I am extremely excited because FedEx has somehow switched gears and and has managed to move my iPad 3G from Philadelphia to Dubai in about two and a half days. Shipment happend on Friday 12am Dubai time and I had it in hand earlier today around 5:30 pm.
Early last week, I managed to acquire two sims for my number courtesy of etisalat's Tawa'am service.
After some careful trimming, I have managed to get my second sim to fit into the iPad and voila, we have etisalat 3G. I initially had some issues with the iPad throwing up a message that the cellular network was unavailable, but I sorted this out by:
- Making sure that the second sim was active (see etisalat’s Tawa'am page) for both phone calls and sms (since the iPad can receive neither this isn’t a problem)
- Ensuring that I had etisalat.ae in as the iPad’s APN
- Quick iPad reboot
Pictures after the break.
iPad 16GB Wifi and iPAd 32GB Wifi + 3G side by side.
Good old Etisalat on the iPad
AT&T, My trimmed Sim B, and my iPhone Sim, iPhone Sim Holder and the iPad Sime Holder.
AT&T Sim, Trimmed Sim B and iPhone Sim.
If you do decide to import an iPad and choose to trim your sim, use the AT&T sim as a guide. I would suggest cutting off the larger bits of plastic, remeasure and then continue cutting as you go along. Patience will pay off.
You will also notice that etisalat’s sim card has larger chip surface in comparison to the AT&T sim. While I initially thought this would be a problem, careful trimming of the plastic on the edges allows you to get it down to the right size. Ensure that you do not cut the chip itself at any point!
What did you use to trim the SIM card?
A sharp Maped Scissor!
good stuff mate!
awesome stuff man :)
haha can u make more of these and sell..so people can buy the ipad with wifi and 3g ?
i want 3g because most of the time i work go need 3g for internet!
thanks
I don't think I can. The sim card from either du or etisalat needs to be in your own name (regardless of whether it is pre-paid or post paid) and it just isn't worth the hassle.
However, if you would like to pay me to use a scissor on your own sim, no problem!
Nice :) Just a qs. How much did FedEx charge you for the delivery? Because I'm getting mine next week, so initially was planning to use USPS. But if FedEx rate is good then I will use them. Cheers!
I used our corporate account and was charged a little over USD 100. When I had the Wifi ones shipped in, the shipper paid over the counter and it worked out to around USD 136. This was for shipment from the East Coast. When I ran a quick comparison between UPS, FedEx and DHL they turned out to be around the same. I would strongly advise against using USPS. I have had mixed results with them, with some packages coming in fine and othes getting lost. Since USPS is the United Stated Postal Service, their counter party out here is Empost - not the best in my view. Pay a little extra and get it in hand safely and quickly.
Another advantage to using FedEx or DHL vs UPS is that their offices in Dubai are located at Terminal 2 vs. Dubai Airpor Freezone. Much easier to access in terms of getting in - mainly the entry polciy at DAFZ
Thanks a ton Omar!! Really appreciate your help. Just 5 quick qs. 1) How much duty you had to pay over $136 or was it inclusive? 2) Did you get it in a sealed pack or the sender had to open the box? 3) Was the charge levied on the original Apple invoice or the value provided by the sender? 4) What kind of FedEx shipping service was used e.g. International Priority, International Economy, etc? 5) How many did you ship? (The reason being I'm getting 3). Thanks so much in advance. Cheers.
No problem at all. 1. Duty into the UAE is usually calculated at 5% of the declared value. This usually applies for anything over USD 250. The USD 136 was freight only. 2. Sealed pack. The sender was actually my cousin - making this easier! 3. The duty was applied on the declared value. You have to generally include an invoice with the shipment. We used Apple's invoice. Some people tend to create their own and under declare it, not a practice I like. It tends to happe very frequently in the commercial world. 4. We used International Priority. 5. Both times it was two units, but more the merrier!
Thank you. Much appreciated. BTW, I thought the duty is 4%? http://tinyurl.com/32gn4jt
Look's like you are right. My mistake!
you are right with 5%
very nice , my iPad is on the way too, and I just got the Tawa’am sim cards my question is
1- " if you have enabled one sim card to use it with your iPad , will you still be able to make and receive calls from the other one in your iPhone? 2 -for me I have the 500 MB data package that comes with the iPhone , will I be able to share it between the two ?
Thanks,
1. Yes. I initially had some issues getting the iPad's sim active, however it all seems to be working fine. I can make phone calls and receive texts on the first sim which is in my iPhone and use the data connection on my iPad simultaneously. 2. I don't see why not. Etisalat's Tawa'am page lists that all services are available on both the sims. The only problem you may face is with the 500 MB limit, watching a few videos or a little bit of heavy browsing will eat up your cap. I was previously on etisalat's 1 GB Mobile Broadband package, which worked well with my requirement on the iPhone. Yesterday, I upgraded it to the Unlimited (10GB) package which is on promotion at AED 99 per month for 3 months. According to their Twitter feed (@EtisalatUAE) they have also upped the limited to 100GB during the promo.
Thanks Omar , appreciated.
hello
Am looking for Ipad Wifi + G3 but apple store don't accept any international credit card , so please can you tell me from which website to order an Ipad 3G
Thank you
Hi Aisha,
Not sure where you are located, but if you're in the UAE, try nahel.com or emiratesavenue.com.
EmiratesAvenue.com seems cheaper and they have the iPads ... Nahel is out of stock since 2 months
Hi Omar,
Great work here. I don't have an existing Etisalat Sim for an iPhone but I do have one for a blackberry, do you know if the same principal applies?
If it doesn't, can you separately buy a sim card just for the iPad do you know?
Thanks for all your help
Cheers
Tom
Hi Tom,
Been travelling - apologies for the slow response.
The Blackberry service from any carrier tends to be completely separate to any other data services that the carrier provides. This is due to Blackberry having their own gateway and set of servers through which emails and other data pass through.
You could potentially use the sim card in your Blackberry by adding a data package to it. However, assuming that you want to continue using your Blackberry, the easiest way would be to go to etisalat and buy a data only micro sim, choose your package and you're good to go!
If you need any more help, please ask or buzz me twitter @omarkassim1
Hi Omar - great stuff, you are a pioneer ! I just bought my 64gb, wifi + 3G, writing this post from it. Sweet stuff !
Now my question; do you have to cut your SIM manually like you describe in this post, or have you in the meantime found whether Etisalat or Du are offering mini-SIMs ?
Simon
Hi Simon,
Thank you! I hope your enjoying your 64GB. I just got hold off an iPhone 4 when I was in England, really enjoying it!
You can of course cut up a regular sim! etisalat does offer micro sims, they cost AED 25 and you can easily activate any of their data packages on them. In addition, you can get etisalat's Tawa'am service and share your data across two sims, should you want to. However, I have heard anecdotally that they are having issues with micro sims and the Tawa'am service.
Unfortunately not being a user of du, I am not too sure whether they offer micro sims, however I am sure that a quick tweet to @dutweets will gave you an answer.
If you may need more help, do give me a shout back!
Hi Omar - and other readers,
I activated my Etisalat micro-card yesterday - took a while to get it, and must admit am not impressed by the Etisalat customer service AT ALL.
Anyway - popped it in, and indeed it seems like there are some problems with the 3G on these cards - at least I haven't been able to get 3G online yet. I will need to go there again today...
Omar I got a twin from Etisalat but the B card was charged for the data I used, did this happen to you?
Etisalat said the data package is only available for card A.
Hi Bu Jassim,
This did not happen to me. I currently have etisalat's Tawa'am service and I am able to share one data package between the two sim cards. etisalat actually advertises that all your services including data can be shared between both sims.
It sounds like someone may have misinformed you. This tends to happen very regularly!
I am currently using regular sims that I have cut up (as above) rather than micro sims. I have heard anecdotally that some users were having issues with micro sims and the Tawa'am service. I tried to get ahold of a couple of micro sims but have not been able to, to date.
Dear Omar,
Congratulations with your great “Apple” site! Amazing how you cut your sim card to a micro sim, I like it, very innovative.
I need your help. I have finally also the iPad 3G and even got a second micro-sim card through Tawa’am by Etisalat. One sim is in my Blackberry and the other now in the iPad 3G. Blackberry works fine, but iPad does not...also when I change my sim from iPad to Blackberry, I can call, but the mobile internet is not working, the message is saying: unavailable to connect, mobile data service not available.
Now I am wondering the slogan on Etisalat site: “Tawa’am service offers GSM Postpaid and Wasel Prepaid customers the facility of having two SIM (duplicate) cards with the same mobile number. All supplementary and value added services will be activated on both cards, i.e., call waiting, mobile TV, Mobile Broadband etc.”
I read it correctly, Mobile Boradband…so how come the second sim does not have this service? Of course asked Etisalat and they try to sell me the data package 10GB for AED 395 per month…
But that is a lot of money, knowing that I pay this already every month for my Blackberry.
I read on the Gulf News site: “Customers can purchase the card for data use or to replace an existing card for Dh25, which can be done at the etisalat business centre.”
How does this works now? How can I still get internet on my iPad 3G. I am sorry for the long message, but for sure you understand how annoying it is in not getting what you want ;-)
Thank you already for replying,
Elwin
Hi Elwin,
I think there's an easy answer to this one! The Blackberry package while allowing you data on your Blackberry does not actually allow you to use this data on another device. Blackberry devices use RIM's proprietary technology to encrypt and compress their traffic and also use RIM's global network of servers to access the Internet as well as email services.
The APN on a Blackberry device to the best of my knowledge is different to etisalat's APN.
I think the problem here is that while you've managed to get a second sim through Tawa'am, you'll need a data package to get data on your iPad.
I would suggest either giving up the second sim and getting a second separate sim subscription either post or pre-paid and getting a data package on that - the AED 99 three month promo is quite good. Alternatively, if you do not do a lot of travelling - give up the Blackberry - I would highly recommend grabbing an iPhone (the new one is lovely, and you can probably grab the 3GS at a great price fairly soon).
Give me a shout back if you need more help.
Dear Omar,
Very impressed with your post! Had a quick question- do you know if I can share my blackberry data package with the 3G ipad. I have heard people say that you can only share the iphone data package with the ipad.
Hi - thank you! Simple answer, I don't think you can.
Have a look through my comment below, the Blackberry uses RIM's proprietary technology and servces for both data and email and therefore other devices can't access the internet through their APN.
The iPhone data packages are the same as etisalat's Mobile Broadband packages, therefore if you don't want to get an iPhone on a contract, you can grab a Mobile Broadband plan, get a couple of Tawa'am sims and you're good to go. I would recommend the 3 month AED 99 promotion if it's still running!
hi,
i have a doubt, if i buy a 16 GB IPAD wifi with 3g, can we make calls using the etisalat micro sim. Is it like the normal charges applicable or it acts like a VOIP. My etisalat sim is a GSM. Kindly advice.
rgds
asif
Hi Asif,
Unfortunately the iPad cannot make calls using the sim - there is no phone functionality built in. You can however use applications like Skype (available off the App Store) to make VOIP calls.
so, to summarize (i'm in the usa at the moment) --
Staff at the Apple Store here advise a buyer the following:
that should you use 3G you will have to go with AT&T and the iPad will not support other telcos when purchased from the USA
But you are saying that this is not the case and that you can indeed purchase a US market iPad 3G and convert it to function with etisalat (or any other telco that offers data plans and micro sims) without anything funky like "jail-breaking"
Appreciate your post! :-)
Hello! The iPad supports any GSM based carrier since the device isn't actually locked to a particular network.
As long as you can get hold of a microsim or cut up a regular sim it should work fine in the iPad (remember to check your APN settings!). I've tested it with a number of carriers when I was in Europe earlier this summer - it worked great!
As far as I know, the US iPad is identical to iPads being sold elsewhere (Apple prefers to keep costs lower by producing the least number of SKU's) aside from the package contents - i.e. country specific plugs etc.
I hope that helps! Let me know if you need any more info.
Hello.
I have an ipad 16GB 3G and was looking for the best micro sim in the uae.
I dont know weither to take Du or Etisalat (Etisalat might have better coverage all around the UAE?) and weither to take a twin card or seperate one, which one is easier to recharge and use? (knowing that i have a Du sim on my nokia). I like to watch videos, play and chat, so how many GB should i go for in my package to use it freely?
Would you be generous to answer my many questions as I am quite lost!!
Thankyou
Hi!
Congrats on the iPad - it's a great device. I've just go ahold of the new one and it's a dream!
On my 3G iPad I use an etisalat sim with their Taw'am service, which essentially gives you dual sims under the same number. I initially ran into a few issues - I was told that they had a bad batch of sims at that time.
I also found their micro sims to be quite flaky - so I stuck to my method of using regular size sims and chopping them down to the right size.
Unfortunately I do not have a lot of experience with du, but their service seems very similar aside from different terminology for all their price plans.
In terms of re-charging, it may be easier to go with a dual sim service since the sim on your phone can probably charge up your account easier. Otherwise you would need to take it out and put it into a phone to recharge or find another way to recharge your account. Alternatively, a post paid sim may be a good idea.
I've had a 1GB package for a while now - I'm generally a heavy user and I haven't crossed that limit. If you're thinking of streaming a lot of heavy video files then I would consider going for a larger package - if not, 1 GB would be fine!
Give me a shout if you need more information!
May I ask you who is the best wireless internet service provider in the uae?
i am having serious problems wifi my etisalat internet connection, I can rarely connect for a continuous 3 hours!!
I think this may come to area - I've generally not had any major issues with etisalat - I had the occasional hiccup with my sim cards - after replacing them it was back to business as usual.
du's coverage has traditionally been weaker - since they for some strange reason decided to create their own hardware infrastructure rather than sharing what already existed under etisalat.
However from the looks of it, it feels like their coverage over the last 18 months or so have improved tremendously.
I would suggest getting a pay as you go sim from each provider and see how you fare over a couple of weeks in your area including home and work - then choose which to go with.
can i pad2 be used as mobile as well>
Hi Sushil,
Not as far as I know - it doesn't include Apple's phone application that the iPhone does.
It may also be a bit strange trying to hold up such a large device to your ear!
If you do want phone like functionality - you can always use Skype or something like Viber with the inbuilt mic or a Bluetooth headset.