Kindles are the only dedicated ebook readers with the option to have cellular connectivity to download ebooks when away from WiFi connections.
Amazon calls it “free” cellular connectivity because there aren’t any monthly fees associated with using the cellular wireless features, but the cellular Kindles do cost considerably more up-front, usually about $70 more.
It’s kind of surprising that Amazon continues to sell Kindles with cellular connectivity, but enough people must be buying them to keep them around.
I can understand 10 years ago when Kindles first came out when smartphones and free WiFi hotspots weren’t so widespread, but now free WiFi is available just about everywhere and it’s easy to tether a Kindle to a phone.
So why do people still buy Kindles with cellular connectivity?
It’s hard to see the value in paying $250 for a Kindle Paperwhite when you can get one with all the same features minus cellular connectivity on sale for under $100.
Older cellular Kindles used to be able to access the internet for free over 3G, but they closed that down a long time ago with the release of the original Kindle Touch, so that’s no longer a reason to get a cellular model.
The cellular Kindles aren’t even listed on the main product pages anymore; now Amazon has separate pages just for the 4G LTE models, and they’re hard to notice unless you happen to see the link.
To make matters worse, Amazon increased the price of the cellular version of the new Kindle Oasis 3. All the prices are the same as the 2nd gen model across the board except the cellular model, which inexplicably increased from $349 to $369.
It’s surprising that people are willing to spend that much on a device as simple as a Kindle.
Caro says
I highly doubt it. You can tether anything from your phone nowadays making cellular Kindles totally obsolete. Dropping an extra $70-80 for cellular connectivity is a wonderful way to waste money.
Tim Smith says
I still use a flip phone. A verizon hotspot puck costs 40 bucks, then 15 dollars a month for life or you drop the puck service. So, a one time fee, plus up to date, 32 g storage is reasonable. After two years your kindle is free based on the puck hot spot.
Esha says
With puck hit spot you can access the internet. With kindle now you can only access kindle shop and download from there. You can only access Wikipedia other than that.
Christophe says
I pay the $50-$70 extra for the a ability to use Wikipedia, Whispernet and Translation without WiFi. I like relaxing in parks and isolated areas where WiFi is not readily available.
Otherwise, I would not pay that amount to exclusively browse the store.
Sportbike Mike says
I have a prepaid Smartphone. Everything about it is great except that I am not allowed to tether on it. Doing so will get me banned from the service. $48 a month is pretty good for 25 gigs @ 4g speeds, so I’d like to keep it. That said, I can’t justify $369. I’d like to. I tried to talk myself into it, but I can’t. The truth is, I’m around WiFi enough. Now if I traveled more, maybe it would be justified.
Crap, maybe it is justified. I plan to be travelling more in the next few years.
Naw, I’m too cheap, and that strip is ugly.
DaveMich says
I have a pay-as-you-go smartphone with no data at all. I’m around wifi almost all the time anyway. I’m only charged for cellular, so I get by spending around $10 a month.
Scandi says
what a rip off – I am paying 25$/month for unlimited calls, sms, 4G LTE data in Scandinavia +Baltics and 15GB roaming elsewhere in Europe/month. But this is Scandinavia …
George says
30 GB unlimited texts, mins and MMS!!! Best part is it’s £10 a month!!!!!!!!! Bargain (I use 3 UK)
Alex says
I am paying only 5€ for my phone plan with 50 Gb and unlimited calls to all the providers in my country + 100 minutes to other countries. I have to pay for the e roaming tho
Jp says
I still use the free 3G on my Kindle Keyboard. It’s going strong after all these years and I’m sure I didn’t spend more than 200 bucks on it. A lot of places don’t have wifi and sometimes my cell carrier doesn’t have service but the kindle still does. Best purchase ever.
Steven says
I have a cellular version of the Voyage. I just tried to download a book and it said it was too large to download over a cellular connection. Totally worthless, feel bad that I paid extra for that feature.
Dan says
Yes. All my Kindles have cellular connectivity. I’ve been in places where there is no wifi, but I could get a cell signal.
A. Squaretail says
Same here. Also don’t trust a lot of wifi when traveling although I’m not sure how much more secure the cellular connection is. Will have to consider the cell phone hot spot idea when I get another Kindle.
Jason says
My K2 only used a cellular connection, my paperwhite used wifi, and my voyage uses cellular.
If I dont cancel the preorder, my Oasis 3 will use wifi. At this point I dont see the need to spend more on an overpriced product then I need to, and the feature is largely redundant anyway.
Joe says
I thought I was the perfect candidate for it. I work on a cruise ship in Hawaii and rarely on Wi-Fi. Big catch is that I pretty much use my Kindle for library ebook checkouts. Although checkouts are routed through the Amazon Kindle Store, alas… You can’t download a library book via cellular. If I’d have known that before purchasing, I wouldn’t have done it.
Nathan says
Bummer. I didn’t know they didn’t allow library downloads. That’s pretty lame.
Catherine says
I have a kindle oasis 1st gen with cellular connectivity, I use it when I go camping when I don’t have wifi or my phone can’t get a signal the kindle usually can download a book, I only paid $117 for it though.
Peter says
Downloading books is not the only reason for needing internet connectivity, keeping the current reading location synced across devices might be important to some too.
Steve H. says
I started keeping my entire library(large!)on device years ago. Once that was done, the only reason to have connectivity would be to purchase more e-books, which can be done on my phone. Once I started keeping everything on device, aIr stopped getting connectable Kindles.
tired says
WiFi is not as ubiquitous as you might think. I know more people with either no internet or poor internet at home than I know people with good internet.
In rural areas internet is terrible and free wifi hotspots are very few and far between. People that travel frequently also find the cellular option more convenient than wifi only.
Many people also don’t have tethering as an option with their phone.
While I think that the majority of people don’t fall into those categories enough do to warrant the existence of cellular tablets and Kindles.
Appealing to niche groups with different options is a smarter business strategy than the one size fits all approach anyway.
Matt says
I could see purchasing the option as a gift for someone that is not tech savvy, like say an elderly relative that has limited or no internet access.
But it’s also a luxury feature. I’d like to have it those moments where I need internet access and do not feel like tethering my device. If I see a Voyage on Woot with cellular connectivity, I just might pick it up.
Barry says
I also can’t tether to my smartphone. And I live in a very small town (3000) where Wifi isn’t so readily available. I have Wifi at home, of course.
But I think all this misses the point. I don’t buy 3G Kindles to make it easier to download books, but to make it easier to access Wikipedia for more information as I read. With 3G I can always do that wherever I am. If I had to go find Wifi somewhere, even if it was readily available, it would be a pain.
Offhand I’d say I access Wikipedia 2 times per reading session on average. I’m always running into things as I read that I want to know more about. With 3G I can always do it. Without it I’d probably just keep reading and learn less.
Barry
Nathan says
Good point, Barry. At least they didn’t shutdown wikipedia access when they closed off the rest of the internet.
stephan says
I have had Kindle touch, Paperwhite, and using original Oasis. All where 3G. I do like it. And it comes in a clutch to read Wikipedia and shopping (mostly reordering). I feel that Amazon MUST allow at LEAST .25 gig of general internet use and allow audiobooks to be downloaded over cellular. (Yes I pre-ordered Kindle Oasis 3gen 4G LTE)
Critter says
I work in schools that don’t allow employees to connect their mobile devices to wifi. Having a cellular Kindle is nice because I can purchase and download books while at work without tethering to my very limited mobile phone data plan. (I also have an inordinate amount of time at work to read for pleasure.)
Jack says
This is funny! When I was younger I had an early gen Kindle (like 2nd or 3rd) and it had cell connectivity. It was stolen a few years ago. I recently bought a new Kindle Oasis and was surprised to see cell connectivity and I bought that one in particular out of sheer nostalgia! Call it bias or emotions but Amazon has that level of effect on me.
PartyUpLive says
I just got a used Kindle Paperwhite 3G off of ebay for $40.00, shipping included. It has a slight blemish but other than that the battery life is as good as my Kindle that I bought new. Just have to remember to turn off the 3G when not using it.
In the future I’ll probably go looking for a used one before I shop for one new.
Theresa Kahrs says
Yes we do. Living in a rural area means Wi-Fi is not readily available. But cell towers are abundant. A smartphone is not easy for seniors. The kindle paperwhite enables those with failing eyesight to enlarge the print. Make it bold and white background enables us to enjoy reading like we did when young. The extra cost wasn’t a consideration because I am worth it, as my children tell me.
I know in the near future I will have to rely on audio books and Alexa.
Kate says
I’ve had almost every Kindle, most with cellular connectivity. I finally cheaped out and bought one (Oasis 1) without it and ended up wishing it had it. I was surprised how often I was someplace without Wi-Fi when I wanted to download a book. I included cellular again when i bought my Oasis 2.
Alex says
I wouldn’t buy a Kindle without cellular connectivity! I travel 200-300 nights/year for work and never know what city or country I’ll be in or how long I’ll be there.
My first Kindle was a Kindle Keyboard w/3G, which I bought in 2010 or 2011. It’s been a daily companion for me around the world. This Christmas I received a Kindle Paperwhite w/4G.
Wi-Fi has become more available and I’ve seen Wi-Fi in unusual places, such as 200 feet below ground, airplanes, even remote rainforest outposts.
BUT access to it isn’t universal. Some places want you to pay for it (I’m looking at you MIA airport), while most others have some sort of captive portal which is slow and a pain to navigate with the Kindle browser, not to mention many of them want your e-mail and other personal information before they’ll let you use Wi-Fi.
With the Kindle’s 4G, I can just turn on the 4G modem, download a book or two, and get on the next airplane without any fuss.
L says
I just got the New kindle oasis 10th generation (my first e-reader ever), and I absolutely love it! However, I made the mistake to get the one with no cellular connectivity. Now, I wish I had it, and they can’t exchange my device.
Yes, many times I can use wifi, but especially recently I was often in places or walking with no wifi and I couldn’t use the wikipedia or dictionary when I needed information for the specific names or words that I was highlighting on my books. I don’t mind waiting to download books when I’m on wifi, but not been able to use what are to me the most important features on a kindle when I’m reading, that of the wiki info or dictionary, is more than annoying — It makes the kindle useless to me when I’m on the road. I started tethering it on my phone’s hotspot but I’m not sure how much data the kindle uses and I’m afraid I’ll use my 15 gb of hotspot a month pretty quickly and my phone will slow down too. I wish I had gotten the one with cellular connection so I could use the wiki info and dictionary every time I read.
Wiggins says
Im absolutely in places that dont have wifi so this would come in handy. Wifi hasnt made it to all cities and small towns so I think the option benefits the phrase “to each his/her own”
Youpay Mefree says
I’ve had the old 3G Kindle with internet access for 10+ years and have enjoyed free web surfing for just ss long. Why pay for it at all? New, mail, stock prices, etc, all free all the time. What’s $40/month internet x 10 years?? You do the math.
Glenn says
A few weeks ago I bought an oasis with cellular connectivity, because I want to be able to use it anywhere. So far, it connects more places than the hotspot on my Verizon phone. And FYI, if you’re paying $70 more for cellular oasis, you’re not a very good shopper. My price was $10 over the wifi-only version.
kay says
where did you purchase it, glenn?
Nathan says
He probably used the Kindle trade-in program at Amazon to get the lower price.
Pat D. says
My parents don’t have wifi or spend enough time at trendy hotspots for anything to download. Funny thing is, they still like to read books. So if I’m giving them an e-reader as a gift, do I give them one with wifi and try to explain network technologies, download speeds and access points… or do I reach into my pocket and pay more for a device that simply works? I know it’s hard to imagine everyone isn’t wrapped in an internet coccoon, but I happen to know two of them.
Thomas Hodges says
My K3 (Kindle Keyboard) still has 3G and an experimental browser — which I have confirmed to still work. I got it for Christmas 2010 and used it *heavily* for the first 4 years of ownership, then dropped off usage because my life changed, then started getting physical books, and have in the past few weeks started reading kindle books again. During the time I have owned it I have replaced the battery twice and the screen once. I didn’t find the experience of reading from a Kindle any less rewarding, but as a heavy reader I discovered after a while it was hard to keep track of which books I did and did not read, or to connect plots and characters to book titles, etc. Having a unique physical object associated with each book made that easier.
So I’ve started looking at my K3 again. It was almost full. I did the 15-second power switch reset which removes all the library categorisations and re-indexes everything. With all the books sorted alphabetically, I went through and pruned duplicates and a lot of random books I downloaded that if I ever decide to read can find again(mostly impulse downloads from Gutenberg – like a technical manual on steam trains). Now I’m re-ordering them back into libraries and finding wonderful books that I forgot that I had.
When I was a heavy user I *rarely* used the browser for much besides downloading books from sources besides the Amazon store (including mailing files to myself and using Gmail though the browser). I think once or twice I used it to look up some small fact when my telephone battery was dead. It will probably be the same. It’s comforting to have perpetual internet access without having to ever pay a subscription — to know that hypothetically even if I fall into such depths of poverty that I become homeless and loose everything, as long as I can find a way to charge my Kindle now and then I’ll always have some basic internet access. I have a K3 with free 3G for life, and if that is disabled before all the 3G towers come down, I will be bringing this up with Amazon.
Chris says
I just bought the Kindle Oasis with WIFI and cellular. It’s a stand alone device that way and I like it. So, yes, people still buy it. Think of it as a premium device. Do you golf? Do you have a $500 set of clubs or $1000? Do you drive a Base model of your car or do you have the sunroof and other niceties. It comes down to people’s preferences and wanting comforts and ease of use.
Karen says
Have read through the thread and appreciate the comments. I have always used a wifi+cellular Kindle and would like to continue to do so (for reasons others have stated as I often am in a spot without wifi) as I look to buy a new Kindle. I travel a lot internationally and am often in our of the way places. I do have an IPhone though I could, but haven’t used as a hotspot.
When I contacted Amazon customer service both the initial agent and her supervisor said that there is no new Kindle Oasis with cellular connectivity-you can just use a personal hotspot instead. But there is a 32 GB advertised that you can get in 4-6 months. But no 8GB option comes up. Does anyone know anything more? I don’t need anywhere near 32 GB of storage so am inclined to not buy that one. Anyone have a good argument that you think it’s worth it based on your own experience? Thanks. I’m not super tech savvy so have appreciated the all-in-one option I have previously used.
Nathan says
The cellular models are only available with 32GB now. You’d be better off just saving $100 and using your iPhone as a hotspot instead.