Amazon unveils new Fire tablets, Kindle e-readers

News Wireless Global 18 SEP 2014
Amazon unveils new Fire tablets, Kindle e-readers
Amazon has announced new Fire tablets and Kindle e-readers and an update to its mobile operating system. The new Fire HD tablet will be available in a 6-inch version for USD 99 and 7-inch for USD 139, in a choice of five colours. It comes with an HD display, quad-core 1.5 GHz processor, front and back cameras, and a range of Amazon features to serve up recommended content. Also available for the Fire HD are new accessories, including a protective cover available in six colors that can stand in both portrait and landscape orientations, as well as a series of adapters to connect the tablet to an HDTV, monitor, or mass storage device via HDMI, VGA or USB. 

For more demanding customers, Amazon announced the Fire HDX 8.9 tablet, with a more high-resolution display and a faster 2.5 GHz processor (Snapdragon 805). It comes with dual-band Wi-Fi and optional LTE access. Amazon compared it to the iPad Air, noting it's lighter and louder than the Apple device. The Fire HDX is available for pre-order at USD 379 with Wi-Fi and USD 479 with 4G and will ship in October. It also comes with an optional magnetic keyboard for USD 59.99. 

The new tablets run the latest version of Amazon's OS, known as Fire OS 4 Sangria. Based on Android KitKat, it introduces new features such as profiles for different users of the same tablet, Family Library to link Amazon accounts in the same household, Amazon's Firefly product search, Advanced Streaming and Prediction to serve up recommended content, and the Mayday button for instant support from Amazon. Sangria will also roll out to the previous generation of Amazon tablets and launch on the Fire smartphone early next year. 

Amazon also announced a kids version of the tablet. This comes with a year subscription to its FreeTime Unlimited service and a two-year guarantee. The Fire HD Kids Edition features a quad-core processor, HD display and front and back camera. It's available for USD 149 for the 6-inch version and USD 189 for a 7-inch display. In the e-reader market, Amazon unveiled the new Kindle Voyager, the seventh generation of its Kindle range, and a low-cost Kindle with touch interface at USD 79.

The new tablets will also be available in major markets in Europe. The Fire HD will cost EUR 99/GBP 79 for the 6-inch version and EUR 119/GBP 119 for the 7-inch version. The Fire HDX is priced at EUR 379/GBP 329 for the Wi-Fi model and EUR 529/GBP 439 for the 4G version. 

Categories:

Mobile

Companies:

Amazon

Regions:

Global

Tags:

Launch, Consumer devices

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