AT&T Mobility, Verizon Wireless prepared for iPad 2 launch

For those of you already camping in line to pick up Apple Inc.’s (AAPL) iPad 2 tomorrow, AT&T Mobility (T) and Verizon Wireless (VZ) want to let you know that if you are interested in 3G connectivity, they have you covered … for a price.
Both carriers unveiled data pricing for the device that they plan on selling beginning tomorrow at 5 pm local time in retail locations, though AT&T Mobility said online sales are expected to begin at 1 am PST. (And remember, for the media to declare the launch of the iPad 2 a success there needs to be thousands of people camped outside of every retail location.)
AT&T Mobility’s plans will not require a contract and will be priced at $15 for 250 megabytes or $25 for 2 gigabytes. For those choosing to pay for service using a credit card on a monthly basis, customers on the $15 plan can purchase an additional 250 MB for the same $15, while those on the 2 GB plan can purchase an addition 2 GB for $25. AT&T Mobility recently unveiled this pricing model for all of its tablet devices.
AT&T Mobility is also offering what it calls a “monthly statement” or “postpaid” plan that will allow customers signed up for the $25 to purchase incremental usage for $10 per gigabyte. For a limited time, these customers will also be presented with a free 2 GB of service when they activate an account.
AT&T Mobility will also extend the its Personal Hotspot feature to the device that allows for multiple devices to connect to the Internet through the iPad for an additional $20 for 2 GB of data transmission on top of the $25 plan.
For those choosing their 3G connectivity through Verizon Wireless, the carrier is offering a handful of no-contract options. The plans begin at $20 per month for 1 GB; ratchet up to $35 for 3 GB; then to $50 for 5 GB; and topping out at $80 for 10 GB. The plans mirror those the carrier already offers for access through its mobile hotspot devices on the low end and its mobile broadband pricing on the high end.
Both carriers are selling the devices directly for $630 for the 16 GB model, $730 for the 32 GB model and $830 for the 64 GB model. For Verizon Wireless, the pricing is a step up from the $600 it’s currently asking for the recently launched Motorola Mobility Inc. Xoom tablet, which includes 32 GB of internal memory, though that price does require a two-year contract at the same pricing for data services as offered for the iPad.
Various retailers will also be selling non-3G versions of the iPad 2 beginning tomorrow beginning at $500 for the 16 GB version, $600 for the 32 GB version and $700 for the 64 GB model.
And what if you are one of the few wanting to use the new iPad outside of a Wi-Fi connection, but not interested in either AT&T Mobility or Verizon Wireless? Well, you can always pick up the Wi-Fi only version of the device and connect to any other carrier offering a mobile hot spot device or service.