Amazon Unveils New Kindle Fire HD

[Michael Essany]

On Thursday, Amazon introduced the all-new Kindle Fire HD, the latest addition to the expanding family of tablets popularized by the online retail and burgeoning tech giant.

Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G "isn't just the best tablet for the price," Amazon says, "it's the best tablet."

For $499, you can now enjoy a large-screen HD tablet with a 8.9" display, exclusive Dolby audio, dual stereo speakers, Wi-Fi, and 4G LTE wireless. Amazon also revealed in today's announcement that customers can sign up for a $49.99 one-year 4G data package.

In case you're wondering, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" is available in a Wi-Fi only model for $299.

We are also introducing the world's most advanced e-readers, Kindle Paperwhite and Kindle Paperwhite 3G. You'll do a double take when you see Kindle Paperwhite—we've added 62% more pixels and increased contrast by 25%, so whites are whiter, and blacks are blacker.

The 8.9-inch Kindle HD tablet will be available on Nov. 20. The 7-inch Kindle Fire HD model will ship late next week.

"Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Paperwhite are each in a class by themselves when it comes to hardware—there's nothing better," the company announced Thursday. "But the real magic is that they are also a service. When combined with our enormous content ecosystem, unmatched cross-platform interoperability and standard-setting customer service, we hope people will agree these are the best tablets and e-readers anywhere, at any price."

Source: Amazon

[Breezy215]

I bet you the people at Samsung are saying to themselves, "Why isn't Apple suing Amazon for patent infringement?!? They use rectangles with rounded edges too!!!" lol

[kadarrius]

hahahahahahahahahaha^

[trek-life]

When rooted, the 1st Kindle Fire is nice. My mom loves hers stock.

Not bad at all

[dopeyrat]

I bet you the people at Samsung are saying to themselves, "Why isn't Apple suing Amazon for patent infringement?!? They use rectangles with rounded edges too!!!" lol

lmao

All jokes aside, the kit doesn't look to bad, it's hardware specs are not to shabby either with a 1.5GHz dual core and 1gig ram. And it looks like its got a pretty nice display as well(8.9@1920x1200). Only time will tell if this is an iPad killer or not. Or whether apple will actually release the rumored "iPad-Mini" to compete with this market

[lungho]

When rooted, the 1st Kindle Fire is nice. My mom loves hers stock.

Not bad at all

When rooted? This is an Android based tablet. I thought anything Android had all of the functionality it needed built right in with no need to root. So much for the "open" and "free" argument.

[oddphone20]

Android phones do what Apple phones Do Jailbroken. Rooting is a hole new Ballgame.

[lungho]

Android phones do what Apple phones Do Jailbroken. Rooting is a hole new Ballgame.

So....A jailbroken iPhone = an Android phone but a rooted Android phone = "a hole (without the W) new Ballgame(capital B)"??

Somehow the math doesn't add up.

Besides, the original statement was, "When rooted, the 1st Kindle Fire is nice." Sounds like the 1st Kindle wasn't a nice device to own until the owner rooted it.

[unison999]

When rooted? This is an Android based tablet. I thought anything Android had all of the functionality it needed built right in with no need to root. So much for the "open" and "free" argument.

Android is "open and free", it is the manufacturer of the hardware will lock it up.
Difference is rooting the device is easily done and always available, no need to wait for a jailbreak that may or may not come.

[lungho]

Android is "open and free", it is the manufacturer of the hardware will lock it up.
Difference is rooting the device is easily done and always available, no need to wait for a jailbreak that may or may not come.

Cha Ching! We got a winner! That's the answer I was looking for.

Android folks can be just as blind as Apple folks most of the time. One side shouting open and free while the other side shouting security and better user experience. But when challenged, they can't even defend their own words.

I applaud you for your intellect.

I apologize for using the cattle prod approach. But sometimes I can't help myself.

[dopeyrat]

Android is "open and free", it is the manufacturer of the hardware will lock it up.
Difference is rooting the device is easily done and always available, no need to wait for a jailbreak that may or may not come.

I agree with parts of your comment and disagree with other parts.

Android is "open and free", it is the manufacturer of the hardware will lock it up.

Is so true but rooting is not always "easily done" as you said. The manufacturer im talking about is HTC, they don't make it easy to do dew to having so many variants of one device, changing baseband and SOC processors for different countries.
Most new jailbreaks are one or two click wonders these day but don't get me wrong they haven't always been this way in the past, and yes waiting for jailbreaks is a pain but that's just part of the game us iOS users play. What can a do, just my 2cents.

[fanboyfanboy]

I agree with parts of your comment and disagree with other parts.


Is so true but rooting is not always "easily done" as you said. The manufacturer im talking about is HTC, they don't make it easy to do dew to having so many variants of one device, changing baseband and SOC processors for different countries.
Most new jailbreaks are one or two click wonders these day but don't get me wrong they haven't always been this way in the past, and yes waiting for jailbreaks is a pain but that's just part of the game us iOS users play. What can a do, just my 2cents.

I don't think it's a pain, I almost think its kinda fun, it's like waiting for a new tv show season or a new video game. I had to deal with the long awaited 4S jailbreak. But honestly I didn't mind, I like stock iOS, I don't see why people don't, yeah it's the same but why change something that works? I find waiting for jailbreaks fun because then you can see all the accomplishments and progress the devs make, and it just makes it that more exciting when it is released. Just my 2 cents as well.

[dopeyrat]

I don't think it's a pain, I almost think its kinda fun, it's like waiting for a new tv show season or a new video game. I had to deal with the long awaited 4S jailbreak. But honestly I didn't mind, I like stock iOS, I don't see why people don't, yeah it's the same but why change something that works? I find waiting for jailbreaks fun because then you can see all the accomplishments and progress the devs make, and it just makes it that more exciting when it is released. Just my 2 cents as well.

Don't get me wrong I like stock iOS as well, I've had long waits as well with my iPad2 & 3 and think stock iOS is what makes jailbreaking better. Customizing what is already great and making it your own iDevice is what I love personally. And I never said I didn't like the game/pain, I guess what I meant to say was the game hasn't always been so easy to execute on the user end as it has been in the past 12-18 months.

[thazsar]

Android is "open and free", it is the manufacturer of the hardware will lock it up.
Difference is rooting the device is easily done and always available, no need to wait for a jailbreak that may or may not come.

I cannot comment on rooting an Android device since I have, yet, to root my Transformer Prime.

I think the biggest reason I don't feel like dealing w/ a rooted device is the lack of a 'tweak store' for Android. Cydia is our one-stop shop...regardless if we want to see what came out or not. Cydia provides us w/ tweaks that we might have never thought about AND it gives an easy way to apply the tweak.

Rooting sounds like its more time consuming; both in 'looking' for a tweak and then, 'installing' said tweak. I know there's Android forums that'll give you an idea of some tweaks that are out there BUT if you don't stay up-to-date w/ those forums, then you'll never know what's available.

Case in point, look at MMI. MMI covers a very small percentage of tweaks that are released daily/weekly. If I depended, solely, on MMI for providing me w/ new tweaks, I wouldn't have half or 3/4 of the stuff on my iDevices. The same would be true for Android forums....you just won't know everything that's available.

And when u do find a tweak you want, (forgive me if I'm totally wrong here!) then you need a computer to get root access to the device so you can install the tweak...

For me, that's just too much work to get a tweak I 'might' enjoy.

Does that make sense?!?!

[HeliPilot]

I have rooted many, many Android devices and have jailbroken many, many iOS devices. 6 one way 1/2 dozen the other. Haven't really seen anything that leads me to believe that one is better then the other, well, except what fanboys and fandroids would lead you believe, which in reality is 99.9% opinion.

Now back on topic. I got my GF a Kindle Fire last year and she just loves it, let her try my iPad2 but she still loves her Fire more. It really is a very nice device with great battery life and durable too. Looks like she'll be getting an upgrade this year.

[bigboyz]

Looks like a great christmas gift for mom..unless the "Ipad Mini" makes its debut that is :]

[gehjl]

Cha Ching! We got a winner! That's the answer I was looking for.

Android folks can be just as blind as Apple folks most of the time. One side shouting open and free while the other side shouting security and better user experience. But when challenged, they can't even defend their own words.

I applaud you for your intellect.

I apologize for using the cattle prod approach. But sometimes I can't help myself.

So let me use the "cattle prod approach" as well.

If I had the resources to build my own phone and I download the source code for the latest Android version, write it to work on my phone, load it, and legally use it. Does that not make it open source? If not, please tell me why not.

[feidhlim1986]

Kindle Fires look pretty great and nice prices too.
If Amazon could pull off a screen that doubles as your standard LCD/LED screen AND transform to e-ink too that would be an instant sell for me. Reading books on an iPad just doesn't compare to a standard Kindle.

[HeliPilot]

So let me use the "cattle prod approach" as well.

If I had the resources to build my own phone and I download the source code for the latest Android version, write it to work on my phone, load it, and legally use it. Does that not make it open source? If not, please tell me why not.

Do a little hardcore research and you will find that Android as a whole is not open source. I'll just leave it at that.

[dopeyrat]

So let me use the "cattle prod approach" as well.

If I had the resources to build my own phone and I download the source code for the latest Android version, write it to work on my phone, load it, and legally use it. Does that not make it open source? If not, please tell me why not.

Pity it's not that easy. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but im lead to believe you need to purchase a license to use the source code, then another to distribute it. And I believe that's not cheap, but isn't open source free?
As I said anyone please correct me if I'm wrong or add to if you actually know more.