Amazon on Wednesday announced a cheaper 3G version of its ad-supported Kindle featuring wireless access from AT&T.
The Kindle 3G with Special Offers is available now for $139 in graphite or white. It is identical to the $189 3G Kindle, except that it has advertisements and deals as its screen saver and on the bottom of its home screen. Amazon introduced the Kindle 3G with Special Offers in May at $164; today's AT&T sponsorship drops the price to $139.
"Kindle 3G is more convenient—customers never have to hunt for or pay for a Wi-Fi hotspot—they simply download and read books anytime, anywhere," Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos said in a statement. "Kindle 3G customers read 20 percent more books, and take advantage of twice as many special offers. A big thank you to AT&T for helping to make the new $139 price possible."
Though AT&T will provide the 3G access, there are no annual contracts or monthly fees. AT&T started selling the Amazon Kindle 3G in its retail stores nationwide on March 6. The Kindle 3G connects to the Web over Wi-Fi and AT&T's 3G network, allowing users to wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, and blogs on the 6-inch device, which can hold up to 3,500 books.
Amazon unveiled a Wi-Fi version of Kindle with Special Offers in April, dropping the price from $139 to $114. It debuted with a number of advertising partners, including Buick, Visa, and Proctor & Gamble's Olay. Deals included six Audible audio books for $6 and a $1 album from the Amazon MP3 store. Clicking on a deal via the five-way controller would, in many cases, trigger an email with an offer, but some deals could be redeemed right from the Kindle.
The Wi-Fi Kindle without ads is also available for $139, while the 9.7-inch Kindle DX sells for $379.
For more on Kindle with Special Offers, see the slideshow below.