Compare the Cheapest iPad Tariffs At a Glance

O2, 3, Vodafone & Orange all want a piece of the iPad action, but who offers the cheapest deal? We investigate...

With iPads flying off the shelves faster than the proverbial hot cakes since their launch in May, the big four networks have recently announced their data price plans for the UK.

The iPad comes with two options: Wi-Fi for those who are happy to surf the web only when they are within range of a Wi-Fi network; and Wi-Fi + 3G which will enable you to stay connected no matter where you are.

The Wi-Fi + 3G models will require both a micro-SIM card plus a data plan in order to connect anywhere and this is where the likes of 3, Vodafone, Orange and O2 come in.

Unlike the iPhone, the big four’s data plans don’t require you to sign-up to any long-term contracts. This means that you are free to cancel at any time. However, you should be aware that all the major provider’s monthly data tariffs automatically renew every 30 days, so you will continue to be charged until you tell them otherwise.

Daily Plans
Orange start the ball rolling with £2 for a daily usage limit of 200mb, while O2’s 500mb entry level data plan will get you an extra 300mb per day more for the same price. O2 is currently the only network to include unlimited access to BT Openzone Wi-Fi in its daily plan. That said, Orange are currently offering £10 credit for free; this is preloaded on their micro-SIM cards.

Your daily usage allowance will expire at midnight for both of these plans.

1Gb monthly iPad tariffs
3’s 1Gb data plan comes in the cheapest at £7.50 per month. However, the £10 O2 iPad tariff does also include unlimited access to BT Openzone Wi-Fi too which usually costs £5 a month.  If this is something you'd pay for then it may be better to go for the 1Gb O2 ipad tariff as it'll work out cheaper than 3 (£12.50/month including unlimited BT Openzone Wi-Fi).

3Gb monthly iPad tariffs
Vodafone, O2 and Orange all price their 3Gb/month tariffs at £15 a month. All three include unlimited access to BT Openzone Wi-Fi in all of their monthly plans (which will save you a monthly subscription fee of £5 per month).

5Gb monthly iPad tariffs
Vodafone is the only network offering a 5GB per month package which weighs in at a hefty £25.00 per month. All Vodafone iPad tariffs do include unlimited access to BT Openzone WiFi - worth £5/month.

10Gb monthly iPad tariffs
The true cost of all of these plans is the price per GB. Basing it on a pound per GB basis, then the hands-down winner is 3’s £15.00 for 10GB per month plan.

The 10Gb/£15 a month 3 iPad tariff works out at only £1.50 per GB and compares very favourably with O2’s, Orange’s and Vodafone’s £15.00 for 3GB packages which come in at £5.00 per GB (subscribing to BT Openzone for Wi-Fi access will only add an extra 50p to the price per GB).

But which iPad tariff works out cheapest for you?

In terms of which plan you go for, it’s really all down to how you are going to use you iPad. The daily plans are most suitable for those who don’t require to be connected to the internet 24/7 and are only looking at using it on the rare the occasions that they are out of range of the Wi-Fi network. It’s also an option to consider as an emergency ‘top-up’ if you find yourself in the position of having exceeded your weekly or monthly usage allowance.

However, the fact that you have purchased Wi-Fi + 3G model in the first place would suggest that you intend to make full use of it’s ability to keep you connected to the web no matter where you are. In that case it’s simply a matter of selecting which best suits your needs.

For example: a 1GB allowance could allow you to surf the web for approximately 10 hours, send 1,000 emails, download 32 music tracks and watch 4 pop videos – ideal for someone content to only check their emails or browse the internet every now and then; whereas if you are likely to require spending around 150 hours online each month and download around 300 music tracks, then a 5GB allowance may be what you are looking for.