Verizon 4G iPads can also run on AT&T

Purchasing a Verizon iPad doesn’t mean you can’t also surf the web on AT&T’s network–for now, at least.

One enterprising MacRumors commenter, jsnuff1, discovered Friday morning that the Verizon version of the tablet can also run AT&T’s data network.All you have to do is swap out the micro-SIM in the tablet and update the iPad’s carrier settings.

“I was one of the first to obtain a Verizon iPad and can happily confirm that this is allowed,” writes jsnuff1. “I used my AT&T iPhone 4S sim card and took out the Verizon sim, and data worked! You must apply the AT&T APN carrier settings before this works though.” The commenter also shot a video of his iPad running on the network.

Sure enough, after inserting the AT&T micro-SIM from an iPhone 4S into a Verizon iPad, we saw the familiar “AT&T 4G” appear on the screen. Using an AT&T SIM in your Verizon iPad won’t actually get you 4G speeds.

That is likely why many opted to purchase the LTE version of the tablet over the Wi-Fi version in the first place. AT&T data cards will only be able to connect to the carrier’s 3G, HSPA+, and EDGE networks rather than the much faster LTE network the AT&T iPad runs on.

The fact that the Verizon iPad can run on other carrier’s networks also isn’t entirely surprising. The micro-SIM card slot on the tablet is designed to be used for roaming internationally when Verizon’s network isn’t available.

But it was expected that the slot would lock out other carriers while in the U.S. Apple may well fix that soon enough in a future iOS update.If they leave it this way, however, the functionality could come in handy for Verizon buyers when traveling in areas in the U.S. where they might not get the best coverage.