No one cares about the cellular thing?

[Tracy D.]

For me, it’s not just downloading books, but the fact that I read on several different devices and rely heavily on the Whispersync feature. I don’t want to have to consciously pay attention to when I sync, so cellular access helps me to use my tools in a way that works for me. I am willing to pay extra for that.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Tracy D.

For me, it’s not just downloading books, but the fact that I read on several different devices and rely heavily on the Whispersync feature. I don’t want to have to consciously pay attention to when I sync, so cellular access helps me to use my tools in a way that works for me. I am willing to pay extra for that.

I use Whispersync as well but for me, there's just very low likelihood of swapping devices when there's no wifi available.

Kindles have very good battery life (better than my phone or tablet) so switching from the Kindle to a phone/tablet while I'm out and about is very, very, very unlikely. If I need to switch between two Kindles for charging purposes, it's pretty much guaranteed I'm at home already.

[Tarana]

I hear you. I no have the need for cellular ereader, so not an issue for me. It saved me in 2013 when I spent 6 months caring for a family member without wifi. I also loved the cellular when commuting as I read a lot of historical fiction and consulted wiki a lot through my ereader. Now on the rare occasions that I need it, I just use my hotspot on my phone. For rural folks and those with mobility issues without wifi, it's going to suck a lot.

[Joykins]

I had a nook with cellular back when I rode a bus to the office and it was convenient for that, but now I have been working from home for 10 years, I haven’t needed that functionality. If I want the functionality when I am out and about or traveling I just use my phone either as a hotspot or use its kindle app until I have wifi again.

[Paperbackstash]

If I had to have a book immediately and was not around a wi-fi source, I'd just do a temporary hot spot from phone. I've never been stranded out and about without not being able to get a new book.

[fduniho]

Originally Posted by Tracy D.

I expected to see a lot more about the cellular issue on Mobileread - but it doesn’t appear that many are bothered by it. Is that because most of you jailbreak and sideload, etc? Do I need to just get over this? 🙂

For my first ereader, a Kobo 2, wireless didn't work, and I had to sideload all content. From then on, I preferred to get ereaders with just WIFI, since I have a router, and that works great for me. Since the Kindle DX never got updated to use WIFI, I did get one of those with wireless, but I just sideload content to it. Jailbreaking is not required for this, though I did jailbreak it to change the fonts and to display book covers on the sleep screen.

[janrey]

Originally Posted by Tracy D.

I visit mobileread in streaks… Tend to do it when I am contemplating a purchase or have just made one.

I have had multiple Kindles since my first purchase in 2011. I used to jailbreak, but then got frustrated because I’m not geeky enough to reap the benefits without suffering from the liabilities.

ANYWAY. Background so you know where I’m coming from. I just purchased a PW4 - refurbed - when it became clear that Amazon was not going to offer cellular access on the new models. I currently have both a Voyage and an older Paperwhite, and the idea of losing cellular access in the near future really bothered me. I love the streamlined nature of it, and I don’t keep my phone’s personal hotspot active all the time in order to connect to that via Wi-Fi. Apparently I’m just hopelessly lazy.

I expected to see a lot more about the cellular issue on Mobileread - but it doesn’t appear that many are bothered by it. Is that because most of you jailbreak and sideload, etc? Do I need to just get over this? 🙂

Cellular access would have been an issue for me if my mom was still alive. I had purchased her a Kindle keyboard and she didn't have wifi or a cell phone so having cellular worked for her. For me, no issue. I usually download enough books to read when going on a trip but if I need to I just use the cell phone to quickly get a book. I do hate that it is hard to connect to wifi at hotels and the like that send you to a logon page. That never works.

[hobnail]

How did the cellular work? Did you need to put a sim card in the Kindle?

[j.p.s]

Originally Posted by hobnail

How did the cellular work? Did you need to put a sim card in the Kindle?

The first 2.5 kindle models had an activated sim card built in. After that all models had wi-fi and some models also had an activated sim card built in. In the early years some analysts figured out kindle sales based pn the number of cellular accounts.

[binaryhermit]

[QUOTE=Uncle Robin;4177393Adding another communication protocol , one that as 3G has shown will become obsolete before the reader does[/QUOTE]
Didn't they move to LTE with the Oasis 2?

And if history is a judge, LTE's gonna be dropped maybe around 2030.

But since I have unlimited (5 mbps) hotspot, if I need a book on my kindle on the go, I'll just fire that up for a minute or two.

(And I actually cancelled my PW5 preorder since I barely use my Kindles anymore right now, maybe if I get a huge tax refund I'll get a PW5 Signature with the wireless charger bundle.

[DNSB]

While not a Kindle, my first iPad had cellular capability. It was a work device so they supplied a SIM to allow using cellular. In the 3 years I used it, I only used the cellular capability once. Since then corporate has saved money by going with WiFi only models. I have never missed the capability.

[issybird]

The original Nook had cellular and I used it occasionally because I could, but it wasn’t something I felt necessary or even especially useful.

The reality is that I’ve got books on all my devices and while I might not have what I want to read when I’m out and about, so long as I’ve got a device and something to read, that’s the critical aspect.

[Deskisamess]

My first Kindle, the K2, only had cellular. This was in late 2009, before we had smart phones. My MIL had a lengthy hospital stay that winter, and I remember using the Kindle to run online medication searches, and to keep family members updated on her situation using Facebook. It was slow, and tedious, but very helpful at the time. Some of us had laptops we take to the hospital, but their WiFi was iffy and didn't always work well.

Since then, none of my Kindles have had cellular. I just don't need it. My iPhone is easily used as a hotspot when necessary. If my mom had been more interested in really using a Kindle, I'd have been tempted to get her one with cellular, as she doesn't have internet. But she ended up flustered more than she enjoyed using the Kindle. (She just turned 91)

[Loosheesh]

Originally Posted by issybird

The reality is that I’ve got books on all my devices and while I might not have what I want to read when I’m out and about, so long as I’ve got a device and something to read, that’s the critical aspect.

Same here; something to read is always what’s most important when I’m out and about. My first two Kindles were cellular versions but I stopped getting that type so long ago, I’d even forgotten about it.

[DiapDealer]

For the very rare times I ever needed cellular coverage for a device that only had wifi, I always had a phone handy that can serve as a hotspot for it.

Don't really need it (and the workaround is easy if I ever do).