Card tricks: why Apple put a microSIM into the iPad

Telstra and Optus confirm their respective iPad microSIM prepaid broadband starter kits will go on sale days ahead of the iPad’s launch this Friday.

Optus is making a play for business users of the iPad 3G with microSIM ‘BYO mobile broadband plans’ – and adding a ‘cash back rebates’ of $100 to $300 on Apple’s slate.

The SA-based ISP becomes Australia’s 3G telco reseller to offer iPad-friendly microSIM plans, starting at $15 per month for 500MB on the Optus network.

There may be no need to be tied into the iPad 3G’s microSIM format and the telcos who support it, if smart carriers start adopting the new dual-SIM card format.

I'm looking at this phone and the possibility of using it on T-Mobile with their BYOD plan. Does anyone know if this takes a microsim, or a regular sim card? Or even a nano sim card?

I used a MicroSIM Cutter bought from eBay after realising the Nexus 4 uses Micro SIMs, however after cutting the card the Nexus 4 has so far failed three times detect the SIM card, and only intermittently detected it once until this showed a few minutes later "The mobile network will be unavailable until you restart with a valid SIM card inserted."

However when using the provided adap

Optus confirms that data rollover will be available across all of its nine ‘microSIM’ prepaid iPad 3G plans, with as much as 15GB able to be carried over for six months at a time.

If you own the new Apple iPad, you may want to download these wallpapers collection for your iPad. These wallpapers are optimized for iPad use. Because of its capability to rotate, Apple iPad needs a special wallpaper size and resolution.

Optus 'microSIM' plans for the iPad 3G kick off at $15 for 500MB, stretch to $130 for 14GB, with expiry periods ranging from 15 days to six months.