Apple to Charge for iPad OS Upgrades?

Many of us are used to downloading the latest iPhone OS upgrades for free. Heck, even iTunes is free to upgrade. Just don’t expect it to be the same for your iPad. It appears Apple will be charging users to update the software on the upcoming device.

According to Apple’s licensing agreement, a clause states customers will be given one OS update free of charge. After that, it will cost you.

Apple will provide you any iPad OS software updates that it may release from time to time, up to and including the next major iPad OS software release following the version of iPad OS software that originally shipped from Apple on your iPad, for free. For example, if your iPad originally shipped with iPad 3.x software, Apple would provide you with any iPad OS software updates it might release up to and including the iPad 4.x software release. Such updates and releases may not necessarily include all of the new software features that Apple releases for newer iPad models.

The statement implies you may very well have to pay for future updates. Of course this isn’t the first time Apple has charged for OS upgrades. You’ll remember the company charged iPod Touch owners $10 when they upgraded to iPhone OS 2.0 and to iPhone OS 3.0 while  iPhone customers received it for free.

[Via Wired]