The "Definitive" 3G/4G Thread

[jsh1120]

Not sure if this is the most appropriate place for the comments below but this does appear to be a site with relatively heavy traffic. And while the points may be obvious to those who already own a Kindle Fire, they may be helpful to those who are considering a purchase. So, apologies for the arrogance displayed by the "Definitive" label. Just trying to attract the attention of folks who may find it useful.

In reading the reviews of the Kindle Fire on the Amazon website complaints about the absence of "3G" connectivity come up frequently. Many such complaints come from those who apparently believe Amazon decided not to include the sort of "lifetime 3G" feature available on some other Kindles. In fact, of course, the main reason it is not available on the KF is that providing "free" 3G to the KF would add hundreds of dollars to the price if Amazon could even convince a cell carrier to offer such a plan. There is a HUGE difference between offering occasional 3G-based downloads of books and offering 3G for the web access (including video streaming) possible on the Kindle Fire that no cell carrier would agree to such a deal.

So having said that, why doesn't Amazon offer the sort of 3G access available on the "3G iPad?" I have no inside information about this decision but it should be noted that Apple charges an additional $130 usd for the "3G" version of the iPad. That price covers the cost of the cell radio included in the iPad compared to the wifi only iPad. In addition to that price increase, owners of 3G iPads must also pay about $30 per month for internet downloads via 3G with a ceiling of (currently) 2 gigabytes of data.

Apparently, many consumers don't realize that they have a similar option with the Kindle Fire. Either of two approaches works.

() Buy a "mobile hotspot," sometimes called a "Mifi." This is a small device about the size of a playing card, about 1/4 of an inch thick, and weighing about 3 oz. Cell carriers offer different models, typically for far less than the $130 premium you would pay for an iPad with "built-in" 3G.

If you purchase from a cell carrier (e.g. Verizon), you'll have to commit to a one or two year contract to get a subsidized price for the hotspot (much like a cell phone which is what a mobile hotspot is minus voice capabilities.) Typically, a data plan for a mobile hotspot costs about $50 per month for a maximum of 5 gigabytes of downloads per month. My plan offers up to 10 gigs per month (which I've never come close to using) for $80 per month.

Although the data plan is a full contract commitment whether you use it or not, it does have a couple of advantages. First, the mobile hotspot can be used with multiple devices. I use mine with my laptop, iPad, and Kindle Fire. Second, you will probably have access to a 4G/LTE network in addition to the crowded (and sometimes slow) 3G cell network of the carrier. My mobile hotspot performance is close to what I get with a cable modem at home.

() A second alternative is to add a "tethering" feature to a smartphone. Most new smartphones (including the iPhone 4S) support this feature and most new Android phones support it with 4G connectivity. It enables the smartphone to be the source of a wifi network for your KF.

The cost is typically about $20 per month and it adds 2 gigabytes of downloads to your phone's data plan. And unlike the mobile hotspot alternative, the feature can usually be turned off for months you don't use it.


So, there you have it. Want 3G (or even 4G) internet access wherever you go for your KF? If you're prepared to carry a small mobile hotspot or your cell phone you can have the capability today. No, it's not free. It never will be. But depending on your choice, the cost and capability are approximately the same as that offered for the iPad and other tablets.

Again, sorry if this is all old news to many readers. But for those coming from other Kindle devices who are accustomed to "free 3G" and are either disappointed that it is not offered on the KF or who believe they have no options for 3G capabilities on the KF, it may be useful.

[cvkemp]

I use time Warner's hotspot which is 4/3g

[jsh1120]

Originally Posted by cvkemp

I use time Warner's hotspot which is 4/3g

Good point. I failed to mention that mobile hotspots may be available from your home internet provider, too. In the case of Time Warner, I believe they have a partnership with Verizon Wireless to support 3G/4G access. My guess is that the actual mobile hotspot devices are identical to those available from VZW.

In any event, it's a good idea to shop around if you go this route. A few carriers, e.g. Virgin Mobile, offer what amount to "pay as you go" mobile hotspots. Such deals aren't necessarily more economical than long term contracts depending on how often you use a cellular network but for the very occasional user (such as those who need access only for occasional trips) it may be a good deal.

[RainingLemur]

I don't know that I'd like to have an actual 3G/4G version of the Fire. More often than not, I'm in an area that has some kind of WiFi. And, when I'm not, I've got enough on-board stuff to get me by to the next hotspot. I suppose I could just do the tether route on my 4G phone (which works fairly well, I suppose) if need be.

I guess that having the option to have an actual 3G Fire would be nice for some. I just wonder who they would go through to provide the service and what the cost would be.

[Jessica Lares]

Originally Posted by RainingLemur

I just wonder who they would go through to provide the service and what the cost would be.

They WON'T even try. The reason why they can provide free 3G on e-ink Kindles is that pretty much a good chunk of users don't use it constantly. They use it to download books and catch up on the news, but that's about it. You may have as little as 100 people using it any given hour.

Being that the Kindle Fire is a consumption device, you'd have 1,000 people using On Demand every single minute, 1,000 more browsing through sites like Flickr and taking advantage of the full sized images, and then 1,000 people using it to download/seed torrents. It would be unstable, unusable, and not a good move for Amazon and their customers.

[jsh1120]

Originally Posted by Jessica Lares

They WON'T even try...

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.