iPad 2 on Verizon: Slower, But Cheaper

[Paul Daniel Ash]

Verizon released data plan pricing for its version of the iPad 2, and AT&T announced a new plan giving users the option of being billed for their service rather than having to pre-pay. The two plans are roughly equivalent, though Verizon offers a discount for the heaviest data users. A recent study showing AT&T still with a dominant lead on download speeds, however, may give data hogs pause: Verizon users might get the bandwidth for less money, but it'll be slower.

AT&T is still offering the two plans they rolled out with the original iPad: the Data Plus with 250MB for $14.99/mo or Data Pro with 2GB for $25. Concurrent with the iPad 2 launch, AT&T is adding a post-paid option where users pay the same amount for the two data plans, but Data Pro users get billed at $10 per gigabyte for overages. Previously, the only option was just to pay for another month of service at the same price; Data Plus users pretty much still have to do that, but they'll just get a bill rather than having to pay as they go. For the Verizon iPad 2, it's a little more straightforward. Data plans go from $20 per month for 1 GB on a sliding scale up to $80 per month for 10 GB, with overages at $10 for every gigabyte. (A good comparison chart is here.) So if you're a bandwidth beast who uses 14 GB a month, you're going to pay $175 to AT&T, but just $120 to Verizon.

Sounds like a good deal... but as usual in this world, you don't get something for nothing. The latest comparison of AT&T and Verizon for bandwidth shows that iPhone 4s on AT&T were able to download twice as fast in five major cities as their Verizon counterparts. This backs up an earlier study by Speedtest.net that showed AT&T's HSDPA network performing, as expected, twice as well as the Verizon EV-DO Rev. A system. Of course, Verizon does have better coverage: if you can't get AT&T where you are, it doesn't matter how fast it is. So if you're weighing an AT&T versus a Verizon iPad, where you are and how much data you expect to use should be the key determinations.

Source: AllThingsD

[GrandMstrBud]

I don't know how someone can stay under 2GB a month. If you watch 1 Netflix movie you can easily use 400MB. I'm sure you can if you only do e-mail and web browsing but not when your watching videos a lot.

[ty22]

TECHNICALLY AT&T is faster. Where I live, Verizon is 100x faster than AT&T because their network is so bogged down.

[mastaryan]

I got a question. Where I live I don't have 3G with AT&T but Verizon has 3G in my area. I wonder which would be more beneficial for someone like myself? I have to travel an hour North or West to get AT&T 3G and that only happens once a month if I'm lucky. This is going to be my debate on which iPad 2 I'll get. I wish it was a dual chip and you could have both at the same time if you wanted. Use whichever had the best 3G coverage or regular coverage.

[delusion950]

I don't know how someone can stay under 2GB a month. If you watch 1 Netflix movie you can easily use 400MB. I'm sure you can if you only do e-mail and web browsing but not when your watching videos a lot.

I just dont understand why would someone stream that big size movie on iPad and not over the Wifi knowing they got 2GB plan. That movie with buffering every 2 seconds would take instead of 1hr 30min, it would be 4 hrs.

[ty22]

I got a question. Where I live I don't have 3G with AT&T but Verizon has 3G in my area. I wonder which would be more beneficial for someone like myself? I have to travel an hour North or West to get AT&T 3G and that only happens once a month if I'm lucky. This is going to be my debate on which iPad 2 I'll get. I wish it was a dual chip and you could have both at the same time if you wanted. Use whichever had the best 3G coverage or regular coverage.

I would go Verizon. EDGE is slower than Verizon's 3G for sure. And if you travel within the country, you'll get Verizon in many more places. Plus, Verizon has a bigger allowance

[jordbrett]

Who uses 14 gigs of data a month??? I barely use any as I'm always on wifi. I'll stay grandfathered in just in case though.

[GrandMstrBud]

I just dont understand why would someone stream that big size movie on iPad and not over the Wifi knowing they got 2GB plan. That movie with buffering every 2 seconds would take instead of 1hr 30min, it would be 4 hrs.

You don't always have WiFi especially when traveling. I've used mine before to watch a game on slingbox and also used netflix for the kids.

[Eval666]

Boy am I glad that we have a provider with an unlimited 3G data plan here in Holland. I mean, these days you can stream and download using 3g at around 600-700KB per second, if not more. So you can easily stream movies, but indeed, with a limited data plan it won't take long before you have to pay extra.

[lilhowie87]

Haha this is funny sh1t verizon users can get the iPad for a discount to run on turtle network jus go to at&t and get what u pay for ain't that usually how things work theses days?!?

[mortopher]

I will just continue to use MyWi for my iPad.

[mastaryan]

I will just continue to use MyWi for my iPad.

With AT&T and no 3G in my area, this sucks big time!

[delusion950]

You don't always have WiFi especially when traveling. I've used mine before to watch a game on slingbox and also used netflix for the kids.

True there isn't WiFi always around. Is it slow streaming the movie on Netflix?

[HImni]

If you do post-pay on AT&T the overages go down so I think AT&T & Verizon would cost the same.

TECHNICALLY AT&T is faster. Where, I live Verizon is 100x faster than AT&T because their network is so bogged down.

If you live in Pittsburgh,PA I think you need to check that again. My speeds on AT&T and close to my friends EVO 4G (just goes to show you how bad Sprint's 4G is). Slighty slower but pretty close. I know people on verizon and they aren't close to AT&Ts speeds here.

[ty22]

If you do post-pay on AT&T the overages go down so I think AT&T & Verizon would cost the same.




If you live in Pittsburgh,PA I think you need to check that again. My speeds on AT&T and close to my friends EVO 4G (just goes to show you how bad Sprint's 4G is). Slighty slower but pretty close. I know people on verizon and they aren't close to AT&Ts speeds here.

I haven't tested in a while, but I switched to Sprint because AT&T's speed became unusably slow when the iPhone became very popular. I waited for months and months and months and months to see if it got better and didn't. Regardless, I wouldn't switch back for a few second speed difference. I'm not giving up my coverage area for that. Oh, and Sprint's 4G, yes I know, its JUNK. So, I will be going to Verizon when the 4G LTE HTC ThunderBolt comes out.

[santacruzlocal]

i will just continue to use mywi for my ipad.

ditto x10

[kuhndsn]

I don't like the limit, price one either plans. But... I'll choose the att iPad over verizon soley because of the dated CDMA. Perhaps I'll plug a tmo or other sim card in.

[ty22]

I don't like the limit, price one either plans. But... I'll choose the att iPad over verizon soley because of the dated CDMA. Perhaps I'll plug a tmo or other sim card in.

Well, the T-Mo will be stuck on EDGE only and Verizon's "dated" network is faster than that......

[whereswaldo]

Still think that's really expensive. I get 6GB for $30 in Canada on Rogers

[Melkizer]

TECHNICALLY AT&T is faster. Where, I live Verizon is 100x faster than AT&T because their network is so bogged down.

100x Faster 
Wow that is a large number