New Fire costs just $50
The new Fire tablet is Amazon’s entry level device, and costs an almost impossibly cheap $50. Early leaks warned the tablet wouldn’t have a high spec, and sure enough, this is a very basic tablet — but it does have some interesting additions we weren’t expecting.
It’s a 7-inch display for a start, rather than the rumored 6-inches, but the basic 1024 x 600 pixel resolution isn’t going to win it many fans. Inside is a 1.3GHz quad-core processor that’s likely built by MediaTek, and a total of 8GB storage space. However, the good news is the tablet has a MicroSD card slot that will add up to 128GB space to this figure.
There are also two cameras, a 2 megapixel on the rear and a VGA cam on the front. Amazon’s Mayday feature is installed, along with the latest version of Fire OS, named Bellini, complete with an updated UI and new features.
Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10
The Fire is joined by the Fire HD 8 and the Fire HD 10. Both use the same quad-core 1.5GHz processor, 5-megapixel rear cameras, and 720p video recording front cams, plus provide dual-band Wi-Fi over the Fire’s single band connection.
The difference comes in the screen size, which is either 8-inches or 10-inches — the resolution stays at 1280 x 800 — and the storage space. The Fire HD 8 has either 8GB or 16GB space, while the Fire HD 10 has 16GB or 32GB. Both have MicroSD card slots to increase this, and an average battery life of 8 hours.
Unsurprisingly, they cost more than the basic Fire, and you’ll need to part with $150 upwards for the Fire HD 8, and at least $230 for the HD 10, depending on your choice of storage space and Amazon Offers’s preference.
Preorder the Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 now from:
Amazon Fire Kids Edition
Finally, there’s the new Kids Edition, which wraps the basic Fire tablet up in a tough, kid-proof casing, and comes with a two-year guarantee that if your kids break it, Amazon will replace it for free. The tablet also comes with a year’s subscription to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, which contains more than 10,000 apps, games, movies, and other media that’s ideally suited to little ones. The Fire Kids Edition costs $100.
All Amazon’s new tablets are available for pre-order right now, and have a release date of September 30.
CONTINUE TO PAGE TWO FOR ALL THE RUMORS LEADING UP TO AMAZON’S ANNOUNCEMENT
Amazon may be working on a whole new family of Kindle Fire tablets, according to various rumors. It’s not the first time we’ve heard about them, but for your convenience, we’ve gathered together all the gossip and news surrounding the new devices below. However, keep in mind Amazon has supposedly reassessed many of its hardware projects, so some of the rumors may end up concerning devices that will never be released.
New Fire HD 6 mini-tablet
In early September, it was rumored the company had a new 6-inch tablet ready to go on sale during the 2015 holiday season, when it would cost a mere $50 — half the price of the current 6-inch Fire HD 6 model.
Any piece of mobile hardware that costs so little isn’t going to be a powerhouse, and a subsequently discovered benchmark test suggests the tiny tablet may indeed have some tiny specs to match.
If it’s accurate — and don’t forget, benchmarks can easily be faked — the 6.7-inch screen may have a 1024 x 600 pixel resolution, and be powered by 1GB of RAM and a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor. A 2-megapixel camera may sit on the back, and a VGA cam above the screen.
New 10-inch Kindle Fire tablet
Amazon may also have a new 10-inch Kindle Fire to reveal, and in mid-September, a picture of what could be the tablet was leaked on Twitter by @evleaks. You can see it at the top of this page. While the slate itself isn’t especially remarkable, outside of a sleek design and some shifted around hardware buttons; the image on the screen is far more interesting.
The Kindle Fire range uses Amazon’s own version of Google Android, called Fire OS, and it has traditionally been highly customized. However, the leaked picture shows a more familiar layout — in portrait mode, at least — on the home screen, that while still not stock Android, is closer than before. There is still a hint of separate, categorized home screens, and no evidence of an app drawer though.
Another benchmark leak provides a hint regarding the specs. Apparently, it will have a 1.5GHz MediaTek chip, 1GB of RAM, and a 1280 x 800 pixel resolution. A 5-megapixel rear camera and 1-megapixel front cam are also possible, and suggest this tablet will also be sold cheaply.
Other models are also possible
Although there are no images or specs available, there are rumors Amazon may have a new 7-inch and a 9-inch model to join the 6 and 10-inch versions discussed above. Additionally, there is conjecture it may have an even larger 12-inch Kindle Fire to take on the Microsoft Surface and the iPad Pro, but another recent report stated development of a 14-inch model codename Cairo had been slowed or cancelled.
That’s what we think we know about Amazon’s near future Kindle Fire tablet plans for now, but we’ll update you here should more be revealed.
