Today Amazon unveiled two brand new members in their Kindle tablet family alongside a refreshed Kindle Fire HD. While the Kindle Fire HD (2013) continues affordable Amazon's trend now at a lower $139 price, the Kindle Fire HDX and the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 tablets enter the market as power players aiming to dominate the ecosystem.
New Amazon Kindle Fire HDX
Both Kindle Fire HDX tablets look and perform nearly identically, thanks to their 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800, 2GB of RAM. However they have be easily distinguished by their different screen sizes. Amazon has put a lot of thought into the LCD displays on both tablets which adjust contrast when bright environments threaten to overpower color fidelity.
The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX features a 7 inch display which has a 1920 by 1200 pixel full HD resolution. It weighs in at 303 grams and a single front facing camera for video calls. The Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 has an 8.9 inch display with a 2560 by 1600 pixel display similar to the Retina display on the newest iPad. It weighs in at 374 grams (compared to the 652 grams iPad 4) and comes with an 8 megapixel camera in its rear and a secondary front facer for video calls.
The tablets comes with Amazon Fire OS 3.0 (Mojito) installed, which is based on the latest version of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean designed especially for Kindle Fire tablets. While Amazon has includes their own own productivity apps with the new device you can download more apps and games through the Amazon Android AppStore.
The base models come with Wi-Fi connectivity, but you have the option of choosing the 4G LTE models which are available for AT&T and Verizon customers.
Amazon has also provided their new lineup with an extensive design overhaul, which gives them an industrial look and feel. Like LG's recent decision with the LG G2, the new Kindle Fire HDX tablets have their hardware buttons located at their rear.
Both tablets offer up to 11 hours of battery life (17 hours in Reading Mode)
The Kindle Fire HDX with 16GB of storage will cost you $229, while 32GB will cost $269 and 64GB will cost $309. If you want the HDX with LTE the 16GB/32GB/64GB models will cost you $329, $369, $409 respectively. You can pre-order your Kindle Fire HDX today and it will be shipped out to you on October 18th. The LTE model will a little later on November 14th.
The Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 will cost you $379, $429, $479 for its 16GB/32GB/64GB models, while its LTE variants will set you back $479, $529, $579 for its 16GB/32GB/64GB respectively. You can pre-order your Kindle Fire HDX today and it will be shipped out to you on November 7th, while the LTE model will arrive on December 10.
Press Release
Amazon Kindle Fire HD (2013)
Not to be forgotten the Amazon Kindle Fire HD has also been refreshed with a new design, updated hardware and a new price. The entry level Kindle only costs $139, which is $60 lower than the Kindle Fire HD (2012).
The new tablet comes with Amazon Fire OS 3.0 (Mojito) installed, which is based on the latest version of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean designed especially for Kindle Fire tablets. While Amazon has includes their own own productivity apps with the new device you can download more apps and games through the Amazon Android AppStore.
While its specs don't compare with the newest Google Nexus 7, it costs nearly $100 less, making it one of the best entry level tablet choices for new owners.
The Amazon Kindle Fire HD is already available for pre-order, and costs $139 with 8GB of storage, while the 16GB model will cost you $169. The tablets will be shipped out on October 2nd.
source - Amazon