Firmware Update Kindle Firmware 5.16.2.1

[Daveoc64]

Originally Posted by millydog

With this update, 3G has been removed from my Oasis 9th gen. I’m in Australia. I’m disappointed by this as you can imagine, although I didn’t use 3G much as I’m usually on wifi. It was nice to have though.
This is now on top of Audible never been made available on the Oasis in Australia. I don’t see the reason behind disabling it here, although having it available on wifi only would be understandable.

What makes you think the update has removed 3G from your device?

[Frogm4n]

Originally Posted by millydog

With this update, 3G has been removed from my Oasis 9th gen. I’m in Australia.

3G is getting shut down in AU just like it already was in the US. If it really did get shutdown in the update it may have just been getting ahead of the service providers turning off the network. Having 3G turned off on the device will save battery life when the towers no longer broadcast it.

[Daveoc64]

Originally Posted by Frogm4n

3G is getting shut down in AU just like it already was in the US. If it really did get shutdown in the update it may have just been getting ahead of the service providers turning off the network. Having 3G turned off on the device will save battery life when the towers no longer broadcast it.

There are no signs that Amazon is proactively disabling 2G/3G connectivity on Kindle devices in anticipation of networks shutting down around the world.

Devices as old as the 2nd generation Kindle can still access 2G/3G networks in countries and regions where they are still available.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by Daveoc64

Devices as old as the 2nd generation Kindle can still access 2G/3G networks in countries and regions where they are still available.

Though older Kindles with 2G/3G haven't had updates for years.
See versions https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/custo...MQC26VQQMM8XSW

I agree it's unlikely Amazon is disabling it. It costs nothing when there is no coverage and uses no power if the user turns it off.

My DXG still connects and though there is still 3G here it now only finds Edge (the high speed 2G that's more reliable than 3G and same speed as basic 3G). Likely GSM and Edge (2G) will remain here when 3G is gone as smart meters and burglar alarms use it as a fall back from 3G, or only use it. The 3G has cell breathing and 2G GSM has not (USA 2G is unrelated). The 3G should have been an expanded GSM (0.2MHz channel to 5MHz Channel), but due mostly to Qualcomm the 3G was based on USA 2G (CDMA, not GSM), so was doomed to be replaced by 4G sooner rather than later as it has so many flaws. Considering that 3G uses a 25x bigger channel than non-USA 2G/GSM, the performance is poor. The 4G is twice as good when loaded, but with one user is only x4 faster due to having a x4 bigger 20MHz channel in some cases. The 5G is more about carrier alternatives to public WiFi points and back office infrastructure. It does almost nothing for general user speed or coverage. You simply need more smaller cells to get better speed and coverage.

[millydog]

Originally Posted by Daveoc64

What makes you think the update has removed 3G from your device?

I had 3G in my Oasis 9th gen a few days earlier. Then when I next picked it up, it did the upgrade (while I waited) and I noticed that 3G was gone from the top of the display. It’s no longer a menu option either. 3G is getting switched off shortly in Australia, I just commented because it’s possible that I’d still have it on my Oasis for a little longer if it didn’t do the update. The update removed it before the networks here switched it off.


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[millydog]

Originally Posted by Frogm4n

3G is getting shut down in AU just like it already was in the US. If it really did get shutdown in the update it may have just been getting ahead of the service providers turning off the network. Having 3G turned off on the device will save battery life when the towers no longer broadcast it.

Yes, I know that it’s getting turned off here soon. The update took it off my Oasis 9th gen though before the networks did.
Also, the Oasis 9th gen gets 4G in the US, doesn’t it. It only got 3G here in Australia, yet the hardware is the same. It must be the network bands that it uses or we are getting disadvantaged here. Would’ve been nice if instead of just turning off cellular, that Amazon switched it to 4G instead. If not a network band issue, then I’ll be quite disappointed.
We already can’t install Audible on our Kindles in Australia, which doesn’t make any sense to me. I can use Audible on my iPhone and in the Kindle iOS apps. BTW, when I purchased the Oasis, it was incorrectly advertised as supporting Audible.
I love my Kindles, just feeling very disadvantaged with options being unsupported in Australia.


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[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by millydog

Yes, I know that it’s getting turned off here soon. The update took it off my Oasis 9th gen though before the networks did.
Also, the Oasis 9th gen gets 4G in the US, doesn’t it. It only got 3G here in Australia, yet the hardware is the same. It must be the network bands that it uses or we are getting disadvantaged here. Would’ve been nice if instead of just turning off cellular, that Amazon switched it to 4G instead. If not a network band issue, then I’ll be quite disappointed.
We already can’t install Audible on our Kindles in Australia, which doesn’t make any sense to me. I can use Audible on my iPhone and in the Kindle iOS apps. BTW, when I purchased the Oasis, it was incorrectly advertised as supporting Audible.
I love my Kindles, just feeling very disadvantaged with options being unsupported in Australia.


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I'd have returned it for a WiFi only model when I had the chance. You've payed extra for a feature that never worked as it should have and that's not cheap.

[cyberbook]

do you think their will be a jailbreak for this update on the pw11th gen?

[DNSB]

Not in the near future.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Not in the near future.

Oh maybe never.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by DNSB

Not in the near future.

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Oh maybe never.

Interesting...I didn't know that either of you were involved in working on jailbreaking Kindles?

I haven't been following much myself, but last I saw there were still people working on various things/idea.

I also remember that after every other jailbreak was blocked the consensus was that there would never be a new one...until the new one came out, that is.

Shari

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by shalym

Interesting...I didn't know that either of you were involved in working on jailbreaking Kindles?

I haven't been following much myself, but last I saw there were still people working on various things/idea.

You can know stuff about stuff without working on it.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by Quoth

You can know stuff about stuff without working on it.

While this is true, so is the last sentence of my post.

I also remember that after every other jailbreak was blocked the consensus was that there would never be a new one...until the new one came out, that is.

Shari

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by shalym

Interesting...I didn't know that either of you were involved in working on jailbreaking Kindles?

I haven't been following much myself, but last I saw there were still people working on various things/idea.

I also remember that after every other jailbreak was blocked the consensus was that there would never be a new one...until the new one came out, that is.

Shari

I never said never for sure. But I am hoping never happens because after a jailbreak, we get a lot of people coming here asking if some later firmware can be jailbroken or the question, If I buy a Kindle now, can I jailbreak it? which gets to be rather tiresome after a while.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by shalym

While this is true, so is the last sentence of my post.

Which is why I wrote "not in the near future". I do get tired of the "I brought a brand new Kindle and want to know if I can jailbreak it" posts.