Amazon 7 And 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX Tablets Announced
Amazon is refreshing its line-up of tablet computers with new devices called Kindle Fire HDX, which are significantly faster and lighter than the previous generation.
The 7-inch and 8.9-inch versions also have sharper, more colorful displays than older models, and both have more pixels per inch than the latest iPad.
The Kindle Fire HDX is a 7-inch slate with a 1920×1200 pixel IPS display, a quad-core Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16-64GB of internal storage and dual-band WiFi. Battery life promises to be 11-17 hours.
The Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 boasts a 2560×1600 pixel IPS panel with the same Snapdragon 800, 2GB of RAM and 16-64GB storage counts. Battery life is a robust 12-18 hours.
The two tablets differ in size and weight, but they’ve both been redesigned with magnesium bodies, similar to that of the Surface RT. The smaller slate has a front-facing 720p camera, while the larger sibling sports the same alongside a rear 8MP shooter.
The Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 really is the belle of the ball here, with a slim 7.8mm frame and a weight of 374 grams, only slightly heavier than the iPad mini.
New features in the Kindle’s OS are aimed at making downloads quicker and making it easier for folks to use their Amazon content across devices.
The Kindle Fire HDX also comes with a new feature called “Mayday,” which provides Kindle users one-click access to technical support. According to a commercial for the feature on the company’s Web site, tapping the on-screen button will immediately connect users with a live technician over video chat.
Amazon also unveiled new “origami covers” that lie flat when closed over the screen but can be folded and snapped into place as a stand that works both in horizontal and vertical position. They’ll come in seven different colors and be sold separately for between $45 and $70.
The 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX starts at $379 US for 8 GB of memory, while the 7-inch starts at $229 US also with 8 GB. Buyers can pre-order starting Wednesday. The 7-inch will ship Oct. 18, while the 8.9-inch will ship starting Nov. 7.
Indian pricing and availability should be announced soon!
