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Verizon unveiled its first television commercial for the Apple iPad that it is now selling in bundles with its MiFi mobile hotspot creator.
The ad emphasizes the strength of Verizon’s mobile data network, as it shows an Apple iPad users in a house that slowly turns into a field. The point of the spot is that the Verizon network is so good that you can still experience “all the magic of the iPad” wherever you are.
Customers can now go in to a Verizon store and purchase an iPad or iPad bundle that includes a MiFi hotspot. The prices range from $499.99 to $829.99 depending on the storage and which bundle you pick.
Verizon also introduced a tiered data plan for the Apple iPad and this includes 5 GB a month for $50, 3 GB for $30 and 1 GB for $20.
The ad is well done and it also indicates that there is a certain level of cooperation between Verizon and Apple because Steve Jobs’ company is notorious for wanting to control how its products are shown off. Apple has recently made its iPad available in multiple retail stores and outlets in order to combat the wave of Android competitors.
That cooperation between the two companies will inevitably make us wonder if the two companies are working on any other products like, say, a Verizon iPhone. The rumor mill is loudly saying that this is a done deal and we can look forward to an Apple smartphone on Big Red in early 2011 and it probably won’t be able to take advantage of the 4G LTE network that Big Red is rolling out.
Of course, if these rumors come true (and that’s a huge “if”), one has to wonder who will control what goes on the device and how it is marketed. Verizon and Apple are both known for wanting to control the message so it will be a fun struggle to watch.
About The Author
Marin Perez
Marin Perez has torture tested cell phones and smartphones for industry leaders like CNET and InformationWeek. He remembers when 4G was just a screen on PowerPoint presentations and is fascinated with the amount of innovation out there. Marin has spent a lot of time with BlackBerry and Android but he finally broke down a bought an iPhone to see what all the hype's about. He also has too many tablets.
