Kindle 3 - should I get WiFi, or WiFi+3G?

According to Amazon, the 3G service is free, so I don’t think the $50 is a lot to pay for 3G. Provided you can get a signal for it. But, yeah, the biggest advantage would be getting books where you don’t have wi-fi (driving in a car on a long trip, perhaps). Also, if I read it right, the Kindle 3 has a rudimentary web browser. I can’t imagine how slow it would be on an e-ink screen, but it’s there.

I’m beginning to consider getting one, but I like physical books and I don’t want to have to pay twice for a book.

Go with the free G3. It is a great advantage.

Considering 3G costs approximately $30 per month on iPad. I would splurge and get the 3G kindle.

I think it depends on what you are planning to do with your Kindle. If you want to use it for getting online, go with the 3G. Also, if you live in an area you may not have a good WiFi signal and you don’t have a phone that allows you to use your phone for a WiFi signal, you might want the 3G as well so you can get your books without having to download them to your computer and then transfer them to your Kindle (which is actually pretty easy). I have just the WiFi and have not had any problem downloading my books to my Kindle. I’ve traveled with it and there has only been one place I couldn’t get a WiFi signal (but I was able to use my phone). I don’t use the web browser on my Kindle, so I only need a signal to download books.

One other thing, before you definitely decide on the 3G, make sure it’s available in your area. Here is their coverage map. The dark purple is where the 3G is available.

I agree with SeaofClouds on this one…whether you get 3G depends on your intended use. Personally, I think that the 3G tech is superfluous on e-Readers until we get to a point where it is a free built in. The web browsing capabilities on these things is generally pretty shoddy, and you’re going to use your smart phone anyway for that stuff on the go. It’s usually pretty unusual that you NEED to download to your eReader anywhere at anytime, so unless you have it for business reasons, I would forgo it.

On a sidenote, I don’t think that 50 bucks is negligible (even though I fall into the consumerism trap of “it’s not that much to me, I don’t really need it, but I’ll get it anyway” more often than I’d like to admit). If that extra investment really wouldn’t hurt you, I would say forgo the 3G and put the difference into some standard or microfinancing.

I went the WiFi-only route. Decided I never really need to download books anywhere other than via my home network. It wasn’t the $50—it was just that I’ve had several devices with 3G and never much used it, even with my iPhone. Still, unlimited 3G usage is a real bargain. By the way, my new 3 is scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

This might help.

Some 3G phones can function as wifi hotspots. If your phone can do that then you really don’t need 3G on your Kindle.