Difference Between WiFi and 3G Kindle

WiFi vs 3G Kindle

The third generation of Amazon’s Kindle is the latest and has recently come out with bundled special offers, a special term for ads, at a reduced price. Both the WiFi and 3G versions of the Kindle are available at the reduced prices. The main difference between the WiFi and 3G Kindles is the cellular modem as both have WiFi capabilities. The 3G Kindle is able to connect to Amazon’s Whispernet even without a WiFi connection, just as long as you are within cellular coverage. So what that basically means is as long as you have a phone signal, your 3G Kindle can connect to Whispernet and you can buy books or read the news.

Since the WiFi Kindle doesn’t have a cellular modem, it is a tad bit lighter than the 3G Kindle by just a fifth of an ounce. It is a pretty small difference for anyone to notice especially since the dimensions of the two are about the same. What you would notice though is the increased battery life on the WiFi Kindle when wireless is turned on. This is largely because the cellular modem sucks up a bit of power. This shouldn’t be much of a problem for most people though as you can just charge it anytime. But when on long trips, it might be a good idea to turn wireless off most of the time.

Obviously, the biggest deciding factor between the WiFi and 3G Kindle is the purchase price. The WiFi Kindle is cheaper than the 3G Kindle by about $25. If you are willing to fork over the cash for the 3G Kindle, keep in mind that the 3G access is only available in 100 countries. This is no problem for those living within the US and major countries and cities around the world. But just to be sure, check in Amazon’s site to know if you are covered or not. But if you will be using the Kindle at home mostly, it is probably better to just save the cash and get the WiFi Kindle.

Summary:

The WiFi Kindle does not have a cellular modem while the 3G Kindle does
The WiFi Kindle is slightly lighter than the 3G Kindle
The WiFi Kindle gets better battery life with wireless on than the 3G Kindle
The WiFi Kindle is cheaper than the 3G Kindle
The free 3G access for the 3G Kindle is only available in 100 countries

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