Very interesting analysis, Carl! I hadn't seen the prices for the new Verizon data plans.
So, based on those price points, really, the most cost effective strategy would probably be to use the personal hotspot smartphone feature - if you already have or are planning to have a hotspot-ready smartphone anyway. Verizon only charges $20 for 2 GB of hotspot data. So if you have a smartphone that can be a hotspot, that may really make more sense than any of the iPad specific plans. And, you get the added bonus of also being able to provide data for one or more laptops, iPod touches, or other devices, if desired.
That said, the hotspot isn't _quite_ as convenient as having a dedicated iPad data plan, since you need to switch the phone's hotspot feature on first in the settings menu when you need it for use with the iPad, and the phone's battery does drain more quickly when the hotspot feature is turned on. You wouldn't be able to get as much uninterrupted battery life when using this setup. This isn't actually a big problem for us, however, because most of the time we need the 3G for the iPad when we are in the car or in a hotel and have access to a charger for the phone anyway. But for some situations (such as the power goes out) it could make a difference. Of course in the power outage situation, I'd probably save battery by just using my phone for internet browsing instead of the iPad. So many ways to tweak all this to make it all work! Having a smartphone/personal hotspot available definitely affects the dynamic in terms of what data plan makes most sense - just don't forget that with Verizon, the hotspot feature deactivates during a phone call, since the data and voice can't operate simultaneously.
Oh, one point of clarification is that to cancel the AT&T data plan, you don't need to visit a retail store. You can do it right from the iPad. And you can resubscribe from the iPad, too. They do make that very convenient! I had only ever gotten the $14.99 data plan because, believe it or not, I only had to buy extra twice in 9 months. With the AT&T rates, it probably only makes sense to get the larger plan if you are consistently having to pay for a small plan twice in each month. (And, interestingly, every time you do rebuy, it starts the 30 day window over, so you still get a full month to use the extra data.) I guess I used wifi access enough of the time to be able to get by with the little 3G data. So I saved a good bit of money with that strategy, while being only slightly selective in my data consumption. I'm happy to pay just $5 more for 2 whole GB of data through Verizon's hotspot feature, though! No need to be at all "data conscious" except about video streaming at that data level! Now I'm just looking forward to actually getting to use it! I've only been out of the house about twice in the past 3 weeks due to never-ending viruses in this house! Of course I did test it extensively on the two days I was out, and so far so good . . .
April
On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 8:48 PM, Carl Brooks <carl@iamthereforeipad.com> wrote:
I am Therefore iPad: AT&T or Verizon: Which Carrier will Offer the Best Data Plan for the iPad 2?
http://www.iamthereforeipad.com/2011/03/at-or-verizon-which-carrier-will-offer.html
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