If there was ever any doubt that Amazon (AMZN) had Apple (AAPL) in its sights, the release of the Fire Phone and the Fire TV should have laid that to rest.
For anyone still not convinced that AMZN is in the gadget business for the long haul (after all, it has had to discount those products in an effort to move units), the latest salvo from Seattle should do it.
Amazon just released a flood of new Kindle devices, including tablets across all price points and a pair of new e-readers.
No matter what the demographic, there’s now a Kindle aimed squarely at it, including a new 6-inch Kindle Fire HD at just $99, a Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition (with 2-year free replacement warranty) and a premium $199 Kindle Voyage e-reader.
Read on for the complete list of new AMZN releases.
AMZN Releases New Kindle Devices: 7-Inch, 6-Inch Kindle Fire HDs
Amazon helped to kick-start the smaller, cheaper tablet market that finally forced Apple to introduce the iPad Mini. But it has had a lot of competition from the likes of Google (GOOG) with its Nexus 7 and cheap no-name Android tablets going for $100 or less.
So Amazon is fighting back with two new Kindle Fire HD models.
The 7-inch at $139 has a 216 ppi display with improved brightness, a quad-core CPU, colored case options, eight-hour battery, Dolby Digital Plus Audio and a break-resistant design. And Amazon says it has three times the graphic performance of Samsung’s (SSNLF) popular Galaxy Tab 4.
But the real star of this budget lineup is the new 6-inch Kindle Fire HD, with similar specs (but a 252 ppi display) at just $99. AMZN is calling it “the most powerful tablet for under $100.”
A tablet at this price point with Amazon’s quality and digital content ecosystem has the potential to sell like gangbusters over the holidays.
AMZN Releases New Kindle Devices: Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition
Speaking of holiday sales, AMZN released a new Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition that’s aimed squarely at parents looking for a tablet to give their kids.
That’s one reason cheap tablets have become so popular — young kids want tablets to play with, but they also tend to break them. Parents compromise by picking up a crappy tablet so the inevitable destruction is less of a financial blow.
The new AMZN Kindle Fire HD Kids Edition should completely disrupt this demographic.
There are 6- and 7-inch versions based on that new Kindle Fire HD (priced at $149 and $189 respectively). But AMZN adds a hefty padded frame that’s easy to grip — usually an extra cost. And it throws in a year of free Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, which means no-cost access to educational apps, games, TV shows, movies and books.
The deal clincher is the two-year, anything-goes guarantee. Amazon says, “If they break it, we’ll replace it. No questions asked.”
AMZN Releases New Kindle Devices: Kindle Fire HDX
The competition for premium full-sized tablets with displays optimized for gaming and multimedia remains intense. Besides Apple’s iPad Air, Samsung has multiple tablets in the category and Sony (SNE) continues pushing its TV experience and industrial design with the Xperia Tablet Z line.
AMZN is fighting to keep its 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX in the game. New features include an Amazon exclusive Dolby Atmos sound, 2.5 GHz CPU an optional new Fire Bluetooth keyboard (that attaches magnetically to its Origami protective case) and 802.11ac MIMO Wi-Fi.
Amazon calls out Apple directly in its press release, pointing out the new Kindle Fire HDX is 20% lighter than the iPad Air, with distortion-free sound that is twice as loud.
At a starting price of $379, the Kindle Fire HDX also enjoys a $120 price advantage over the iPad Air.
AMZN Releases New Kindle Devices: Kindle Voyage
Amazon introduced a new base model Kindle e-reader at $79 (with Special Offers, or $99 without). The big news is that it’s now a touchscreen device.
What’s much more interesting is the new Kindle Voyage, a $199 premium e-reader aimed squarely at the Kobo Aura HD (reviewed here).
That’s right: AMZN has released a single-purpose e-reader that costs twice as much as its new 6-Inch Kindle Fire HD tablet. So … why would anyone pay almost $200 for an e-reader?
As a Kobo Aura HD owner, I can tell you that features like advanced front lighting and an incredibly crisp display are worth it if you are a frequent reader of e-books.
AMZN says the new Kindle Voyage is the thinnest device it has ever made, it has a magnesium back and micro-etched glass front, an adaptive front light, and 300 ppi high-contrast Paperwhite display.
AMZN Releases New Kindle Devices: Kindle Fire OS 4 “Sangria”
Finally, Amazon didn’t just release physical products; it also announced that the 6-Inch Kindle Fire HD and other new tablets would be powered by a new version of its custom operating system, Kindle Fire OS 4 (Sangria).
According to Amazon, Kindle Fire OS 4 — which is based on Android KitKat — was developed with a focus on ease of use and performance.
That means an improved user interface, new profiles that make it easy for family members to share a single AMZN tablet and under-the-hood improvements that deliver up to 25% better battery life.
Fire OS 4 ships on all the new Kindle Fire tablets and will be delivered as a free over-the-air update to third-generation AMZN tablets
As of this writing, Brad Moon did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
