The Kindle Touch 3G Connectivity That Isn't $50 More for 3G -- Minus Most of the Internet Amazon's new Kindle lineup was unveiled to great fanfare last week, including their new Kindle Fire Android tablet and the Kindle Touch. To keep the price down the Fire lacks 3G connectivity completely, while the Touch offers users both a Wi-Fi only version for $100, or a 3G version for an extra $50. Interestingly, the 3G wireless broadband connectivity that comes with the Touch comes with a number of restrictions users recently discovered over at the Amazon forums. According to a post by Amazon, the 3G connection on the device can now only be used to access the Kindle store or browse Wikipedia: We apologize for the confusion. Our new Kindle Touch 3G enables you to connect to the Kindle Store, download books and periodicals, and access Wikipedia - all over 3G or Wi-Fi. Experimental web browsing (outside of Wikipedia) on Kindle Touch 3G is only available over Wi-Fi. Our Kindle Keyboard 3G will continue to offer experimental web browsing over 3G or Wi-Fi. There's little room to complain since what 3G connectivity you get is free each month. Still, previous Kindle versions allowed "experimental web browsing" with no limitation on access, and Amazon wasn't particularly forthcoming with the fact they'd be crippling the 3G connection in this fashion. $50 seems excessive for a 3G connection that doesn't connect you to much of anything. It's not clear if the new 3G usage restrictions are something that Amazon chose to do to minimize their own costs, or if it's something imposed contractually by AT&T -- who powers the connectivity for the Kindle (we asked AT&T, but didn't hear back). AT&T's 3G network also powers the upcoming Sony Vita gaming handheld, which reports last week indicated features a 20MB limit on downloads via 3G. With wireless carriers now charging up to $10 per gigabyte, embedded 3G device functionality was already of dwindling interest to many given high pricing and the proliferation of Wi-Fi (example a: 3G embedded tablets from carriers aren't selling). It's certainly even less interesting if actual usage of embedded 3G connectivity is going to be further capped or crippled.
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 | | Oh come on, what did you really expect?? Really? You thought an extra $50 will buy you the 3G hardware in the device plus unlimited web surfing forever?? When AT&T charges $25/mo for a paltry 2 GB (minimum $300/year - more than entire price of Kindle Fire!) PLUS all the actual phone fees?? Come on, you have to be out of your mind to think this.
So no more BS "scare" articles like this when clearly, this is an incredible deal. | |
|  |  LinklistPremium
join:2002-03-03
Longport, NJ
kudos:5 | Re: Oh come on, what did you really expect?? The Touch interface would have made 3G browsing so much easier than on the older Kindle readers where you used a chicklet keyboard. AT&T must have realized the touch interface Kindle would have resulted in a LOT more wireless browsing and they no longer would offer Amazon the unlimited browsing forever deal available on the older Kindles.
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»www.rickperry.org/ | |
| | | | As noted, it did on the older 3G version up to this point - so yeah it was expected.
Being that 3G is synonymous with Internet and "everyone" markets it accordingly, unless they clearly indicated it was crippled or not really internet (locking as they have is not internet), I believe they have dove into the bait and switch pool and could very well be held liable for such. Unless of course they have fine print preventing class action in which case they win again. | |
| | | azstu
join:2007-05-13
Tucson, AZ Reviews:
 ·Comcast
| Re: Oh come on, what did you really expect?? I totally agree. My old Kindle does provide free 3G to use amazons phrase and I expected it to be there cos they said that was what the feature was.
I have recently been concerned with Amazon generally for what can only be described as deceptive advertising in a bunch of areas. Their Prime video counts were the same. Saying they had 9000 when in fact it was 2700 ( they were deceptively counting each episode as an occurrence , something the others were not doing) and got called on it and now use a more 'thousands of' phrase. but right now Prime is still 2700 total. Did they think we wouldn't notice.
So again, I see a really worrying trait emerging from Amazon..that of not being completely honest.. and this unannounced change is again a sign of them not having the balls to point things out directly and explicitly to their customers. | |
| | |  ScottJr
join:2001-10-10
Charles Town, WV | Since the device is not even launched yet, I think they will probably send out a note to the folks that pre-ordered. Since it can be cancelled without penalty, I think a bait and switch argument would be pretty weak. | |
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| | | I agree. I think people have unrealistic expectations. The kindle is a reading device to tie to their bookstore. It is intended to drive customers to purchasing books through amazon. You are paying $50 for perpetual convenient access to their store and wikipedia without any monthly fees, added charges or worries about things like roaming or separate services necessary. That seems quite reasonable and I don't think people should expect more for a one time $50 fee. I certainly wouldn't expect it to substitute for my laptop and $720/year 3g service. | |
| | | | Apple charges a iPad purchaser $130 EXTRA just for a 3G modem imbeded in the device. $130. No useage, zero, zip nada. I'm not sure what the point of the story is | |
| | | | | Re: Oh come on, what did you really expect?? You mean $50 isn't enough for unlimited internet access forever? CRAZY!
/sarcasm | |
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| | | It's not an "incredible" deal to PAY FOR access to BUY more stuff from Amazon. If the only use for the 3g is buying Kindle books then they shouldn't charge for it at all since the books are where Amazon makes their money not on the Kindles.
They are charging the same price and taking a way a beneficial feature. That's greed pure and simple. | |
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| | Not exactly a deal For those that like to go on how $50 for 3G for life is not a bad deal when the only object of the 3G is to give you access to Amazon.com
would those same people be like hey Wall-mart only charges $5/year to access their store ...
Places like Costco charge because you are getting a "deal" that will pay back the membership but in this case Amazon has no store you can walk into and they are basically charging you to access their stuff anytime in the USA. Seems they could have just thrown it on for free considering that e-books are more expensive then most paperbacks and a heck of a lot cheaper for Amazon to ship. | |
| | | | Re: Not exactly a deal But they aren't charging you to access their store. You can still, if you choose, buy the less expensive product without wi-fi or 3g, access their store through your normal internet connection, download books on your computer and then move them onto your reader(which is what I have to do with my sony reader). What you are paying for is the convenience of having the 3g hardware and lifetime 3g access on the reader so that you can buy and load books anywhere anytime without being tethered to your computer. If that isn't worth $50 to you then you can buy the cheaper kindle, but it seems reasonable to me given the high monthly cost of 3g services in the US. | |
| | |  PeteC2Got Mouse?Premium,MVM
join:2002-01-20
Bristol, CT
kudos:6
·Comcast
| Re: Not exactly a deal said by asdfdfdfdfdf :But they aren't charging you to access their store. You can still, if you choose, buy the less expensive product without wi-fi or 3g, access their store through your normal internet connection, download books on your computer and then move them onto your reader(which is what I have to do with my sony reader). What you are paying for is the convenience of having the 3g hardware and lifetime 3g access on the reader so that you can buy and load books anywhere anytime without being tethered to your computer. If that isn't worth $50 to you then you can buy the cheaper kindle, but it seems reasonable to me given the high monthly cost of 3g services in the US.
Just so. You are buying an ereader...not a general-purpose tablet. Pearl e-ink format is superior for readability, but not at all ideal for web browsing. The 3G connectivity is really meant for the purpose of making it convenient to download books from the Amazon store regardless of your whereabouts...not much else.
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Deeds, not words | |
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| | ..........people are stupid? WTF is people whining about???
It's just convenience to download books anywhere over 3G without MONTHLY FEES. No way I'm expecting to surf over Internet for just $50 one time fee. | |
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