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Wednesday, September 25, 2013
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Amazon Introduces Kindle Fire HDX Tablets, Fire OS 3.0 "Mojito"
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Amazon is refreshing its line-up of tablet computers with new devices
called Kindle Fire HDX, which are significantly faster and lighter than the previous generation and run new software and services called Fire OS 3.0 "Mojito."
The new Kindle Fire HDX tablets combine new hardware, the latest version of
Fire OS, and new features and services like X-Ray for Music, Second Screen,
Prime Instant Video downloads, and the new Mayday button.
The 7-inch and 8.9-inch versions feature HDX displays, which have very high
pixel densities (1920x1200 at 323 ppi for 7", 2560x1600 at 339 ppi for
8.9"), 100% sRGB color accuracy, dynamic image contrast, and improved
brightness for better viewing in any lighting conditions. They are powered
by quad-core Snapdragon 800 processors running at 2.2 GHz, plus the latest
Adreno 330 graphics engines for up to 4x the graphics performance of the
previous generation Kindle Fire HD as well as 2x more memory.
At just 13.2 ounces, the 8.9" Kindle Fire HDX is the lightest large-screen
tablet, 34% lighter than the previous generation.
Kindle Fire HDX is powered by the newest version of Fire OS - Fire OS 3.0
"Mojito", which introduces new and upgraded features, Amazon-exclusive
services like X-Ray for Music, Cloud Collections, Goodreads, and more. Fire
OS starts with Android and adds cloud services, a content-first user
interface, built-in media libraries, apps and low-level platform
enhancements to integrate Amazon's digital content and improve performance
for Kindle Fire tablets. If an app runs on Android, it can run on Fire OS.
The tablets are powered by the latest version of Fire OS - Fire OS 3.0
"Mojito" - with new and upgraded features, platform updates, and
Amazon-exclusive services like X-Ray for Music, Cloud Collections,
Goodreads, and more.
 A 'Mayday' button delivers live tech support - one touch connects you to an
Amazon expert who can guide you remotely through any feature - 24x7, 365
days a year, and it's free.
The tablets also offer a batery life of up to 11 hours of mixed use and 17
hours of reading.
Fire HDX is ready for work, with support for encryption of the user
partition of the device to secure data; support for Kerberos authentication
so corporate users can browse secure intranet websites; the ability to
connect to secure enterprise Wi-Fi networks as well as corporate networks
via a native or a 3rd party VPN client; and Mobile Device Management
solutions ranging from Amazon's Whispercast service to 3rd party vendors
like AirWatch, Citrix, Fiberlink, Good Technology, and SOTI. Some of these
features will be delivered as part of the Fire OS 3.1 update.
Both HDX 7" and 8.9" are available with 4G LTE wireless. They also feature
dual stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus audio and virtual 5.1
multi-channel surround sound.
Both the 7" and 8.9" Kindle Fire HDX feature a front-facing HD camera. Fire
HDX 8.9" features an 8 megapixel rear-facing camera that allows for
high-resolution photos and 1080p HD video, plus an LED flash, Electronic
Image Stabilization, and a wide-aperture 5P f2.2 lens that lets in more
light, reducing exposure times and producing sharper images.
Beyond the improved specifications, Amazon also unveiled more features that
incorporate data from its IMDb movie database subsidiary. With the newer
tablets, users who turn on the "X-ray" feature can see a small window that
lists the name of a song that is playing in some TV shows and movies. One
tap brings up the option to buy the song. Users can also look for all music
in a show and zip to the exact spot where a particular song is playing.
People who have set up Amazon's video player as an app on their
Internet-connected TVs or through game consoles can also follow along in
real-time on their tablets, getting information on actors and trivia
related to the shows on the big screen.
Music lovers can see song lyrics when they play songs purchased from
Amazon. Lyrics are highlighted as they are sung. Tapping on the lyrics will
zip to the appropriate point in the song.
With the new email on Fire HDX, it is easier to set up your accounts, group
conversations by subject, sync your email and more. Reading and managing
documents on Fire HDX is simple: email them, sync them from a computer with
Cloud Drive, clip them from the web with Send to Kindle, or transfer them
via USB. Coming mid-November as part of the free, over-the-air Fire OS 3.1
update - print documents, photos, emails, and calendar events directly from
Kindle Fire to compatible wireless printers.
Amazon also unveiled new "origami covers" that lie flat when closed over
the screen but can be folded and snapped into place as a stand that works
both in horizontal and vertical position. They'll come in seven different
colors and be sold separately for between $45 and $70.
Blind and visually impaired customers will discover new and improved
accessibility tools such as Screen Reader, Explore by Touch, and Screen
Magnifier, enabling access to the vast majority of Kindle Fire features.
Screen Reader features IVONA's natural language text-to-speech voice.
The Kindle Fire family also offers a selection of digital content - over 27
million movies, TV shows, songs, apps, games, books, audiobooks and
magazines.
The 7" Kindle Fire HDX is $229. It is available for pre-order starting
today at www.amazon.com/hdx-7 and it will begin shipping October 18. The 4G
version is $329?you can pre-order today to reserve your place in line at
www.amazon.com/4g-hdx-7 and it will begin shipping November 14.
The 8.9" Kindle Fire HDX is $379. It is available for pre-order starting
today at www.amazon.com/hdx and it will begin shipping on November 7. The
4G version is $479 - you can pre-order today to reserve your place in line
at www.amazon.com/4g-hdx and it will begin shipping December 10.
While the new Kindles are upgraded in several ways, Amazon also cut the
price on what will be its entry-level 7-inch tablet, the Kindle Fire HD
with 8 GB of memory, to $139 from a $199 version that had 16 GB of memory.
That makes the tablet just $20 more than Amazon's latest dedicated
e-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite. The Kindle Fire HD is sheathed in a new
magnesium alloy body like the HDX models, but has the same screen
resolution and processing power of the older model. It comes with a
1280x800 216 ppi HD display, a dual-core 1.5 GHz processor, Fire OS 3.0,
dual speakers with Dolby audio, features like Prime Instant Video
downloads, Second Screen, Kindle FreeTime, X-Ray and more.
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NEW - Kindle Fire HD |
NEW - Kindle Fire HDX |
NEW - Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" |
Kindle Fire HD 8.9" |
| Price |
$139 |
$229 |
$379 |
$269 |
| Screen Size |
7" |
7" |
8.9" |
8.9" |
| Resolution |
1280 x 800 (216 ppi) |
1920 x 1200 (323 ppi) |
2560 x 1600 (339 ppi) |
1920 x 1200 (254 ppi) |
| Processor |
Dual-Core 1.5 GHz |
Quad-Core 2.2 GHz |
Quad-Core 2.2 GHz |
Dual-Core 1.5 GHz |
| Battery Life |
10 hours mixed use |
11 hours mixed use
17 hours when reading |
12 hours mixed use
18 hours when reading |
10 hours mixed use |
| Audio |
Dolby Audio,
Dual Stereo Speakers |
Dolby Audio,
Dual Stereo Speakers |
Dolby Audio,
Dual Stereo Speakers |
Dolby Audio,
Dual Stereo Speakers |
| Wi-Fi |
Dual band Wi-Fi |
Dual band, dual antenna
(MIMO) Wi-Fi |
Dual band, dual antenna
(MIMO) Wi-Fi |
Dual band, dual antenna
(MIMO) Wi-Fi |
| 4G |
None |
Optional |
Optional |
Optional |
| Camera |
None |
Front-facing HD camera |
Front-facing HD camera +
8 MP rear-facing camera |
Front-facing HD camera |
| Storage |
8 or 16GB |
16, 32, or 64GB |
16, 32, or 64GB |
16GB or 32GB on Wi-Fi device
32GB or 64GB on 4G device |
| Dimensions |
7.5" X 5.0" X 0.42"
(191 X 128 X 10.6 mm) |
7.3" X 5.0" X 0.35"
(186 X 128 X 9.0mm) |
9.1" X 6.2" X 0.31"
(231 X 158 X 7.8mm) |
9.4" X 6.4" X 0.35"
(240 X 164 X 8.8mm) |
| Weight |
12.2 oz (345 grams) |
Wi-Fi—10.7 oz (303 grams)
4G—11.0 oz (311 grams) |
Wi-Fi—13.2 oz (374 grams)
4G—13.5 oz (384 grams) |
20 oz (567 grams) |
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