Items tagged with Kindle Fire
Fragmentation in the Android camp? Only if you're talking about smartphones. Since the introduction of Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet, buyers looking for a low-cost Android slate that doesn't suck have had a serviceable option. So serviceable and affordable, in fact, that fragmentation in the Android tablet space could cease to be a problem in the not-too-distant future if things continue the way they are. Don't believe it? Well, according to comScore, the Kindle Fire accounted for 54.4 percent of all Android tablets at the end of February 2012. That's up significantly from 41.8 percent at the end of January 2012, and from 29.4 percent -- or less than a third -- at the end of December 2011. Without...
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Amazon's Kindle Fire is selling for a fire-sale rate in refurbished form, and those looking to grab one (or who already own one) will certainly appreciate the latest touches added by the newest software update. v6.3 adds a new sharing feature that allows users to easily share favorite passages and notes from their books directly from Kindle Fire, without even leaving the book. Customers simply highlight a passage and select "Share" or choose the "Share" option from the toolbar within a book, write a note if they choose, and select which social network to share with. Passages or notes a customer chooses to share will be displayed to other Kindle readers viewing the same book, and customers can...
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If you haven't already succumbed to the dark side and picked up an iPad, there's an awesome deal to be had on the Android side of the tracks. For today only (and there's less than 10 hours remaining on this), Amazon is selling refurbished Kindle Fire tablets for $139 with free shipping. That's $60 off the cost of a new Kindle Fire, and while it's refurbished, you won't receive a janky device from a sketchy seller. This is being sold and shipped via Amazon Warehouse Deals, not some third-party seller. And as for the condition, Amazon states that these pre-owned devices have been "refurbished, tested, and certified to look and work like new." They're also backed by the same one-year warranty that...
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Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet continue to sell like hotcakes, assuming hotcakes sell like, well, Kindle Fire devices. The point is Amazon successfully launched a 7-inch competitor to the iPad and all the also-rans in the tablet space, so if you're Amazon, what do you do for a second act? Launch a bigger version, of course. According to Pacific Crest analyst Chad Bartley, Amazon is indeed getting ready to launch a larger size Kindle Fire device, along with a refreshed 7-inch model, All Things D reports. "We are raising our 2012 sales forecasts to 14.9 million from 12.7 million. But we believe there is an upward bias, particularly from the new 7- and 9-inch models, which we expect to launch in mid-2012,"...
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In early November, Amazon launched the Kindle Lending Library program. It allows Amazon Prime subscribers and Kindle owners to "borrow" one book a month, return it, and check out another. There's no cost to the reader, though Amazon actually purchases a copy of each book at their own expense in order to satisfy contractual obligations to authors. According to the company, the Lending Library has proved to be a hit, and it's earning a return for the authors that participate in the Kindle Direct Publishing program as well. Those who publish through KDP can choose to allow their books to be part of the Kindle Owner Lending Library (KOLL) and earn a return from interest in their books. The company's...
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Amazon's Kindle Fire will undoubtedly be one of the hottest sellers this holiday season. Even if it had a few issues and slowdowns in use, for $200 it's impossible to match. And Amazon's working hard to make sure that folks who unwrap one on Christmas Day have plenty to be thankful for. A new Fire software update, version 6.2.1, has started to roll out via over-the-air delivery, and by Christmas, all the Fires out there should be addressed (or close to it). The new software "enhances fluidity and performance, improves touch navigation responsiveness, gives you the option to choose which items display on the carousel, and adds the ability to add a password lock on Wi-Fi access." Most critics have...
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IDC suggests that worldwide tablet sales have skyrocketed over the past 12 months, up 264.5 percent in Q3 2011 as compared to the same period in 2010. Q3 results, strong as they were, didn't quite match up to the analyst firm's projections, but yearly sales are expected to hit 63.3 million units. Apple continues to dominate the market, with an estimated 11.1M iPads shipped in Q3. The company's market share is estimated at 61.5 percent—a two percent decline from Q2. HP's TouchPad sold remarkably well through this period, as did the Nook Color. Note that since these figures are from Q3, neither B&N's new Nook Tablet or Amazon's Kindle Fire are included. Samsung's sales are approximate...
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It's almost Christmas, haven't you heard? And if you aren't quite ready for the holidays, there's really no better way to get there than by picking up a new Kindle Fire and a set of iGloLEDset lights. Basically, these wireless Christmas tree lights can be wirelessly controlled through Amazon's white-hot new e-reader / tablet hybrid, enabling you to pause after Chapter 14 and adjust the tree mood. It's better shown in video, and thankfully, we have one of those just below. The lights are $299, but if that sounds a little pricey, just wait until the 26th to see what happens on the MSRP....
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Although it launched with much hype and eager anticipation, Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet has received lukewarm reception by some of its users. The most disgruntled new owners of the tablet are even packing it up and returning it to Amazon. There are a number of complaints surrounding the new tablet, including the lack of external volume controls. Users also have reported that it's easy to hit the off switch by accident. Other complaints focus on the interface and software. More specifically, users have found that web pages take a long time to load and there is no privacy on the device. The touch screen has also been a sore issue, with users claiming it is hesitant and difficult to use, particular...
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The Kindle Fire is Amazon's attempt to blaze a trail in the low cost Android tablet market, and if doing so ends up applying a bit of competitive heat to Apple and its dominating iPad line, then so be it. To be clear, Amazon isn't pitching the Kindle Fire as an "iPad killer" nor will you find any veiled marketing attempts to cast this as Amazon's David to Apple's Goliath. The Kindle Fire is a different type of device aimed at a different type of buyer, namely anyone who can't afford a full-sized slate or simply isn't willing to fill a fruit basket full of cash and hand it over to Apple. Amazon Kindle Fire: Insight and How Not To Get Burned If you're comparing these specs to the iPad, the Kindle...
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The Kindle Fire is Amazon's attempt to blaze a trail in the low cost Android tablet market, and if doing so ends up applying a bit of competitive heat to Apple and its dominating iPad line, then so be it. To be clear, Amazon isn't pitching the Kindle Fire as an "iPad killer" nor will you find any veiled marketing attempts to cast this as Amazon's David to Apple's Goliath. The Kindle Fire is a different type of device aimed at a different type of buyer, namely anyone who can't afford a full-sized slate or simply isn't willing to fill a fruit basket full of cash and hand it over to Apple. At the same time, comparisons are inevitable because let's face it, outside of enthusiast circles, apparently...
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Amazon is hoping people will once again discover fire -- the Kindle Fire, that is. Perhaps you've heard of it? Of course you have, because the Kindle Fire is Amazon's comparatively low cost ($199) 7-inch slate that, prior to its launch, was garnering all kinds of pre-release hype. Well, now it's here and while initial reviews are a bit of a mixed bag, Amazon could still end up selling a whole bunch of Kindle Fire devices. Citi analyst Mark Mahaney thinks Amazon will sell 12 million Kindle Fire devices in 2012, according to AllThingsD. If Amazon is able to do that, it will take 15 percent of the tablet market share away from Apple and generate about $3.2 billion in revenue. "With an aggressive...
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Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet figures to be a hugely successful device. How much of a success is yet to be determined, but there's certainly a lot of buzz surrounding Amazon's entry into the tablet market. That's what happens when you undercut the competition with a $199 slate without neutering the hardware. Sure, it's a 7-inch slate, but it's also rocking a dual-core processor, 512MB of RAM, and an IPS panel. In fact, some estimates have the hardware and manufacturing costs coming out to more than $199. IHS iSuppli, for example, put together an estimated bill of materials (BOM) that has Amazon spending $209.63 on each Kindle Fire tablet. The most expensive parts are the display/touchscreen ($87)...
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One of the less logical claims that's been made about tablets in the past twelve months is that the devices would somehow supplant or replace notebooks. This last has been supported by various companies, including Apple (claims that Apple became the top mobile vendor in 2011 factor tablet sales into the equation). Sales data continues to indicate that tablets are not, in fact, replacing notebooks and are unlikely to do so. A new report from IHS Supply sheds more light on the situation. "Despite the intense competition from media tablets, notebooks remain a useful tool that has become an essential part of modern life—rather than a luxury item,” said Matthew Wilkins, principal analyst...
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