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Can you purchase the iPad “unlocked” or is it tied to a wireless carrier?

April 26, 2017ipad purchase tied unlocked Wireless

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Can you purchase the iPad “unlocked” or is it tied to a wireless carrier?

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Thankfully — for those who are not fans of AT&T — the Wi-Fi/3G/GPS-equipped iPad models are available “unlocked” and are not tied to a wireless carrier in the US. The iPad may be locked in other countries, however. It also is worth noting that even though the high-end 3G-equipped models are not locked, the hardware does not support the Verizon CDMA 3G network nor does it support the 1700 MHz UMTS/HSDPA frequency used by T-Mobile for 3G in the US. Ultimately, even though the iPad is not locked to AT&T Wireless, the device itself is not hardware compatible for 3G with other US wireless carriers. However, it should operate via the slower 2G standard over T-Mobile.