AppleInsider Staff
According to a person who has allegedly seen the products, only two new 7-inch Kindle Fire models will be introduced next week, contradicting previous reports that claimed Amazon would likely debut a 10-inch tablet, reports CNET.
While a larger Kindle Fire may still be in the works, the source says Amazon is sticking with the 7-inch form factor and will announce two new models next week, including a slightly reworked version of the existing tablet. The decision is thought to be a defensive move in response to a growing small form factor tablet market, with new devices like Google's Nexus 7 offering stiff competition to Amazon's device. While only speculation, the specter of Apple's own offering may have also been a deciding factor in holding off on a larger Kindle Fire.
The source claims an upgraded Kindle Fire will be introduced next week with a new UI and lower price point. Alongside the slightly revamped original, a new "higher-end" model will be unveiled, and is said to sport more storage, a faster processor, a camera, physical volume controls and an HDMI port.
Amazon's current generation Kindle Fire. | Source: Amazon
When Amazon first launched its tablet in September 2011, the reasonably-priced device enjoyed strong initial sales, but demand ultimately collapsed on reportedly low customer satisfaction.
Amazon issued a press release on Thursday saying the current Kindle Fire commands 22 percent of the U.S. tablet market, however the company didn't back up the claims with specific sales numbers or reveal how it calculated marketshare. In the same announcement, Amazon noted the tablet was out of stock, signaling the debut of an imminent new product launch.
Malcolm Owen
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
25 Comments
K.
Not 'next week?' How about never......
Not 'next week?'
How about never......
So the Kindle isn't getting a larger version… Does that mean the iPad isn't getting a smaller version?
Or maybe they'll just have the press push it back to
JanuaryAprilJuneJulyJanuaryMarchJune…[quote name="Tallest Skil" url="/t/152258/amazon-wont-unveil-larger-kindle-fire-next-week-report-says#post_2180245"] So the Kindle isn't getting a larger version… Does that mean the iPad isn't getting a smaller version? :lol: Or maybe they'll just have the press push it back to [S]January[/S] [S]April[/S] [S]June[/S] [S]July[/S] [S]January[/S] [S]March[/S] June… [/quote] Have you seen the pics of the new eInk Kindle? I just might get one.
[quote name="anantksundaram" url="/t/152258/amazon-wont-unveil-larger-kindle-fire-next-week-report-says#post_2180242"]Not 'next week?' How about never......[/quote] I think it will get a larger version if the project continues long enough. It's a sweet spot for usability in much the same way 13"-15" notebook is a sweet spot compared to an 11" or 17" notebook. The difference between 7" and 10" for Amazon is creating a product that is competitive to the iPad without being as costly. With the iPad already being priced so low it's hard to see how they could compete. I'm guessing they have plenty of 10" prototypes but need to lower the productions cost without lowering the quality for a given price point and getting their forked version of Android to be more robust than what we find on the current Kindle Fire.