iPad Firmware Upgrade Available Free of Charge At First

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In case you are an iPhone/iPad developer you might have already received the Golden Master version of iPhone OS 3.2 SDK. But Cupertino has done more than simply to release the new SDK to developers as it looks like the company has posted two new files on their serves: the iPad licensing agreement and the iPad 3.2 firmware.

And so far it’s all good news to future iPad owners. According to Apple your first iPad firmware upgrades will be available free of charge. That’s a rather unexpected move considering that iPod touch users still have to pay to get their firmware updated.

Here’s what Apple’s documentation says on the matter:

Apple will provide you any iPad OS software updates that it may release from time to time, up to and including the next major iPad OS software release following the version of iPad OS software that originally shipped from Apple on your iPad, for free. For example, if your iPad originally shipped with iPad 3.x software, Apple would provide you with any iPad OS software updates it might release up to and including the iPad 4.x software release. Such updates and releases may not necessarily include all of the new software features that Apple releases for newer iPad models.

The next major update is of course iPhone OS 4.0 which we’re expecting to hit later this summer when the next-gen iPhone 4G/HD hits the market. But that doesn’t guarantee that future iPad firmware upgrades beyond version 4.x will not cost you some extra dollars.

iPod touch users will have to keep throwing money at Apple for every major update available out there but then again they are probably spending a lot of cash on apps already. Buying the new firmware update won’t be that expensive, will it? But it will be annoying, at least for some iPod touch users.
So what do you say, iPad future owners? Excited to hear about future free iPad firmware updates or not really?