Thursday, September 6, 2012

Amazon's New Kindles: The Kinde Paperwhite, Kindle Fire, Kindle Fire HD and More

Today was a big day for Amazon. They announced two new Kindle e-readers, and three new Kindle Fires (tablets).
They're certainly making a big push for cheaper hardware, with their most expensive product matching the entry level iPad on price.

See hands-on videos with most of the new Kindles here.

The Kindle Paperwhite
  • The Kindle Paperwhite
    • "Paperwhite" Display
      • Does only white, black, and shades of grey (maybe around 50...)
      • Best for reading
      • 221 ppi (pixels per inch) 
      • Better than previous screens
      • Can illuminate in the dark, with all sorts of patented lighting technology to make it not too bright, and awesome. 
      • Apparently, the "whites are whiter and the blacks are blacker"
      • Touch screen
      • 6" screen
    • "Thinner than a magazine, lighter than a paperback."
      • 9.1 mm thing
      • weighs 7.5 ounces
    • Available for pre-order today. Ship on October 1st
    • Wifi Only model costs $119
      • Can only download books within Wifi hotspots
      • Can read books anywhere
    • 3G model costs $179
      • Free 3G
      • Can download books almost anywhere
    • Note: Both of the above models include Amazon's "Special Offers." Basically that means the lock screen is an ad (with a "pull to unlock" button that turns on the Kindle). There are also ads at the bottom of menus, but not while reading. To deactivate the ads, there is a $20 fee. 
  • The "Normal" Kindle
  • The Kindle Fire
    • Actually, it's just called the Kindle...
    • No fancy paperwhite display, so no reading in the dark
      • But the screen is crisper than the previous model
    • Still a good screen. 
    • No toch screen. 
    • 6 inch screen
    • 6 ounces
    • Wifi Only
    • Now only $69 with the Special Offers deal described above ($89 without)
    • Launching September 14
    • (Looks just like the Kindle Paperwhite, but with a row of buttons beneath the screen)
  • The Kindle Fire
    • 7 inch, full color screen (like a small iPad)
      • Good for movies, games, magazines, and yes, books
    • 14.1 ounces
    • The new Kindle Fire is 40% faster than the previous one
    • Also has longer battery life
    • Does include lock screen ads, as described above, with the ability to buy out for $15
    • 8 GB of storage
    • Price dropped from $199 to $159
    • Ships September 14
  • The Kindle Fire HD (7")
    • 7 inch full color screen (1280 x 800, IPS)
      • Features a laminated touch sensor for better visuals and 25% less glare
    • Includes HD front facing camera (for video chatting)
    • 13.9 ounces
    • HDMI out and Bluetooth
    • TI OMAP 4470 processor (It's pretty fast, for non-nerds)
    • Also includes stereo speakers (better than iPad)
    • Does include lock screen ads, as described above, with the ability to buy out for $15
    • Has improved Wifi technology (dual band 2.4GHz/5GHz, two antennas, MMIO radi tech, etc.)
    • 16 GB $199
    • 32 GB $249
The Kindle Fire HD with 8.9" screen
  • The Kindle Fire HD (8.9")
    • 8.9 inch full color display (1920x1200 for those of you who know what that means)
      • Same laminated touch as the Fire HD
    • Includes all features from Kindle Fire HD 7 inch model (camera, processor, speakers, etc.)
    • Claimed 11 Hours of battery life
    • 20 ounces
    • Does include lock screen ads, as described above, with the ability to buy out for $15
    • Wifi Only Models
      • 16 GB $299
      • 32 GB $369
    • 4G LTE Model
      • 32 GB $499
      • 64 GB $599
      • For details on Amazon's exclusive 4G LTE service (almost certainly on AT&T's network, click here)



2 comments:

  1. I think amazon is giving Apple a run for their money! Apple clearly flopped this time around with their debut line...

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    Replies
    1. I wouldn't say Apple's line is a flop, but it's is more of an iterative update while Amazon's is a huge leap forward.

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