Amazon Kindle Fires to get refresh, packing Snapdragon 800 and higher res

Now that the Google has announced the next Nexus 7 and rumors of what could be the next Nexus 10 circulating online, it seems that the time is just right for Amazon to refresh its own Android tablets. And based on leaks, it just might indeed do that soon with some rather unusual and not so unusual upgrades to its Kindle Fire line.

The new 7-inch Kindle Fire HD will be sporting an upgraded resolution of 1920×1200 from the current 1280×800 resolution. On the other hand, the 8.9-inch model, which currently already has a 1920×1200 resolution, will be upgraded to an impressive 2560×1600 display. This gives it a pixel density rivaling that of the iPad and the Nexus 10. Both devices will be upgraded to 2 GB of RAM, which is not that unusual with today’s models.

What might be a bit surprising is that these new models will be running on a Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon 800, which leaks say will be clocked to “around” 2 GHz. Considering that Texas Instruments, which provided the current Kindles’ CPUs, is no longer manufacturing mobile processors, it only seems natural to use Qualcomm’s chips. However, the power that the SoC provides might seem overkill for the Kindle, which could hint that Amazon might be planning to take the device into new territory.

With this set of tasty specifications, one could wonder how Amazon will keep prices down. Considering one of the biggest selling points of the Kindle is the affordable cost, it will be interesting to see how the company will solve this difficult balancing act.

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Amazon drops price on Kindle Fire HD 7″

Amazon drops price on Kindle Fire HD 7″

For the Amazon faithful, the Kindle series of tablets is exactly what they need. The tablets were instrumental in setting the pace for modern tablet pricing, and their tie-in to Amazon’s ecosystem is great for Prime members. Their attention to safety for kids is great, and their media selection is nearly unbeatable.

Even at the regular price, these tablets were well worth the money. Amazon has discounted them, though, making them even more attractive. Whether as as second tablet for the family or a first for you, the Kindle Fire HD is a great choice. The 7-inch screen is perfect for all use-case scenarios, and is perfect for little hands.

The timing is strange, but could just mean Amazon has quite a bit of stock on hand they wish to unload. The typical release time frame for Kindle tablets is in the fall, so we don’t expect a new one any time soon. The Kindle Fire HD was released in September of 2012, so we have a few months before we can expect another.

The price drop is international, as we’re seeing new pricing on the UK site as well as a few others. The domestic discount seems to be fairly applicable elsewhere, as the UK site shows a £20 drop in price. The 16GB is $169, while the 32GB is $199.

If you’re interested, head over to Amazon and check them out! If you have one, let us know what you think of it in the comments section below.

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Rumor indicates Amazon is preparing to release a $99 7-Inch Kindle Fire HD

The 7-inch and 8-inch tablet market continues to heat up with plenty of new players joining all the time. Amazon might be one of the leaders in the cheap tablet space, but they need to do something big if they want to keep it that way. If a new rumor is to be believed, that ‘something big’ is a $99 Kindle Fire HD.
At $99, the Kindle Fire HD is said to come equipped with a 1280 x 800 resolution display, just like the current 7-inch Kindle Fire HD. As for the processor, Amazon supposedly will continue using chips from Texas Instruments. Beyond that, it isn’t clear how Amazon will adjust the specs to reach such a low price tag.
It might seem a little odd that Amazon is still planning on going with TI, considering Texas Instruments has essentially moved away from the mobile chip business. The idea, as suggested by IDC Research Director Tom Mainelli, is that Amazon might be cutting a deal with TI to buy up remaining stock from TI on the cheap.
Keep in mind that this is all rumor and speculation at this stage, but it does make sense for Amazon to bring down their pricing structure even more than they have already. Amazon is continually seeing pressure from both ‘true’ Android tablets and even the iPad Mini. Let’s not forget that the Nexus 7 2 could be just around the corner, and then there is the low cost Android tablets from brands like Coby.
The idea of a $99 Amazon tablet seems crazy-cheap, but if vendors like Coby can do it, so can Amazon. This is especially true when you consider that Amazon doesn’t need to make money on its tablets, it can sell at cost and make back the money through its services.
Despite the writing on the wall that indicates Amazon needs a cheaper offering to stay competitive, Amazon actually denies a price drop of this magnitude is coming. “We are already at the lowest price points possible for that hardware,” a company representative claimed to TechCrunch. Of course they did say that hardware, and didn’t directly deny that they could be preparing a cheaper version with similar hardware.
What do you think, would you pay $99 for a Kindle Fire HD, or does its locked-down Android fork keep you from being interested?

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Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 offerings get a price cut in US, expands international availability

Amazon announced Wednesday that it has reduced the price of its largest tablet offering, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9, and would be making it available in Europe and Japan.

The Seattle based company reduced the price of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 to a more appealing price of $269 from yesterday’s price of $299; the 64GB model took the $299 price tag. Expect Amazon’s sales to go up as its  largest price cut is its 4G LTE-enabled offering. The 32GB version now sits at $399 — a whole $100 cheaper. However, the 64GB model now houses the $499 price tag.

Amazon, in addition to the price cuts, is expanding its Kindle Fire HD 8.9 offering to the U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Japan. The hardware will go for £229, €269 and ¥24,800, respectively. Japan was previously able to pre-order the hardware in late February, and Amazon said that the tablet would begin shipping out on March 12.

Amazon originally launched its Kindle Fire HD 8.9 in September 2012 to contend with Apple’s iPad Mini. The online retailer also upgraded its 7-inch Kindle Fire in the fall, which starts at $199and comes with ads on its lock screen. The 7-inch offering is already available in Japan and Europe, and won’t be seeing a price cut.

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