The Apple iPad tablet device will not be able to tether to the iPhone, which would have given owners the ability to use AT&T's 3G data network for internet access.
As Apple announced in January, the iPad will first ship as a Wi-Fi only device -- expected to launch April 3 -- while the 3G-enabled iPad should launch a few weeks after. The iPad 3G model also is more expensive than the Wi-Fi-only edition ($130 more per equivalent model), so consumers may shy away from it even further.
According to AT&T, a smaller number of iPad customers will purchase the 3G model, allowing its wireless network to continue performing under the increased pressure. Allowing iPad tablet tethering to an iPhone seemed unlikely from the beginning, as AT&T likely wants to gather even more revenue through iPad 3G data plans.
As long as AT&T and Apple continue to have a partnership, don't expect the iPad to ever tether to the AT&T 3G network via iPhone.
But it's not a certainty. The credibility of the source has been doubted: a Swedish Apple customer reportedly sent an e-mail to company CEO Steve Jobs, and then received a reply. The query was about iPhone-to-iPad tethering, with "no" as the only response from Jobs.
The e-mail reportedly had matching headers and routing information, so the e-mail's origin is likely to be the real deal and authentic.
I personally don't know if Jobs answers his own e-mail occasionally, but it honestly wouldn't surprise me. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has been known to answer his own e-mail from time to time. Former Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz also enjoyed interacting directly with the public.
The inability to tether an iPad to a 3G iPhone is sure to upset loyal Apple fans, as they already pay pricey fees for their data usage on AT&T.
