This post is by no means intended to disrespect Apple aficionados, but is intended to illustrate the potential for alternatives. My wife is a hardcore iPad junkie, and I'm an android fan. She regularly extols the benefits of the iPad. Earlier this summer we were on a trip in an RV park which did not have wireless internet - my wife was upset that she could not get internet access.
She noticed that I appeared to be surfing my regular sites, and asked how I was getting access - I replied that my phone was acting as a wireless hot spot, and innocently asked her if she wanted to connect to my android phone.
Although she did not want to admit that my phone could do something that costs extra on her iPhone, she begrudgingly accepted my offer. Once we returned home, she investigated the potential to tether her phone to share internet access with her devices, and ATT told her that she would need to pay extra each month for her iPhone to tether devices, and furthermore, that she would need to give up her unlimited plan and adopt a 5 gb limit. In contrast, I simply start the hot spot app on my android and voila, instant internet without a penny extra (I checked my monthly bill to be sure).
Needless to say, she continues to use my phone as wireless access on trips.