sources” citing component makers. That’s up from the two versions Apple currently offers: UMTS plus Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi only.

To explicate the alphabet soup, UMTS is the standard used by major 3G carriers such as AT&T and T-Mobile, while CDMA is compatible with Verizon and Sprint networks.

Currently the 3G iPad ships with a MicroSIM card slot, and in the United States, the only carrier that uses MicroSIM is AT&T. Customers who want to connect to non-AT&T 3G networks must either buy an external wireless hotspot device such as the Verizon MiFi (Verizon even sells a MiFi plus iPad package already) or trim a standard SIM card down to MicroSIM size, like Wired.com’s Charlie Sorrel.

The current 3G model of the iPad is not tied to a contract; customers pay a flat rate monthly for data and can opt out whenever they please.

So if this rumor is true, what this means is when the iPad 2 ships, you’ll have to pick a 3G model based on your carrier preference. If you don’t plan to be on the road a lot, there’s still the Wi-Fi option.

Support for both major wireless standards in the U.S. will make the iPad 2 available to a much larger potential audience, whereas before it was only available from AT&T here in the states.

Whether Apple hammers out sales agreements with Verizon or Sprint remains to be seen, however.

Recent rumors suggestion that the iPad 2 will hit stores April 2011, one year after the original iPad’s release. Some third-party protective cases for a purported “iPad 2? have been cropping up in Asia, hinting at the possibility of a bigger speaker and a rear-facing camera.

Persistent rumors — so far unsubstantiated — have also pointed to a Verizon-compatible iPhone to be released in early 2011. If Verizon got the iPhone and the iPad, it would greatly expand Apple’s potential market, and would also likely deal a severe blow to AT&T, which has been roundly criticized for the inability of its 3G network to keep up with iPhone-induced demand.

See Also:

• Verizon to Sell Apple’s iPad, But Is iPhone Next?
• With iPad, Apple Still Has a Fatal Attraction for AT&T
• AT&T Sees iPad as Wi-Fi Driven, Not a 3G Hog

Photo of the current iPad: Jon Snyder/Wired.com

Authors: Brian X. Chen

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