Meet the iPad and iOS 5

Connect to the Internet Using 3G

For people who tend to travel more, or need more frequent access to the Internet than is afforded by Wi-Fi hotspots, Apple offers an iPad model with 3G cellular data access built in, the same network used by modern cell phones. With 3G enabled, your iPad likely has Internet access nearly everywhere.

Note

The iPad can hop onto a 3G cellular network, but it can’t place or receive calls like an iPhone. The 3G access is strictly for data. (But you can still place calls using a Voice-over-IP service such as Skype.)

However, 3G is more expensive: the 3G iPad model costs $130 more than the Wi-Fi–only model in the United States and requires an additional fee to access the network. The good news is that Apple negotiated ...