Amazon has unveiled the much awaited Android based tablet – the Kindle Fire which might not fire up the tablet market as many were expecting. Well, the price (at $199) might be a killer, considering that we hardly have any decent quality Android tablets at sub-$200 range. But then, not everything is hunky dory with this new device.
The tablet looks tiny at just 7 inches and runs on a forked out version of Android, and doesn’t look anything like Android really. Amazon has completely revamped the user interface and has closely tied the device with its content library, which includes the Amazon app store with more than 10,000 applications.
Kindle Fire Specs – Depressing
The Kindle Fire comes with Wi-Fi and a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, which normally costs $79 per year with additional benefits of free two-day shipping and access to Amazon’s video-streaming service.
It’s not clear what’s the version of Android that Amazon has forked out, but some reports say that it’s actually the age old Android 2.1 Eclair! It does support thousands of apps from the Android app store in addition to it’s own App store.
The list of feature it lacks seem to be more than what it possess. There is no 3G, no camera, no microphone, no mail client, no nothing. I’m not surprised why they have retained the name “Kindle” and why it is priced below $200.
Update:
And it comes with IPS display with Gorilla glass and is powered by a dual core processor. It weight 14.6 ounces. As for the web browser, they call it Amazon Silk and it’s supposedly very fast and runs on Amazon’s EC2 cloud computing engine. Now it’s not looking as bad, isn’t it?
Kindle Fire is no iPad Killer, but a threat for Low cost tablets
Over the past few weeks, there were so many claims that this Amazon tablet will be the real competitor to Apple’s iPad 2. But now, it doesn’t even come close to it. To be fair to Amazon, they don’t seem to be competing with iPad at all, definitely not with such specs. There are rumors about a 10 inch version with better specs and features to be announced in 2012, may be (just may be) it will be able to scare iPad a bit.
As tech writer Nimish Dubey says, Kindle Fire would represent a bigger threat to the budget tab market than the iPad. There have been so many Android based tablets getting released in recent times, most of them having low price as their USP, a $199 tab from the leading online store company should definitely hurt their sales.
We will update the post as and when we have more details on the specs and availability.
Update: Kindle Fire will be available from November 15th, but pre-orders start today. Pre-order here.
Update 2: Kindle Fire is US only. Ouch!
Raju PP is the founder-editor of Technically Personal, which is one of the most widely read technology blogs on the web. He holds an Engineering degree in Electronics & Communication, and has previously worked as a Technical Specialist in Banking Software domain.
I will say though I love my Kindle Fire. I don't mind that it has no camera, I actually agree with Andy above. I love the speed, can't complain there, the apps run great, I have tens of thousands of books and documents I want and need to keep on the go with me. Between being able to do that AND check my email, AND listen to the radio and so on, this is a hot item for the avid reader on the go.
I did get screen protectors, but honestly I noticed you really don't need them unless you travel a lot and/or are a little clumsy and have butterfingers from time to time, or you never wash your hands. If you can at least keep your hands relatively clean and "dry" while using the device, the screen holds up damn well. If not, it cleans even easier. Almost hassle-free!
The built-in speakers are nice, also. Again, don't mind the lack of microphone. I bought this for my books, not to video chat or take photos all day. This is far more valuable to me than an iPad 2 or a Droid Xoom for example. I don't need all that extra crap, thats what my Droid Charge, MacBook Pro, Canon 7D, and iMac are for; phone w/ camera, laptop w/ camera, pro HD-SLR camera with video & audio (and stills of course), and a powerhouse desktop w/ a camera. So, my kindle really doesn't need to be an iPad, cell phone, camera, laptop or any of those things in one. It just needs to be a Kindle, an awesome device for enjoying all your favorites in exquisite color, interactivity, control and ease.
Not to mention the fantastic substitute to DigiInk; the ability to change the background to black and text to white for low light conditions, and two shades of tan for the off-reader. So many options, a child would and could read every children's book in his school and never realize her just plowed through 50 books. It makes you feel like a 1,000 page book (for those easily intimidated) could be a breeze.
I have nothing but praise for this device. Size is not an issue, it looks great and the text can fill the screen easily, so screen size really makes no difference for the actual customer (buying for the books). Kindle Fire all the way!
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