iPad Mini Cellular Data Question

antony_correia11

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Oct 8, 2013
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Hi iMore users,

New member, long time apple user.
Quick question
I am interested in buying the Mini with cellular data, paying monthly instead of adding to my att account, due to the fact I still have unlimited data on my iPhone 5 and they won't give me the option to tether unless I give up my unlimited.

So, if I use the pay monthly option on the iPad, is there an activation fee each time I decide to not use it for a month and use it the next? A representative told me there was, but I felt like he was wrong so wanted to come to you guys.
Thanks in advance
Antony
 

Eileen89

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Apr 27, 2011
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There is no activation charge if you activate the data plan from your iPad under Settings, General, Cellular Data, and select View Account. This will prompt you to set up the account from your iPad. You can discontinue and set up the plan again another time by doing as many times as you need to with no extra fees other than paying for the data plan that you choose. If you go to an AT&T corporate store and they set it up for you under their monthly iPad plan, you will pay an activation charge as well as taxes added on every month.
 

isteal

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Definitely use the pre-pay method vs adding to your account. Easy to manage from your iPad and no taxes. Kinda strange that they handle it that way. I use my mini like this, and just enable the plan when I am going on vacation or know I will need data. I am also on unlimited and don't want to lose it with my iPhone.


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Garz

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Mar 9, 2009
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Definitely use the pre-pay method vs adding to your account. Easy to manage from your iPad and no taxes. Kinda strange that they handle it that way. I use my mini like this, and just enable the plan when I am going on vacation or know I will need data. I am also on unlimited and don't want to lose it with my iPhone.


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Adding it to my AT&T plan cost only $10 a month plus I get free tethering. You only get tethering on prepaid if you purchase the $50 plan anymore. AT&T unlimited is really not unlimited. It's overrated. I saved a bunch of money switching to shared data.
 

Eileen89

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Adding it to my AT&T plan cost only $10 a month plus I get free tethering. You only get tethering on prepaid if you purchase the $50 plan anymore. AT&T unlimited is really not unlimited. It's overrated. I saved a bunch of money switching to shared data.
Actually it is for some. Not everyone is limited to being throttled after reaching 5GB on the unlimited plan. I've seen more than this on my unlimited plan more than once when I was tethering my iPad Mini with my then Jailbroken iPhone 5. I've seen many other posters on various other forums who also weren't throttled and haven't received any nasty text from AT&T yet. I'm happy that your new plan works for you, but to say that the now Grandfathered Unlimited Data plan is "overrated" simply isn't true. Also, even for those that were throttled, I would much rather have that happen than have to worry about going over my allotted amount of data every month.
 

perryfamily10

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Do you know if I can do this with verizon too? How does it work.. I need to buy the Verizon ipad at full price and then can I do the same thing set it up on a monthly plan?
 

Eileen89

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Do you know if I can do this with verizon too? How does it work.. I need to buy the Verizon ipad at full price and then can I do the same thing set it up on a monthly plan?

Yes, you can add it to any of Verizon's shared plans. You can not add it to a Verizon unlimited data plan if you are on that.