Verizon iPad Coming

While many of us are still waiting to get our hands on Verizon iPhone, the company has just announced that it will start selling Apple iPad (bundled with MiFi or standalone) starting Oct. 28. AT&T and Verizon are both going to start selling these shiny tablets in a couple of weeks. The version sold by Verizon is slightly different and will be bundled with MiFi. The prices for these bundles are identical to those of AT&T iPad 3G units.

Here are the iPad bundles that will be available through Verizon:

• Apple iPad 16GB + MiFi: $629.99
• Apple iPad 32GB + MiFi: $729.99
• Apple iPad 64GB + MiFi: $829.99

MiFi is a portable device that will make it possible for iPad owners to connect to the Internet on the go. Verizon customers will have to pay $20 a month for a 1 GB of data plan. AT&T customers get to choose from 2 plans though.

Here is what Verizon had to say about this move:

This is the perfect pairing for holiday travels… iPad together with the nation’s largest and most reliable 3G data network allows customers to easily connect on the go wherever they are,

said John Stratton, chief operating officer for Verizon Wireless. So what happens to Apple’s exclusive deal with AT&T? Technically, Verizon and Apple are not doing anything wrong with the above mentioned iPad bundles. The current iPad models are not compatible with Verizon’s CDMA network. It remains to be seen whether Apple is interested in introducing a CDMA-compatible iPad.

With Verizon picking up iPad, it’s not too hard to believe that Verizon iPhone will follow next. It is expected to be announced at CES 2011. Will Verizon handle all the load coming from these devices better than AT&T? We will have to wait and see.

Your take: if you are buying an iPad, which one are you going for: AT&T iPad or Verizon iPad?