Amazon announces Kindle Fire HD 7, HD 8.9, Paperwhite, + LTE
Kindle Paperwhite e-reader
Amid a storm of tablet-related hype and speculation, Amazon just announced the latest iteration of its "traditional" e-reader: Kindle Paperwhite. The name refers to its expected new screen technology for a sharper (212 ppi) and higher-contrast display, and also features a frontlight that brings parity with Barnes & Noble's Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight. The device is entirely controlled by touch — hardware page-turning switches are out, and so is the home button.
The interface has taken a page out of the Kindle Fire's book by offering a "cover mode" homescreen that lets you swipe through your library. The device also uses the same X-Ray content analysis feature found on the Kindle Touch, has controls for the light, and lets you change the fonts.
'THINNER THAN A MAGAZINE, LIGHTER THAN A PAPERBACK'
Amazon is touting its patented light guide technology which keeps the lighting even across the screen and allows you to leave it on all the time without detriment to battery life — it'll apparently last for eight weeks between charges. The touch technology means it has a thinner bezel, and at 9.1mm thin and 7.5 ounces Jeff Bezos describes the device as "thinner than a magazine, lighter than a paperback."
The Kindle Paperwhite is available for order today and will start shipping on October 1st, with the Wi-Fi model costing $119 and the 3G-enabled variant going for $179. Those prices apply to ad-supported models with Amazon's Special Offers, mind, and you'll have to pay an extra $20 if you'd rather go without.
Kindle Fire HD 7
Turns out Amazon does care a thing or two about hardware design. The 7-inch Kindle Fire HD is a thin-and-light thing of beauty with a very nice back for gripping. The UI is markedly improved — although the carousel is still there, we're seeing none of that stuttering from before. (Helps to have a new, faster OMAP 4470 processor.) Aesthetically, though, there aren't any drastic changes with the OS — it's just smoother.
There is a bunch of new software on the device, though. X-Ray and Whispersync were two of the buzzwords of the day, and both have much-expanded value on the Fire HD. X-Ray for video lets you see who's in a particular scene of a movie, see what else they've been in, and add their other movies to your Watchlist on Amazon. Whispersync for audio lets you synchronize a book and an audiobook, so you can listen while you walk and then pick up right where you left off to read. Admittedly we've only spent a few minutes with the device, but everything we tried was fast, smooth, and even simple to use. Even the Kindle FreeTime feature, which gives you ultra-granular control over what your kids can do on the tablet, is pretty clever.
At $199, the Fire HD certainly seems like a worthy Nexus 7 competitor. It's unquestionably worth the $40 premium over the Fire, which was updated but not exactly overhauled. We'll have to wait a few weeks to test one out, but it looks like the high end of the 7-inch tablet market is filling fast.
Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE
To go along with the just-announced Kindle Fire HD with 4G LTE connectivity, Amazon announced a new data plan — for $49.99 a year, users will get 250MB per month of data, plus 20GB of cloud storage and a $10 Amazon app store credit. That's not a huge amount of data, but the plan is significantly cheaper than similar options from wireless carriers (and what you can get for Apple's iPad). Right now, 250MB / month plans for the iPad cost $15 per month, and Bezos touted that advantage on stage. When comparing both the costs of the devices as well as the LTE data plan, Amazon makes a pretty compelling case for its new flagship tablet. While Amazon didn't mention a specific carrier, the 4G LTE logo it showed off on screen is unmistakably AT&T's — our bet is on the company providing Amazon's LTE service.
Amazon debuts $299 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD, AT&T 4G LTE for $499
After making an informal debut in a televised ad late last night, Amazon's larger Kindle Fire has finally been unveiled. Introduced today at a press event in Los Angeles, the new Kindle Fire HD features an 8.9-inch 1920x1200, 254ppi display. It includes an HD front-facing camera, HDMI output, Bluetooth connectivity, and a laminated touch sensor for better visuals and 25-percent less glare. Under the hood, Amazon has dropped in a Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 processor, which it says outperforms the Tegra 3. The Kindle Fire HD also includes stereo speakers, an upgrade over the Kindle Fire's mono driver. While the company is also offering a 4G LTE variation, Amazon has improved Wi-Fi networking by adding a dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz receiver, two antennas, MIMO radio technology. The Wi-Fi-only models will come in 16GB and 32GB variations, while the 4G LTE will be available with 32GB or 64GB of storage.
Along with the Kindle Fire HD, Amazon has made expansions to its Whispersync technology, allowing users to save their progress in games and audiobooks to the cloud. Amazon has added a new and improved email client, which makes use of the larger, high-resolution display. Similarly, Facebook and Skype will be offering their own optimized apps for the new models. The Kindle Fire OS also underwent a series of upgrades, including support for multiple accounts and new parental controls. Now, users with administrative access can dictate how much time can be spent reading, playing games, or watching videos. Another new feature, Immersion Reading, gives Kindle Fire HD-specific e-reader features, such as narration from professionally recorded sources. X-Ray, a books and media viewing companion feature, can be accessed while reading a book or watching a movie or TV episode, providing an array of relevant information in realtime.
The Kindle Fire HD joins Amazon's new suite of Kindle devices, including the new 7-inch Kindle Fire, a smaller 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire HD, and the Kindle Paperwhite. The 16GB 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD will cost $299, while the 32GB model will be priced at $369. For those who'd prefer 4G LTE connectivity, pricing will start at $499 for the 32GB model and $599 for the 64GB model. Service is furnished by AT&T with data plans costing $49.99 per year with a monthly data cap of 250MB, 20GB of cloud storage, and a $10 Appstore credit. Owners will also have the option to upgrade to 3GB and 5GB data plans, though pricing information was not revealed.
Amazon's $69 Kindle vs. $79 Kindle
The differences here are only skin deep. Amazon's $69 Kindle runs exactly as the previous model but has a newer black aesthetic that more closely aligns itself to the Kindle Paperwhite. The selling point, of course, isn't so much additional features as it is the barrier of entry and convenience of slipping into a bag / pursed / oversized pocket. For those inclined to see the iterative design tweaks, we're here for you. Gallery is below. You're welcome.
The Kindle Fire and Fire HD 7 are both coming to the UK on October 25th. Both tablets are currently up for preorder on the site, with the Kindle Fire priced at £129 and the Fire HD 7 coming in at £159 for 16GB and £199 for 32GB. Unlike their US counterparts, UK versions of the Fire will not include any of the Amazon Prime benefits such as Amazon's Instant Video service. Instead, customers will receive a one-month free trial of LoveFilm.
Other than the differences between Amazon services, the UK Fire tablets seem to be exactly the same. You can check out the full spec sheets over on Amazon UK.
People are already really familiar with the Kindle brand so people buying one who want a color screen one would go buy this.
Well, that depends. If Google manages to communicate to people that it's a better deal to go Nexus because you'll have to rebuy all your Android apps on the Kindle, you might have a chance. It also depends on if these Kindles are available in stores, and what sales associates tell people throughout the holiday season, because the main market for both the Nexus AND the Fire is going to be people buying presents for their relatives. Google needs to think of some killer feature to throw at the Nexus via an update and fast. I ADORE mine, and people have been impressed by it enough to want to get one based off seeing me use it, but we'll see how the holiday season goes
Well, that depends. If Google manages to communicate to people that it's a better deal to go Nexus because you'll have to rebuy all your Android apps on the Kindle, you might have a chance. It also depends on if these Kindles are available in stores, and what sales associates tell people throughout the holiday season, because the main market for both the Nexus AND the Fire is going to be people buying presents for their relatives. Google needs to think of some killer feature to throw at the Nexus via an update and fast.
ehh. Amazon is the biggest online store (that sells everything) and people will surely be visiting there leading up to Christmas and Kindle is ALL over the homepage. That's how the first Kindle caught on so fast. This Paperwhite thing is really gonna catch on too because theyre gonna push the "book experience" thing on TV + such. I think Amazon has it in the bag. They sell Kindles at Best Buy, Staples, or Radio Shack. Kindles are starting to look less and less like Android too so there's that differentiation. The whole e-book thing is HUGE for sales because it makes older people and kids in schools to want to buy them because theyre cheap, good e-book readers (now).
ehh. Amazon is the biggest online store (that sells everything) and people will surely be visiting there leading up to Christmas and Kindle is ALL over the homepage. That's how the first Kindle caught on so fast. This Paperwhite thing is really gonna catch on too because theyre gonna push the "book experience" thing on TV + such. I think Amazon has it in the bag. They sell Kindles at Best Buy, Staples, or Radio Shack. Kindles are starting to look less and less like Android too so there's that differentiation. The whole e-book thing is HUGE for sales because it makes older people and kids in schools to want to buy them because theyre cheap, good e-book readers (now).
TRU (though I now use my Nexus as my eReader since you can just snatch the Kindle app )
I guess it doesn't really matter which one gets popular. I just want an Android tablet to get really popular so people develop more games and apps for the tablet form factor on Android.
TRU (though I now use my Nexus as my eReader since you can just snatch the Kindle app )
I guess it doesn't really matter which one gets popular. I just want an Android tablet to get really popular so people develop more games and apps for the tablet form factor on Android.
I really cant deal with the quality of the tablet optimized apps for Android. And now that there's going to be WP8 in the mix, we dont know if developers will catch on the Android as much now. Btw, what are your thoughts on Microsoft tryna enter the tablet market again with Slate?
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It basically looks the same and everything.