Everybody loves pioneers and road-openers, so you can imagine EE’s brave first UK venture into the high-speed 4G jungle has been welcomed mostly with excitement and enthusiasm.
That doesn’t mean EE is knee-deep in the land of milk and honey however, because we’ve already heard a lot of people complaining about limited coverage, low speeds, the small number of 4G-enabled devices available and/or pricy data plans.
But nobody can hit a home run in a first attempt, which is why we’re glad to inform you EE is trying hard to ease up some of those concerns. First, there was the announcement that 17 new markets will get in on the 4G fun by March 2013, and now we have news about two new devices getting ready for launch.
Better yet, we’re talking about Android-based tablets, which have been nowhere to be found in EE’s 4G line-up so far. The Galaxy Note 10.1 and Nexus 7 are joining the iPads on EE, but we’re a tad confused about their release dates.
Different sources say different things – like the launches are happening today, “this weekend” or in “the near future” – but one thing is clear: the tabs are not yet listed on EE’s website, so it might still be a while.
As for prices, we already know all there is to know, but it’s not all good news. The Note 10.1 LTE will start at £99.99 on a £35.99 monthly plan with 8 GB of data included. If you can go around with less data, there’ll be two other options, but they’ll need more upfront dough.
The 5 GB data plan costing £30.99 a month will force you to pay £199.99 for the 10-inch tab, while 3 GB will cost you £25.99 a month and an additional £249.99 upfront. We’re already familiar with the LTE version of the Note 10.1, which has basically the same spec sheet as the non-LTE model, so those prices feel a tad hefty.
The same data plans will be valid for the Nexus 7, although the smaller tab will of course be much cheaper. An upfront payment of £25.99 will see you signing up for the 8 GB option, £29.99 will buy you a tab with 5 GB of data each month, while £49.99 will get you in on the 3 GB plan. All prices will require the signing of a 24-month contract.
If you’re wondering how you’ll be able to get LTE speeds on the Nexus 7, it’s pretty simple – EE will bundle the tab with a Huawei E589 Mifi dongle. Not exactly the ideal traveling option, but it’s not too bad. Now if only EE would do something about those expensive data options as well…
Leave A Comment