, says a company that has compared monthly data plans for the magical Apple device across different wireless carriers worldwide.

Read the whole story: wired.com

Comments

[imoth]

04:54 AM on 08/05/2010

If you want the iPhone here Finland, then there has been only one operator here. It is by far the most expensive and it mostly offers data plans that have a 200 MB or a 1 GB cap. The iPhone still costs about 600 euros here. I am not sure if you in the US (or even here) understand that the phone costs 600 even if you pay 0 at first and 25 for 24 months. And same is true if you pay 0 initially, 0/month for the phone and 25/month for 24 months extra for calls/data/etc. Some have ordered their unlocked iPhone from the UK. Apple sells them there, but the phone costs about 700 euros.

Here it is really easy to switch operators because you can keep you number. You should have that in the US. Also, here the network owners have to rent their network to other operators who do not have their own network almost at cost. This means the network owner operators have to keep their prices low. Here increasing competition, lowering prices and bettering services are viewed important, in the US the GOP speaks for big companies and spends money in order to make the government look incompetent. The Democrats are a little better but even they are too afraid to lose the AT&T etc. money.

[imoth]

04:52 AM on 08/05/2010

Here in Finland the prices are much cheaper. At the moment the cheapest plan is 2,95 euros/month for unlimited amount of data (384 kbit/s). For 13,90 euros/month you can get two sim-cards, a usb modem, unlimited data and speed for both sim-cards. These are 24 month contracts, but there are also cheap 4,90 euros/month plans that you can cancel anytime.

Prepaids cost 6,90 euros/7 days (4 Mbit/s), 19,80 euros/31 days (1 Mbit/s), ...

However, data in Europe but outside your own country is extremely expensive. I would say only people, who absolutely need it at work, use it.

I am really surprised that prices are so high in France, the Netherlands and Belgium. Do you really not have any cheaper alternatives? I wonder if their data plans contain unlimited amount of data like ours. I would never settle for a 1 GB limit. Unlimited or nothing for me.

At least here in Finland, calling is really cheap. At the moment there is at least one operator here that offers 3000 mins/month of free calls inside its network (calls to people that have a different operator, cost a little) and the monthly fee is really cheap (0 euros).

[kolmogorov]

03:37 PM on 08/04/2010

I think everyone who has traveled outside the US knows we are paying through the noise for phone and internet access. I just came back form Italy, where I bought 100 hours of internet access, unlimited download, at 7.2Mb speed, for 25 euros. pretty good quality, good enough to watch videos. the USB device I needed costed around 90 euros 3 years ago. the 25 euros price has been the same for the past 3 years. so I came back here and asked Verizon if they had some pre-paid internet plan that I could use when traveling in the US (for the rare cases when I can't find something for free). their plan costs 15$ A DAY, with 5G download limit! and I could not find any carrier that allows to pay by the hour (if anyone has suggestions ...)

[facepalm12]

10:06 AM on 08/04/2010

Study find people who bought this thing are stupid.

[chedet]

09:57 AM on 08/04/2010

Americans ripped off by big corporations? What's new?

[gon4o]

11:51 AM on 08/03/2010

Upon hearing about the release of the Apple iPad, I was very excited about the prospects of being able to enjoy thousands of multimedia files in one compact source, only to discover that on iTunes, I would have to spend around $15 on each download.

My visions of transportable multimedia were crushed until a friend recommended myPadMedia to me. With one upfront payment, users get access to thousands of downloads. I thought it must be too good to be true. However, I was very wrong.

myPadMedia has proven to be an extensive, fast, and user friendly service. I am an avid reader of the Twilight series who travels a lot. Instead of paying $30 per book and having to carry them around in my luggage, I have been able to download all the books onto my iPad from myPadMedia for next to nothing.

myPadMedia: http://bit.ly/iPadMediaDownloads

[Trymore MacVivo]

06:25 AM on 08/03/2010

Surprise! This is why you should wait....

[Infostream]

01:27 AM on 08/03/2010

iPad users pay more for data... isn't that what makes them happy? I thought paying for more for stuff was the whole idea so you can feel like a member of the "elite". Why do a search or use a free Flash based website when you can pay for an app, right?

[Abdi S]

01:01 AM on 08/03/2010

At&t contract for iphone is major rip off compare to T-mobile unlimited data for all smartphones.

[studmoose]

12:54 AM on 08/03/2010

Fanboys will find a way to justify the added expenses they pay... They always do.

It's just like FOX viewers who...

keep telling themselves they are not being manipulated or lied to every day.

Same mentality, just a different cause.

[chedet]

10:02 AM on 08/04/2010

Fanned and faved!

[studmoose]

06:32 PM on 08/04/2010

Thanks! Back atcha!

[facepalm12]

10:08 AM on 08/04/2010

But 30 year old virgins like my boss need something to fill the void in their sad, simple lives...

[rcozad]

09:25 PM on 08/02/2010

I would have been satisfied if the head line simply read Study Finds I-Pad a RIP OFF.

[ResearchtheFacts]

07:21 PM on 08/02/2010

I said that the first day. It's a cash register. Every time you use it cha ching!

[netzwerg]

07:18 PM on 08/02/2010

I pay 15€ (about 19,50$) a month for 5gig 7.2MBit data (after 5gigs it is slowed down to 356kBit until next month starts), I can use it for whatever I want, cell phone, Laptop, iPad, ...

How much would I pay in the US?

[ilovecandy]

06:42 PM on 08/02/2010

Uhm... Duh.

[DRaymond]

05:54 PM on 08/02/2010

Exhibit one in why I am keeping my dumbphone.

[ResearchtheFacts]

07:22 PM on 08/02/2010

lol No point in having a phone that out thinks you right?

[DRaymond]

09:38 PM on 08/02/2010

No the ones being outthought are the ones who started out wanting something that would do phone calls and wind up with an expensive extra monthly expense and a device that is twice the size and half as good at being a phone.

How smart can that be?