Apple Tablet Live: iPad to be Sold by AT&T

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AT&T is still going to be Apple’s partner. The carrier has apparently struck a new deal for the iPad but this time around there are no contracts involved.

Labeled as a “breakthrough deal with AT&T”, the AT&T-Apple iPad agreement will be offering you the following perks:

• $14.99 for up to 250MB of monthly traffic
• $29.99 for unlimited monthly traffic
• Free use of AT&T’s Wi-Fi hotspots

We won’t analyze AT&T’s network performance for a change as we have to emphasize the uniqueness of these data plans. The iPad comes unlocked so you don’t have to worry about subsidized pricing, mail-in rebates and “advanced devices” early termination fees.

But in order to take advantage of the offer you will have to make sure you get an iPad that comes with both Wi-Fi and 3G on board. Getting a 3G-less iPad will not let you take advantage of these great data plans. But can AT&T really handle all the extra network strain?

International plans are coming this summer and as the iPad uses some very innovative GSM micro SIMs, 3G-enabled iPads should be available in most markets by the end of the year.