The speculation last week that Apple is working on a Verizon iPhone for release next year might have just gotten a roundabout confirmation.
According to a press release, Apple and Verizon will start offering the iPad in Verizon stores on October 28. The iPad will come in several bundles that include Verizon’s MiFi 2200 wireless Internet mobile hotspot, but customers also have the option of grabbing an iPad with a 1Gb monthly 3G data plan. Standalone Wi-Fi-enabled iPads will be also available.
So Apple is now on the Verizon network, at least in some form. It seems the iPhone, which the Wall Street Journal reported last week could be available to Verizon customers in a new version as early as 2011, really might not be so far behind. If nothing else, this deal is Apple’s endorsement of the Verizon network, and a break from its exclusivity with AT&T.
The Verizon iPads will come in three bundles with the MiFi service: a 16Gb iPad with MiFi for $629.99, a 32Gb iPad with MiFi for $729.99, and a 64Gb iPad for $829. The 1Gb data plan will run customers $20 a month.
The MiFi hotspots are small broadcasters that create a “cloud” of Internet connectivity around them. Verizon says the MiFi unit can connect up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices at a time. On its website, Verizon offers two data plans with MiFi: a $39.99 per-month 250Mb plan, and a $59.99 per-month 5Gb plan.
