A study released today by Localytics, a mobile apps analytics firm, revealed that Amazon has continued to be a force to reckon with in the tech sector. Their latest statistics show that Amazon controls roughly 33% of all Android tablets used in the world with their Kindle Fire line of tablets. Think about that. Amazon controls nearly 1/3 of ALL Android tablets sold in the world and 89% of that exists in the US. This percentage is likely to change in the near future as Amazon’s VP announced at their Kindle Paperwhite event in Canada, that they are working to launch the Kindle Fire family of products worldwide. It's never too late to start working on an app for the Amazon App Store, and this news should excite developers worldwide.
Amazon has announced a series of new Kindles today including the new Kindle Paperwhite e-reader featuring a new front-lit Paperwhite display technology with even adjustable illumination for reading in the dark and in sunny conditions, and a much higher screen resolution (212 ppi) compared to past Kindles with 25% more contrast, blacker blacks, whiter whites and crisper text without glare. The Kindle Paperwhite's e-ink display features a capacitive touch screen with no physical buttons.
Amazon's new Kindle Paperwhite has an amazing 8-week battery life even when having the light on, slim 9.1mm thick profile and improved software. Prices start at $119 with "Special Offers" ad support and $139 without for the Wi-Fi version of the Kindle Paperwhite. Amazon also released a 3G Kindle Paperwhite model for $179 with "Special Offers" and $199 without ad support.
Amazon's new fiery hot $200 Kindle Fire tablet is finally here with us. We're going to give it the unboxing treatment it deserves so be sure to check out the gallery down below. Amazon has a very strong ecosystem that is shown when using the Kindle Fire. Music and videos are streamed from Amazon's cloud service and apps can be purchased and downloaded from Amazon's very own Appstore. Although the Kindle Fire sole heart is an Android operating system, the Kindle Fire is heavily skinned and customized per Amazon's taste creating a more unique user experience that differs from other Android tablets on the market. Though after using the Kindle Fire, it seemed to be a bit sluggish and not quite up to par with other tablets in terms of speed and responsiveness.
The Kindle Fire boasts a 7-inch IPS touchscreen display with 16-million colors at 1024x600 resolution, WiFi, dual-core processor and 8GB of internal storage plus 5GB of free Amazon Cloud storage. The 7-inch form factor feels absolutely great to hold with one hand and feels like you could take it with you everywhere you go without sweating a single drop. It also makes it more comfortable to type on the on-screen keyboard that has a spacious key layout. The back is coated with a black soft-touch rubbery texture found on Amazon's Kindle e-readers and it adds a good level of grippyness to the device, but also easily shows oily fingerprints. The screen is crystal clear, bright and reading text on it is very pleasant. I'm amazed Amazon managed to keep the price so affordable yet built a very solid tablet with a great screen. Aside from a power/sleep button at the bottom, the Kindle Fire doesn't have any other buttons or switches. There are two large speakers at the top which aren't as loud as the iPad 2's speaker, 3.5mm headphone port and a micro-USB port for charging at the bottom.
Browsing the web feels a bit slow even though Amazon's praised Silk browser that is said to handle most of the rendering of pages via the cloud doesn't come close to the fast loading speeds of the much pricier iPad 2 over a WiFi network. Granted you should not compare the two against each other as these are both completely different tablet categories. On the other hand, streaming videos and movies is amazing. Each load in the blink of an eye and start playing instantly with respectable picture quality. This is where Amazon's own services show a very strong presence in the Kindle Fire that not even the iPad competes with iTunes for instantly streaming content. Also, Amazon Prime members get access to Amazon Instant Prime library of over 10,000 movies and TV shows and can stream all of that for free.
Amazon's Appstore isn't what we would call a thriving ecosystem and it isn't filled with quality apps and the vast selection you would find in Apple's App Store or even in the Android Market. Don't worry, you'll be able to get your Angry Birds fix with the Kindle Fire as well as many other apps tailored to run on the Kindle Fire.
The Kindle Fire comes to your doorstep inside Amazon's famous frustration-free, eco-friendly packaging with only the bare essentials included inside that is a wall power adapter. There's a slew of sleeves and cases already out for the Kindle Fire, we recommend Amazon's own Zip Sleeve for a quick protection solution, although it is overpriced. We'll have a review on it very soon. The Kindle Fire might not be the snappiest tablet around, but as a budget tablet, the Kindle Fire is worth its price without any doubt. It'll make for a nice present this holiday season for someone who uses Amazon more than anything. And that's just our first impressions with the Kindle Fire after only a day!
Amazon has released the press conference video of yesterday's announcement of all-new Kindles including the kindle Fire tablet with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos delivering the keynote.
After Amazon's press event today in New York and the release of its first Android tablet the Kindle Fire, Amazon has refreshed the Kindle yet again with the new Kindle Touch priced at just $99 with Amazon's Special Offers ads, and $139 without. The Kindle Touch loses the physical keyboard for an on-screen virtual touch keyboard and an even sleeker design with an aluminum back. The same 6" touchscreen remains to be E Ink display that's also multi-touch. The now older 6" Kindle will be called the Kindle Keyboard and is priced at $99 as well.
Amazon's Kindle Touch comes in a WiFi-only version as well as a WiFi and 3G version priced at $149. Both models are now available for pre-order and will start shipping on November 21.
Rumors of an Amazon tablet have been circulating since last year but Amazon finally went public today at its 10:00 AM invitation only news conference. Its name, Fire, is no surprise following the Amazon Kindle. After watching many Android tablets fail to upend the Apple iPad, Amazon came right out with a knockout punch offering the Fire at only $200, $300 dollars less than Apple's cheapest iPad.
The 7 inch tablet offers a dual core CPU, 512 MB of RAM, and 8GB of internal storage. Strangely, Google's Android Market is not offered but the Android App Store is offered. The Fire does not have a microphone nor a front or rear facing camera but does have WiFi (no 3G) and comes with a 30 day free trial of Amazon Prime.
Amazon will officially be holding a press conference in New York for a grand product announcement and unveiling. We highly anticipate Amazon to release the much rumored Amazon Tablets running the Android OS and special Amazon perks will be included like a built-in Kindle. Amazon's press conference is scheduled to set place on Wednesday, September 28 at 10AM. Amazon's Kindle just doesn't look all that appetising in the sea of powerful all-can-do tablets. Amazon's expertise with its Kindle paints high hopes for a solid tablet competitor.
Gadgetmac
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