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
155 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)
NowConverted Avatar
155 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)
CarpalMac Avatar
155 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
155 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)
GWIM2 Avatar
155 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
155 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

iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
xiaomi apple ad india

Apple and Samsung Push Back Against Xiaomi's Bold India Ads

Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging." Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...