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Sprint to get its own iPad 2, report says

Apple and Sprint have completed work on an iPad that is specific to Sprint's data network, according to Web site 9to5mac.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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Roger Cheng

Sprint Nextel may be getting an iPad of its very own.

Could the iPad 2 be coming to Sprint's network? Apple

Web site 9to5mac reported today that Apple and Sprint have completed work on an iPad that is compatible with Sprint's wireless network. This comes on the heels of reports that Sprint will also carry the iPhone.

If true, the products represent a strengthening of ties between Apple and Sprint, and would put Sprint on par with its larger rivals AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Sprint has the added benefit of offering more attractive rate plans with the devices.

The site reports that the Sprint version of the iPad is completely separate from the Verizon model, which runs on the compatible 3G CDMA technology. It's unclear whether the Sprint iPad would run on the 3G or 4G WiMax network, which is run by Sprint partner Clearwire, according to 9to5mac. But it's unlikely that Apple would invest in building a WiMax device when most companies are looking to alternative 4G technology LTE.

A Sprint representative declined to comment to CNET. An Apple representative wasn't immediately available for comment.

Without an iPad of its own, Sprint had resorted to pitching its mobile hot spot as a way to provide a Wi-Fi connection to the blockbuster tablet.