The big day for those who want to buy iPad 2 is approaching. iPad 2 will be launched this Friday, March 2011 at 4:00am Eastern time (just after 1am on the west coast) through apple.com and at 5pm Eastern time at Apple retail stores.
Best Buy and Target will also sell iPad 2 on launch day. Best Buy locations will start selling iPad 2 in their stores at 5pm Eastern time this Friday, according to an iPad 2 FAQ on Best Buy’s website. Target will probably follow suit with a 5pm launch as well, though that has not been confirmed.
If last year is any indication on waiting lines to buy an iPad, then you probably will want to line up as early as possible to make sure you can walk out of the store with an iPad 2 in your hand this Friday. Walmart and Sam’s Club are slated to sell iPad 2 as well, but an on sale date for those stores has not yet been set.
Best Buy and Walmart will sell iPad 2 on their websites, but both currently have the availability online as “coming soon”. We’ll let you know when they will be available.
All Things Digital put together a chart to help explain the iPad 2 data plans for AT&T and Verizon:
As with the first-generation iPad, AT&T is offering the same data plan rates – 250MB/$15 and 2GB/$25 with the prepaid option. If you happen to go over your plan rate with data usage, you can order another 250MB or 2GB plan. If you choose the “postpaid” option, AT&T will charge you another $14.99 for 250MB and $10 per 1GB of data transfer should you go over your monthly allotment.
There’s good news for those first-generation iPad users who signed up for the unlimited data plan with AT&T in April of last year, which was canceled a month later. Those users will be “grandfathered” in with the new data plan, according to Engadget, allowing them unlimited data usage for $29.99 per month.
If you were lucky enough to snag one of those coveted unlimited data plans with your original AT&T iPad, you won’t have to toss it when upgrading next week. The carrier has confirmed to us that those who currently have the aforementioned plan will be able to keep it on their account when upgrading to the iPad 2, which in turns gives you no reason whatsoever to turn down the opportunity.
Verizon’s data usage plans may appeal more to users that will push the limits or exceed their monthly data plan as they are offering a better deal for heavy users. AT&T’s plan may be best suited for users who don’t have a need for much data transference.
If the iPad 2 is a little too rich for your blood, you can save $100 on these first-generation iPad models and buy NOW from Best Buy:
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I am switching to Sprint. Sprint has Unlimited Data plan for $30, buy there “HOT Spot” and get connect from your Sprint phone. For $69.99 Sprint Everything plan will cover you. So for under $100 a month Sprint will give you UnlimIted tx and web on your phone & I pad.