X

New iPad owners complain of 3G connection issues

Numerous forum postings on Apple's Web site seem to show a growing number of international iPad owners that are having trouble connecting to 3G from their new slate.

Don Reisinger
CNET contributor Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has covered everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Besides his work with CNET, Don's work has been featured in a variety of other publications including PC World and a host of Ziff-Davis publications.
See full bio
Don Reisinger
2 min read
Is the new iPad experiencing a 3G issue?
Is the new iPad experiencing a 3G issue? Apple

Apple's new iPad has had its fair share of problems, and it appears another one might need to be added to the list.

An increasing number of new iPad owners have been complaining on Apple's forums about trouble connecting to 3G networks from their tablet. Based on the growing thread, the issue appears to be widespread across Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia. Only a few people in the U.S. have said that the device is having trouble connecting to 3G.

"When I travel with my iPad, e.g. taking it on a train, it loses its mobile data connection despite showing a strong signal," one forum poster wrote today in Apple's forums. "Toggling settings does not fix it (turning mobile data and/or Wi-Fi on or off, or even temporarily enabling airplane mode). The only way I have found to re-establish mobile data is to turn the iPad off the on again (powering it off fully by holding down the power button then swiping)."

Apple blog AppleInsider was first to report on this story.

Related stories

Numerous forum posters have also made the same attempts to address the problem. It's not clear whether the trouble is software or hardware related.

Apple's new iPad has been suffering from a host of issues since its launch last month. The device's 4G LTE support was causing some owners to complain of overheating -- a problem quickly debunked by both Apple and device testers, though the device does run warmer than its predecessor. Just yesterday, Apple blog 9to5Mac reported that Apple is currently looking into an issue with the device's wireless connection experiencing "intermittent connectivity...slow Wi-Fi speeds...[and] Wi-Fi network not seen."

That Wi-Fi issue has been such a problem for users that back in March, OS X Daily released a workaround requiring users to reestablish a connection to a wireless network. If that didn't work, it suggested users reset the device's network settings.

Apple did not immediately respond to CNET's request for comment on the apparent 3G issue.