ipadfamily2013 UK Carrier Three has announced that it will be the first British carrier to offer cellular models of the iPad Air on November 1 and the iPad mini with Retina Display upon its release, reports Engadget.

The carrier will offer an entry-level 1GB data plan starting at £7.50 per month on contract, in addition to the £499 up-front cost for the tablet itself. For £25 a month, the carrier is offering a 15GB data plan, which will also be offered on contract. Initially, celluar models of the iPad Air purchased on the carrier will be restricted to 3G data, as Three will begin rolling out its faster 4G LTE networks in December, with service first launching in London, Birmingham, Manchester, and Reading.

Three also announced that cellular versions of the Retina iPad mini will be avaliable through its services with the same data plans offered alongside iPad Air, however it still remains unclear as to when specific release of the second-generation iPad mini will be due to tight supplies.

The iPad Air will be available beginning on Friday, November 1, with initial online orders beginning at 12:01 AM Pacific Time in the United States and at varying times in other countries. Apple retail locations will open at 8 AM local time on Friday to begin in-store sales.

Related Roundups: iPad, iPad mini
Related Forum: iPad

Top Rated Comments

Mums Avatar
160 months ago
Three is kicking a** in the UK. Nobody else comes close to price or quality of coverage. Keep it up 3!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
160 months ago
Three is kicking a** in the UK. Nobody else comes close to price or quality of coverage. Keep it up 3!

I completely agree. Prices are perfect, service is amazing, coverage is good (I can talk for London), and you forget about this stupids data caps.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
160 months ago
Three is kicking a** in the UK. Nobody else comes close to price or quality of coverage. Keep it up 3!

I am hoping to move to Western Scotland and their 3G coverage (according to their maps) beats everyone else. Got a PAYG SIM to try it out when next there.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
steve-p Avatar
160 months ago

Assuming you are going to be carrying a phone around and paying for the phone connection and data anyway, why elect for a cellular iPad and pay every month for an extra connection, rather than just having a WiFi iPad and tethering it - any suggestions?

Because tethering for any length of time kills your phone battery, which may be inconvenient.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
160 months ago
Three coverage, price, plans ....

Vodafone coverage is / was marginally better than Three's, as I noticed when I switched, but I have hopes for the 4G rollout in the next twelve months.

Why would anyone pay £25 per month for a 15Gb limit on the iPad, when they could just buy the iPad, plus a 'ONE' plan micro sim with all you can eat data from Three, and put that in the iPad for unlimited data at the same £25 per month?

Better still, put the same sim in your iPhone and tether it to a cheaper WiFi version of the same iPad and get phone and iPad effectively unlimited for the same price. When are you going to be walking around with an iPad when you don't have your phone on you to tether it to?

Or am I missing something ?

Oh, and potential Three customers please note, you need to have your phone and account up and running for sixty days before you can unlock it for use outwith the UK - understandable but REALLY annoying as it applies to contract as well as PAYG.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Gav2k Avatar
160 months ago
It's the complete opposite in London, unfortunately. Terrible coverage from 3 here.

----------



Hmm that's strange because I find their coverage is terrible in London, at least for 3G Internet anyway. I tried them for a month two years back and it was terrible. I've had other people complaining about their coverage here too and not being able to get Internet, with one friend complaining about it last month. :S.

London is a big place and in all fairness everywhere I frequent in London I've had no issues with on three
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...