Amazon Announces Kindle Fire for $199

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Amazon to sell Kindle Fire tablet for $199
By: Roger Cheng September 28, 2011 6:55 AM PDT

Amazon will reportedly unveil Kindle Fire, an Android-powered tablet that acts more like a color e-reader on steroids that will retail for $199.

The Kindle Fire marks Amazon's first foray into the tablet market, which has so far been dominated by Apple's iPad. But with its low price and the well-known Kindle brand, analysts believe Amazon's product could represent the first legitimate competitor in an area where many other high-end Android tablets have missed the mark.

"We believe that the launch of an Amazon tablet will significantly boost the tablet market and inject a much needed competitor to Apple's iPad," Adam Leach, an analyst at research firm Ovum, said ahead of the event.

The specifications, however, are lower than other comparable high-end tablets. It lacks the typical features found in a tablet, such as a camera, microphone, and 3G access. The device is more intended to compete with Barnes & Noble's Nook Color, which is essentially a stripped down Android tablet.

The Kindle Fire comes with a 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime, the company's premium service that offers free two-day shipping and streaming video. The service normally costs $79 a year.

Amazon has slowly been building up its online content, adding new shows and movies all the time. Amazon recently signed a new licensing deal with 20th Century Fox to bring in its library of shows and movies for streaming.

Amazon has also reportedly signed agreements with several publishers, including Conde Nast, Hearst and Meredith, to have digital versions of magazines ready at launch.

Amazon is attempting to go where other tablet makers have failed. The past few months have seen a number of companies stumble out of the gate with their supposed iPad-killer. Hewlett-Packard scrapped its WebOS hardware business after the lackluster sale of the TouchPad, only to revive interest by holding a fire sale at $99 a unit. Research in Motion flopped badly with its PlayBook and is similarly trying to spark sales through a number of discount programs with its retail partners. Motorola Mobility CEO Sanjay Jha acknowledged initials problems selling its Xoom tablet when it was priced higher than the iPad.

As an e-reader, the Kindle has been instrumental in driving sales of digital books for Amazon and bringing that category of device into the mainstream despite earlier efforts by Sony. The catalyst for its success has been its low-powered e-ink technology, which enables users to read the device from anywhere, as well as the ease in which a person can buy a digital book over the air.

Another smart move: Amazon's decision to create apps on other devices such as the iPad and Android phones, allowing people to read their books on any device, but still stick with the Kindle library.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20112714-94/amazon-to-sell-kindle-fire-tablet-for-$199/#ixzz1ZGEJ3iPr

Additional news about Amazon changes to its Kindle line-up:

Amazon unveils trio of Kindle e-ink readers
By: Roger Cheng

"Amazon today showed off three new versions of its e-ink digital book reader Kindle.

The company unveiled the Kindle Touch for $99. It also showed off a 3G version, which will sell for $149. A cheaper and smaller non-touch control Kindle will sell for $79.

The lower price points represent an aggressive push by Amazon to further its lead in the e-reader market as other entrants such as Barnes & Noble's Nook pose a growing threat.

The Kindle Touch is thinner, smaller and lighter. It features no physical controls, allowing the user to use their left hand to navigate through a digital book.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos touted the new price points, saying Amazon is "making premium products at non-premium prices."

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20112742-94/amazon-unveils-trio-of-kindle-e-ink-readers/#ixzz1ZGEgEGGi"
 
Thanks for posting this - I've been waiting for the new e-reader from Amazon.

The e-ink Kindle is pretty awesome - that e-ink is amazing for reading. I haven't read everything about the Fire yet, but it sounds like a product for a different market than the Kindle. Still looks interesting though, just not a replacement for my Kindle.
 
The Fire is definitely a direct competitor to the B&N Nook, and to a lesser extent, the iPad. It's running a modified version of Android 2.1, from all the reports I've seen, but it's backed up by Amazon's cloud (vs. iCloud), Amazon Prime (vs. iTunes), and a low, low price point ($199 vs iPad $499 and up and Nook's $249).

Fun Fact: You can buy the entire Kindle lineup for $526, which costs less than a 32GB WiFi iPad2.
 
Specs! We all love Specs...

* 7-inch IPS display, 1024x600 resolution, Gorilla Glass
* Dual core processor, 8GB internal memory
* 14.6 ounces, built-in Wi-Fi
* Amazon claims, "up to 8 hours of continuous reading or 7.5 hours of video playback, with wireless off"
* Tightly integrated with Amazon services like Amazon Instant Video and Cloud Drive
* Features new "cloud-accelerated" browser named Silk
* 30-day free trial of Amazon Prime
* $199, ships November 15, available for pre-order today


Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20112752-1/amazon-kindle-fire-7-inch-tablet-dual-core-processor-$199/#ixzz1ZGMExsJG

Year subscription of Amazon Prime costs $79.

* Unlimited FREE Two-Day Shipping
* No minimum order size
* One-Day shipping for $3.99/item

Now members also get:

* Unlimited instant streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows
 
Now on the Amazon's homepage:

Dear Customer,

There are two types of companies: those that work hard to charge customers more, and those that work hard to charge customers less. Both approaches can work. We are firmly in the second camp.

We are excited to announce four new products: the all-new Kindle for only $79, two new touch Kindles – Kindle Touch and Kindle Touch 3G – for $99 and $149, and a new class of Kindle – Kindle Fire – a beautiful full color Kindle for movies, TV shows, music, books, magazines, apps, games, web browsing and more, for only $199.

These are high-end products – the best Kindles we’ve ever made. Kindle and Kindle Touch have the most-advanced E Ink display technology available, and the 3G Kindle Touch adds free 3G wireless – no monthly fees and no annual contracts. Kindle Fire brings everything we’ve been working on at Amazon for 15 years together into a single, fully-integrated experience for customers – instant access to Amazon’s massive selection of digital content, a vibrant color IPS touchscreen with extra-wide viewing angle, a 14.6 ounce design that’s easy to hold with one hand, a state-of-the-art dual core processor, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, and an ultra-fast mobile browser – Amazon Silk – available exclusively on Kindle Fire.

We are building premium products and offering them at non-premium prices.

Thank you for being a customer,

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO

p.s. – Kindle Fire has a radical new web browser called Amazon Silk. When you use Silk – without thinking about it or doing anything explicit – you’re calling on the raw computational horsepower of Amazon EC2 to accelerate your web browsing. If you're curious, watch this short video to learn more about how it works.
 
Just received my wifes new kindle fire in the mail today.
We'll see how it goes :)
 
Post up your review of how it works TomsSound!

P.S. I need to catch you in vent, got some Beta news to discuss with you in private.
 
unless you are a die-hard Amazon prime user, the Nook tablet is a better device in every way.

2x the ram
2x the storage
SD slot
likely better dev support, although this is yet to be decided
stock OS is better, but not like it matters since anyone who isn't just reading will probably use CM7/9 when it is developed.

and it is only 13.5% more expensive
 
The hardware features are definitely a plus for the Nook, reflex. But I would disagree that diehard Amazon prime users would be the only customers to enjoy the Fire. Barnes and Noble will leverage its book and magazine offerings on the tablet, yes, but they do not have the same video supply abilities as Amazon does. Yes, Hulu, Netflix, etc., will be on the Nook, but Amazon's video offerings are actually larger than either of them. And you can't discount the Lending Library they announced (though that's under debate with the Writer's Guild at the moment).
 
The #1 thing keeping my family from getting a few Kindle Fires is the storage.
8GB (6GB usable from what I was reading) of storage is just too small.

Yes, we know about the cloud storage, but what about on vacations when you're riding in a vehicle for 12 hours+ ? You can't exactly stream movies when there's no wifi available.
 
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Wait for Jan/Feb, Mr. Game, for the rumored Kindle Ice(?), which some are saying will possibly be a 10.1" screen like the ASUS Transformer and Samsung Galaxy, but with twice or quadruple the ram (16/32GB). Some of the stuff I've heard, they were originally hoping to release both the Kindle Fire and Ice(?) at the same time, but the R&D for the Ice took longer than they wanted, so they went ahead announcing the Fire, and pushed the Ice back for a Q1/Q2 2012 release.
 
Snipeye said:
The hardware features are definitely a plus for the Nook, reflex. But I would disagree that diehard Amazon prime users would be the only customers to enjoy the Fire. Barnes and Noble will leverage its book and magazine offerings on the tablet, yes, but they do not have the same video supply abilities as Amazon does. Yes, Hulu, Netflix, etc., will be on the Nook, but Amazon's video offerings are actually larger than either of them. And you can't discount the Lending Library they announced (though that's under debate with the Writer's Guild at the moment).
Click to expand...

I really don't use any content delivery services (part of having 300KB/s internets), so maybe i just don't understand.

For what I have experienced, between Hulu, Netflix, etc, you can get pretty much anything. If you cant, go to a store, and pick up the DVD, and make a nice high quality rip.

The fire makes hardly any sense to me.
 
I'm making an assumption that the average user of tablets and readers (iPads, Kindle readers, etc.) aren't savvy enough to get DVDs or BluRays and rip them onto a hard drive, then port them onto their tablet/reader or a SD/MicroSD card slot. Without that knowledge/experience, then they'll stick with the easiest, less hassle method of getting what they want.

This is where Amazon can and does shine in as the entire UI is pretty much showing off everything that Amazon can offer just at their fingertips. In addition, Amazon's cloud storage, books, video-streams are larger than what most of their competitors offer (Hulu Plus, Netflix, even Barnes and Noble in some cases). This is solely an entertainment device. If you're looking for something that can do everything, this isn't for you. This is a budget tablet setup to provide solely entertainment around the house (or within any place with a WiFi connection). So in that regard, yes, Fire does well in that niche and can succeed.

It does not directly compete with the iPad because it specifically excludes specific features that the iPad has, which also raises its price. No 3G, no camera, small RAM and storage, no mini-HDMI output, etc. Maybe the future Kindle tablet that's rumored to be released next Q1 will be a direct competitor, but what Amazon has done is opened up the sub-$200 marketplace for a reliable, entertainment device that meets most of a home users' expectations.

Now, if you're planning on watching videos nonstop as you travel, the iPad 2, or the Asus Transformer would be better suited than either the Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet because both have longer battery lives, bigger and better screens, and increase amount of storage (depending on the model). ASUS has the added benefit of extra battery life through their keyboard dock. However, you're going into the $500 market for these two tablets (w/ dock), so its a tradeoff: more performance and capabilities for more of your mony.

Personally, if you don't want to go with the Nook Tablet or Amazon Fire as your entertainment device, but can't afford the iPad2, or Asus Transformer, you may want to look at the Toshiba Thrive. 16GB wifi version is on sale for about $310. Runs on Honeycomb 3.1, has full USB port, SD card slot, and replaceable battery! And its recent enough that I would say you can expect to see an ICS update for it next year. But again, it's one of the thickest tablets on the market (and heaviest), surpassing even the Motorola Xoom. So holding up for extending periods can get tiring.

Reflex, in short, the fire is aimed at the budget conscious tablet buyers, those who want a tablet, but can't afford to pay full price for a full tablet version. Most tablet users do light gaming, listen to music, and stream videos around the house, and as such, the Kindle Fire is aimed at that market (and it is a SIZABLE market). It lacks hardware features, but it leverages Amazon's infrastructure; cloud storage, e-books and publications, and Amazon Prime, letting users stream the latest videos (movies, tv shows, etc.) that sometime may not be available on Hulu or Netflix for some time (and with Netflix's recent fallout with some producers, they're position is more strained than say a year ago).

So when it comes to stock tablets sold (no custom ROMs, I see your Touchpad!), the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet are the best budget tablets, with the choice depending on customer's choice, use, and wallet. Mid-price tablets would be the Toshiba Thrive ($309) and the Asus Transformer ($399), with the most expensive being the iPad 2. That's how I'm breaking down the whole tablet market now.
 
I don't see why you would want a tablet that is monopolized and hacked to bits by amazon, when the nook is superior in every fashion. The Fire is against pretty much everything that Android stands for. Albeit, the nook isn't much better, but it is better.

Between Hulu, Netflix, Blockbuster, ETC, i really doubt you will be strained for content.

and custom roms and kernels are awesome....everyone else can go buy an iPad, and be completely locked down (no you cannot jailbreak anything with an A5).

seriously though, if everyone knew about flashing your own roms, android would kill iOS in like a week
 
You're forgetting all those video streaming apps require a membership fee, monthly. Netflix is $8, for a year that's $96 versus Amazon Prime's membership of $80. And Prime gets you free 2-day S&H on physical orders, and special deals and freebies for books. Hulu Plus costs $10/mo, and has less movies to offer than Netflix or Prime.

I don't see what you mean by monopolized and hacked to bits; Amazon took Android 2.3 and customized it so its UI is unique to Amazon, as well as making it easier to use/purchase content. Barnes and Noble does the EXACT SAME THING. The only difference is B&N had more time working on its own select marketplace so there are more apps available at the moment, but Amazon will surely match B&N. It's a pro and a con. One hand you're not getting the full Android Marketplace, but on the other hand, the ones you do get aren't virus infected, and worthless crap (which are on both Apple's App Store and Android Marketplace).

You're looking at this product how it would fit just you, reflex. But you have to remember not everyone is a tech guru, knows how to flash a rom, or even put videos onto a micro SD card so they would always have media available regardless of wifi/3g connection.
 
Follow-up Post: Alright, did some additional digging around and comparison.s Lending Library only has 5,000 titles right now, and Amazon's Prime's video are smaller than Netflix, and somewhat older than Hulu and Netflix. So I got that wrong (and I apologize for that). However, it is growing steadily, so it can become larger, if not equal, to Hulu/Netflix in titles (though that may be months, if not years, down the road). Cnet.com actually did a cost analysis between using the B&N tablet vs Amazon Fire. On a yearly basis, it can be about $260 vs $80 a year based on purchases w/ S&H, book/video purchases, and the monthly fees involved (Prime and Netflix).

Now, for me, I'm already paying a $25/yr B&N membership fee (I buy a lot of books and magazines so it pays for itself in any month), and with the purchase of the Nook Tablet, I can actually get it free ($25 coupon), so I save that money, and get the Membership discounts on all purchases, which can actually make books, magazines, and comics I buy on the tablet CHEAPER than on Amazon, specifically for e-Media. And since I don't use iTunes (MS Zune), I'm actually forced to stream my videos more often, or put my videos on some kind of storage (Micro SD/SD Card), which works for either the Fire or Nook. But in my case, having over 1TB of movies, music videos, and songs, the (Micro) SD card will definitely be an advantage for me.

So my preference: Neutral. I'm the kind of person that needs to physically test each to make a final judgment. I have no doubt that I'd enjoy both the Fire and Nook Tablet, but unless I can put it through its paces in my every day life, I really cannot be sure which would be better or more cost effective.

P.S. I read too much about tablets in general, I've now decided.
 
according to most of the reviews I have read a lot of apps (non-Amazon Appstore) have issues with stability on the Fire (many not even running).

The Nook also has native access to the Market, which i believe is a far superior experience to Amazon's Appstore. I really only use Amazon's store to get the free app everyday. If you can keep a Windows based computer functional, you shouldn't have any problem with the Market. If you can't keep your computer healthy, i doubt that you would be buying a tablet that isn't an iPad anyways. Avoiding Malicious applications is pretty easy, and If you are really paranoid, then luckily for you there are anti-virus applications.

The extra 512MB of ram in itself is a reason to go for the Nook, according to Engadget, it greatly helps with media playback, and overall OS performance (source)

I stand by my statement. Unless you are a amazon-prime-oholic, there is no reason to get the Fire over the Nook.
 
Correction Reflex. I was just playing with the Nook Tablet, it does not have native access to the Android Marketplace. It's culled just like Amazon. Non-B&N Marketplace apps will experience some stability issues with it.

I'm standing by what I say about both: It depends on the user's habits. If they do more stuff on Amazon, it's more cost effective for them to go with the Fire. If they don't buy or order movies/products regularly on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, then the Nook may be the better buy for them because of the better hardware being the decided factor.

There actually is one BIG thing for a person to consider in their purchase: Support. As it stands, B&N has stores you can bring your product to to learn more or fix (or if you happen to run into someone like me, get a tech guru to explain the benefits and negatives of the tablet). But, between the two companies, which is more likely to file for bankruptcy? I'm not saying B&N is failing right now, or about to file bankruptcy soon, but I work for a publishing company, and Borders demise shook the entire industry HARD, especially publishers who were owed money from Borders. Amazon is much stronger than Borders as a company financially. This is probably a non-issue, but it's something to bear in mind all the same.

P.S. I'm not wholly sold on either device. I want the Tegra 3 processor!
 
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hmmmm.....for some reason i was under the impression that both Nook had market access.

Maybe since it is so irrelevant to me i didn't pay too much attention.

since we are grasping at straws now:

Amazon is more likely to pull an apple and not want you to change your tablet. Think about it. B&N has an App on the market, so they can still retail to people who install something better than that stock rom. Amazon however has no means to distribute Apps, Video, etc. They have a kindle app, but according to you, that is a very small part of the Kindle experience, whereas the Nook is pretty much only books. Amazon services are currently broken when rooted (i expect this to change however), but I see amazon being more draconian, and pushing updates that fix "software expoilts" as apple calls them.

To counter your point; you say that B&N has a higher probability of filling for bankruptcy, but this is really irrelevant, because the Nook's warranty is only 1 year and it is extremely unlikely (considering B&N is doing just fine right now) that they will cease to exist within the time the product is underwarranty. Therefore, It really doesn't matter at all, and your point really doesn't make any sense.


yes....tegra3. Sadly, i likely won't be getting it since my current fleet is all dual cores, and I really don't see myself needing the power anytime soon. Who knows though, the great thing about the iPad is that it is still worth like $450, so i could get a TF Prime with little cost to me.
 
Mini Review..
Well only had a day with the new Kindle Fire.
So far I have to say I am completely satisfied in my investment.
For $199 this device is a steal.

Hardware...
Very solid and expensive feeling.
Speakers sound ok... not bad.. but not amazing.
I do wish it had real buttons for volume control.
The lack of gps/camera/ambient light sensor... no big deal.
RAM ... no issues so far with the amount of ram.

UI...
Sharp and responsive. No lag and completely intuitive.
Sometimes a little too sensitive.
Pretty and just as I hoped... super easy.

Video playback...
No lag and perfect.
Youtube... perfect
Netflix... perfect
Amazon Prime... perfect
Music.. perfect

Audible integration is awesome.
Cloud works perfectly.
Browser... quick.. but I don't think it's amazingly fast.

Main reason I bought the Fire was the ecosystem.
I really like everything I've ever bought from Amazon... I've been a amazon mp3 user for a while.. and liked how the app worked. Figured the Fire would expand upon that simplicity for the Fire.. and I was right. Very easy to use.. and just about as perfect as I can think it could be. Audible integration is spot on. I've only installed a handful of apps.. but nothing has crashed yet. No problems whatsoever.
When they announced the B&N Nook Tablet.. I was a little worried that I chose to early.
Decided to get the tablet and at least check it out. If it sucked.. it would have been returned.
My wife will be the main user and I really don't think or care about rooting this or trying to install a CM.
I can't say that I won't find issues.. but right now.. I'm a happy kindle fire user.

BTW.. I have a IPAD... and have used a XOOM and TOUCHPAD.
I'd say this is way better than a Touchpad as far as OS experience goes.
I'd say it's about on par with the IPAD for ease of use. Maybe even better.
This thing feels like a quality device.
For $199 .. amazing.

I'll update if I find anything worth talking about.
 
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