Amazon just announced that its Kindle 3G “With Special Offers,” which originally went on sale back in May, is getting a $25 price cut to $139.
Of course, that’s not quite as cheap as Amazon’s $114 Wi-Fi-only “Special Offers” Kindle, but the 3G Kindle has a distinct advantage over its Wi-Fi counterpart: it’ll let you download books wherever there’s cellular 3G coverage, meaning you won’t have to hunt for an available Wi-Fi hotspot. (And no, you won’t need a carrier contract, either.)
The $25 price drop for the ad-supported Kindle 3G comes courtesy of AT&T, which is sponsoring the “Special Offers” version of the 3G-enabled e-reader.
OK, but what kind of advertisements are we talking about here? According to CNET, the “Special Offers” flavor of the Kindle only serves up ads in the screensaver and in a small banner at the bottom of the home screen—and never while you’re deep in a novel. Fair enough.
The just-announced discount bring the 3G-enabled “Special Offers” version of the Kindle down to the same price as Barnes & Noble’s new Nook—the one with the touch-sensitive display, no keyboard, and a smaller shell. Enticing, no doubt—but for now, there isn’t a 3G version of the touchscreen Nook.
So, what do you think: would you be willing to deal with a few ads on the Kindle if it meant saving twenty-five bucks?