60% of iPad 2 models to be 3G versions
Contrary to an early claim from AT&T's CEO Randall Stephenson that the iPad would be a "Wi-Fi driven product" and that "there's not going to be a lot of people out there looking for another subscription," AppleInsider is reporting that over 60 percent of the first production run of the iPad 2 will be 3G models. In speaking to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, they learned that at least 62 percent of the 5 million iPad 2 devices Apple is preparing prior to sale will be 3G units, with 46 percent set aside for GSM/UMTS networks and 16 percent for CDMA/EVDO networks.
When the iPad was released back in April 2010, the Wi-Fi version was available for three weeks before the Wi-Fi+3G version, so a lot of Wi-Fi-only iPads were sold at first. But in just the first 28 days of sales, Apple sold a combined 1 million units and went on to sell almost 15 million iPads in all of 2010. Recent analyst reports peg sales of the iPad at 48 million in 2011, meaning that almost 30 million of them should be 3G devices.
Currently, AT&T offers 3G data plans at US$14.99 for 250 MB or $25 for 2 GB, while Verizon offers 1 GB for $20, 3 GB for $35, 5 GB for $50, or $80 for 10 GB.
