Quote:
Originally Posted by Jessica Lares
They WON'T even try...
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I wouldn't say Amazon won't offer a 3G KF. Though if/when they do, it will almost undoubtedly be a 4G offering. However, like the iPad, if the KF is offered for both GSM and CDMA networks, it will have to be redesigned to accommodate the SIM card in the GSM version.
Furthermore, of course, there will a premium charged for the 3G/4G version. And while the $130 premium charged for the iPad may not be a barrier on a $500 device, charging that much for a $200 device may encounter much more sales resistance.
In addition, Amazon faces a customer resistance problem Apple does not have. The "free 3G" offered on other Kindles cannot be provided on the KF. But since many Kindle owners don't understand the difference between the business models (as you noted) there's likely to be consumer confusion about why free 3G is offered on less expensive models but is a significant additional cost and involves a monthly data plan on the Kindle Fire.
Despite these issues, I expect to see a "4G Kindle Fire" introduced sometime this year. But with the extra cost added to the device and the cost of a monthly data plan, I don't see it nearly as important as the many folks complaining about it seem to believe it is. And as noted above, if 3G/4G access is a critical feature, it's already available if consumers are willing to pay for it.