Buying an iPad in the USA - Verizon or AT&T version?

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spacedog

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#101379 30-Apr-2012 21:22

So I'm going to be getting an iPad in the USA on an upcoming trip because it will save several hundred dollars over the NZ price.

In the USA there is a version for Verizon and one for AT&T and they have slightly different chipsets. AFAIK, both versions will work here in NZ, but I'm wondering if one version is better (read as more 'futureproof') for NZ high-speed data.

Here are the competing specs:

Wi-Fi + 4G for AT&T model: 4G LTE (700, 2100 MHz)1 ; UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

Wi-Fi + 4G for Verizon model: 4G LTE (700 MHz)1 ; CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz); UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)

It seems the key difference is the AT&T version has LTE 700, 2100MHz and no CDMA. The Verizon version has CDMA 800, 1900 MHz, but only 700Mhz LTE.

Does any of this of make a difference? Or is everything here in NZ (telecom vs. vodafone vs. 2degrees) on HSPA/HSPA+ so it's a moot point? What about 4G LTE coverage in the the future for NZ? Will it be 700Mhz, or 2100Mhz?

Any thoughts on this?

johnr

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#617661 30-Apr-2012 21:24

Neither will work on LTE if any carrier in NZ deployed LTE in the 700Mhz band 3G 2100Mhz band is quite full

You want the AT&T model anyway for best use with 3G in NZ

spacedog

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#617672 30-Apr-2012 21:33

Interesting....the 700mhz LTE listed on those models would be different than what *might* be deployed here?

Is there any word on LTE deployment in NZ?

johnr

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#617687 30-Apr-2012 21:50

All carriers are looking at LTE, Vodafone has done testing LTE from NSN

sbiddle

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#617778 1-May-2012 08:31

The US and Canada are on their own in the 700Mhz band that they're using. The APAC 700MHz block which covers the entire Asia/Pacific region and has also been recently adopted by South America uses different frequency blocks in the 700MHz band so isn't compatible.

spacedog

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#617779 1-May-2012 08:33

sbiddle: The US and Canada are on their own in the 700Mhz band that they're using. The APAC 700MHz block which covers the entire Asia/Pacific region and has also been recently adopted by South America uses different frequency blocks in the 700MHz band so isn't compatible.

Ah, very interesting, so I guess we would all have to wait for a new version of an iPad to get LTE speeds in this part of the world if/when they are deployed.

Has anyone in NZ or Australia announced a launch/roll-out date for LTE coverage?

sbiddle

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#617780 1-May-2012 08:37

Australia has had LTE since last year.

Frequency fragmentation in the LTE band is going to be a nightmare, far, far worse than the problems in the GSM and WCDMA world.

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spacedog

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#617792 1-May-2012 09:11

sbiddle: Australia has had LTE since last year.

Frequency fragmentation in the LTE band is going to be a nightmare, far, far worse than the problems in the GSM and WCDMA world.

Interesting...so none of the new iPads can use LTE in Aussie....that's gotta have some people feeling a bit frustrated over there I'd imagine.

Of course, I guess I'm not surprised we don't have anything here. I always feel like a 2nd class citizen when it comes to telecommunications in NZ (mostly from the knee-buckling prices we have to pay here).

Kyanar

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#617818 1-May-2012 09:53

spacedog:
sbiddle: Australia has had LTE since last year.

Frequency fragmentation in the LTE band is going to be a nightmare, far, far worse than the problems in the GSM and WCDMA world.

Interesting...so none of the new iPads can use LTE in Aussie....that's gotta have some people feeling a bit frustrated over there I'd imagine.

Of course, I guess I'm not surprised we don't have anything here. I always feel like a 2nd class citizen when it comes to telecommunications in NZ (mostly from the knee-buckling prices we have to pay here).

There was quite a lot of coverage of the fact that the ACCC upheld a complaint about Apple's 4G advertising, and they had to change the marketing materials just for Australia.

Behodar

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#617832 1-May-2012 10:27

Regarding your original question, the Verizon model is what you need if you plan to actually use it on Verizon while you're there, but for NZ use there's no difference.