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General IPad questions

If I purchase a new iPad and don’t get it set up with a Cellular plan, that that be done at any wireless company later on after a while? If so, are there certain iPads that can’t be connected with a wireless plan? And also, does it make a difference whether we purchase an iPad from a wireless company or from Apple directly?

Posted on Aug 3, 2019 2:09 PM

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Posted on Aug 3, 2019 2:17 PM

If you are in the US, you can buy an iPad from Apple directly and when you are ready to choose a cellular plan for data, go to any carrier you wish who supports data on iPad. In other words, they are not carrier locked. If you purchase an iPad from a carrier, they may lock you if they offer subsidies to reduce the price of the iPad.


You do not need to activate cellular on an iPad until you want or feel you need to. It will work just fine as a Wifi only device.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Aug 3, 2019 2:17 PM in response to Danwiley

If you are in the US, you can buy an iPad from Apple directly and when you are ready to choose a cellular plan for data, go to any carrier you wish who supports data on iPad. In other words, they are not carrier locked. If you purchase an iPad from a carrier, they may lock you if they offer subsidies to reduce the price of the iPad.


You do not need to activate cellular on an iPad until you want or feel you need to. It will work just fine as a Wifi only device.

General IPad questions

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