Three's pricing for new iPad announced

15 March 2012

Device plus data from £25 per month

The networks have been a little backward in coming forward with their new iPad pricing plans, but Three has broken cover with its own details.

As you might expect, this is a deal for the 4G and Wi-Fi version, although the 4G is pretty redundant in the UK. Saying that, Three has pointed out that Apple's latest tablet will be compatible with its upcoming HSPA+ upgrades, which should mean significantly faster browsing on the go.

As for pricing, that depends on how much you want to pay for the device, with the bottom line monthly payment starting at £25. In terms of detail, you can get a 16GB for £99 upfront paying £29 per month. If you want to pay the £25 monthly fee, you'll need to pay out £159 at the till for the 16GB model. If you are looking at sizing up, a 32GB model is £169 if you are willing to pay £29 per month or £229 for £25 per month. Finally, the 64GB iPad is £249 upfront and £29 per month or £299 and £25 per month. The data limit is generous 15GB each month.

If any of those appeal, the contract length is 24 months, which should see you missing an iPad launch if you stick to it and Apple sticks to its annual launches. Alternatively, you can go buy one elsewhere at full price and get one of Three's data deals on a month-by-month basis. Those cost £7.50 per month for 1GB of data or £15 per month for 10GB of data. You can see where the value is there.

Saying that, finding one outside of a contract might be a tough call and should involve a bit of queuing if you want one on day one. Three's deals, on the other hand, should be available both online and instore from Friday.