Hack: iPad 3G Runs on T-Mobile, Sends Texts [VIDEO]

<p><img src="http://cdn.mashable.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/ipadtmobile.jpg" alt="" title="ipadtmobile" width="260" height="190" class="alignright size-full wp-image-265701" />The <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/04/30/ipad-3g-shipping/" rel="nofollow">3G version of Apple&#8217;s iPad</a> hit store shelves on Friday, and it&#8217;s already been hacked to run on a U.S. carrier that&#8217;s not AT&T: T-Mobile. Better still, it&#8217;s possible to send SMS text messages from the <a href="http://mashable.com/2010/01/27/ipad/" rel="nofollow">iPad</a> on T-Mobile&#8217;s network.</p><p>A few iPad 3G owners have been able to access T-Mobile&#8217;s EDGE data network by cutting their T-Mobile SIM cards down to the iPad&#8217;s MicroSIM size then inserting them into the device. It takes a while for the iPad to register on the network, but once it does, it works well. Unfortunately, the iPad doesn&#8217;t support T-Mobile&#8217;s 3G band, so if you try it you&#8217;ll have to settle for 2G network speeds.</p><p>There&#8217;s an unexpected bonus, though. The iPad can send SMS text messages on T-Mobile&#8217;s network. AT&T doesn&#8217;t allow that on the normal iPad plan. Right now there&#8217;s not an easily usable text messaging app for the iPad (the <a href="http://www.mashable.com/mobile/iphone" rel="nofollow">iPhone</a><span><a href="http://www.blippr.com/apps/469362-iPhone" target="_blank" rel="http://www.blippr.com/apps/469362-iPhone.whtml" rel="nofollow"><span>iPhone</span><img class="wp-smiley" src="http://netdna.blippr.com/images/inline-face_05.png?1265851550" alt="iPhone" width="14" height="14" /></a></span> one doesn&#8217;t work properly), but <a href="http://mashable.com/social-media/twitter" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a><span><a href="http://www.blippr.com/apps/336651-Twitter" target="_blank" rel="http://www.blippr.com/apps/336651-Twitter.whtml" rel="nofollow"><span>Twitter</span><img class="wp-smiley" src="http://netdna.blippr.com/images/inline-face_07.png?1265851550" alt="Twitter" width="14" height="14" /></a></span> user <a href="http://twitter.com/musclenerd" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">MuscleNerd</a> was able to take a primitive approach just to prove the point. You&#8217;ll need to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jailbreak_(iPhone_OS)" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">jailbreak</a> your iPad to do the same, though.</p><p>Other than the text messaging capability, the appeal to running the iPad on T-Mobile is mostly one of principle — it&#8217;s good to have carrier choices. Granted, T-Mobile&#8217;s EDGE network is much slower than AT&T&#8217;s 3G one, but it&#8217;s also far cheaper, with data plans in the $10 per month range. <span>YouTube<span><a href="http://www.blippr.com/apps/336658-YouTube" target="_blank" rel="http://www.blippr.com/apps/336658-YouTube.whtml" rel="nofollow"><span>YouTube</span><img class="wp-smiley" src="http://netdna.blippr.com/images/inline-face_05.png?1265851550" alt="YouTube" width="14" height="14" /></a></span></span> user islickster00 even has his running on a legacy $5.99 EDGE plan.</p><hr /><h2><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/islickster00" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">islickster00</a>&#8217;s $5.99 T-Mobile EDGE iPad</hr></h2><hr /></hr><p><center></p><p></center></p><hr /><h2><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/MuscleNerd" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">MuscleNerd</a>&#8217;s SMS Texting iPad</hr></h2><hr /></hr><p><center></p><p></center></p><hr /><h2><a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/KeatonReckard" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">KeatonReckard</a>&#8217;s iPad 3G on T-Mobile</hr></h2><hr /></hr><p><center></p><p></center></p><p>[<em>via <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/02/ipad-3g-works-on-t-mobile-can-be-hacked-to-send-text-messages/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Engadget</a> and <a href="http://www.ipadinsider.com/ipad-on-tmobile-edge-diy-micro-sim/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">iPadInsider</a></em>]</p><hr /><center><em><br /><h3>For more <a href="http://mashable.com/apple/" rel="nofollow">Apple</a> coverage, follow Mashable Apple on <a href="http://twitter.com/mashableapple" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Twitter</a> or become a fan on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mashable.apple?ref=sgm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Facebook</a><span><a href="http://www.blippr.com/apps/336650-Facebook" target="_blank" rel="http://www.blippr.com/apps/336650-Facebook.whtml" rel="nofollow"><span>Facebook</span><img class="wp-smiley" src="http://netdna.blippr.com/images/inline-face_05.png?1265851550" alt="Facebook" width="14" height="14" /></a></span></h3><p></em></center><br /><hr /> <div> <a href="http://feeds.mashable.com/~ff/mashable/apple?a=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:yIl2AUoC8zA" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/mashable/apple?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.mashable.com/~ff/mashable/apple?a=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:D7DqB2pKExk" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/mashable/apple?i=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:D7DqB2pKExk" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.mashable.com/~ff/mashable/apple?a=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:F7zBnMyn0Lo" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/mashable/apple?i=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:F7zBnMyn0Lo" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.mashable.com/~ff/mashable/apple?a=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:V_sGLiPBpWU" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/mashable/apple?i=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.mashable.com/~ff/mashable/apple?a=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:qj6IDK7rITs" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/mashable/apple?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.mashable.com/~ff/mashable/apple?a=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:TzevzKxY174" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/mashable/apple?d=TzevzKxY174" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.mashable.com/~ff/mashable/apple?a=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:gIN9vFwOqvQ" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/mashable/apple?i=telG1EQkR6E:OOw1yRuieFg:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/mashable/apple/~4/telG1EQkR6E" height="1" width="1" /><p>Source: <a href="http://feeds.mashable.com/~r/mashable/apple/~3/telG1EQkR6E/" rel="nofollow">Mashable | The Social Media Guide » Apple Feed</a></p>