Verizon Wireless stores will begin selling the iPad in late October in a move that marks the first time the telecom giant is partnering with Apple -- and probably not the last.
Verizon's 2,000 retail stores on Oct. 28 will begin carrying the Wi-Fi model of Apple's iPad bundled with a MiFi wireless modem to gain 3-G access. (Verizon's network is based on CDMA technology, which is not compatible with the current iPad hardware, hence the need for a separate standalone modem.)
Verizon's MiFi + iPad bundles will be priced the same as an iPad with built-in 3G connectivity for AT&T's networks. The 16-GB iPad + MiFI model will cost $630, for example, the same as the 16-GB 3G iPad.
"We’re thrilled to be working with Verizon Wireless to get iPad into the hands of even more customers this holiday season,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer, in a press release.
AT&T, too, will begin carrying 3-G iPads at its 2,200 retail locations.
The news of Verizon selling the iPad comes at interesting timing, as both the Wall Street Journal and *The New York Times*recently reported that Verizon will carry a CDMA-based iPhone in January 2011. Now that Verizon is selling iPads, the telecom giant is an official partner of Apple, which makes the possibility of a Verizon iPhone more probable.
See Also:
- Verizon to Apple: We Want the iPhone
- Verizon CEO Throws Wet Blanket on iPhone Rumors
- WSJ: Verizon iPhone Debuts Early 2011
- Big Chunk of Verizon Customers Would Switch to an iPhone
- With iPad, Apple Still Has a Fatal Attraction for AT&T
Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired.com
