If you had your heart set on a Kindle Fire, Fire HD 7 or Reader, you can now plunk down your plastic and receive one as fast as your shipper can wheel it over. The 1,280 x 800 Fire HD 7-inch model, which we recently put through the wringer, is available in a 16GB version for $199, and Amazon says the 32GB version will arrive October 25th. As we noted, it carries a new dual-band WiFi system for greater surfing speed, dual speakers, a front HD camera and a TI-made dual-core ARM Cortex A-9 processor. The updated Kindle Fire can be had as well for $159, with double the RAM of the last version, a new processor and a bigger battery. Finally, the new Kindle Reader is also up for grabs at an ad-supported cost of $69, while the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD should be along in November at $299 ($499 for a 4G version). So, if you’re already looking ahead to a certain holiday, check the sources to see how to get one.
If you’re not ready to run out and buy one of Amazon’s new Kindles, three new devices have been added to the kobo eReader line. The three new eReaders include the Mini, the Glo and the Arc.
The Mini is going to sell for $79.99(USD) and promises to be the world’s smallest and lightest full-featured digital reader. It has a five-inch screen and weighs just 134g. The Glo aims to solve the problem of the typical E Ink eReader and its lack of a backlight. The Glo uses ComfortLight technology to provide an integrated backlight to allow users to keep reading with no lights in the room and no need for a light accessory. The device has a six-inch screen and will sell for $129.99(USD).
The last model is the Arc and it features a color screen measuring seven-inches and display 16 million colors. The device will come in an 8GB model for $199.99 or 16 GB for $249.99. The Arc has a dual core 1.5 GHz processor and runs Android 4.0, and features a user-configurable interface called “Tapestries,” which helps you organize your content and customize themes, as well as recommends eBooks based on your preferences.
All three new Kobo readers will be available sometime this fall at select retailers.
You may remember back before Apple jumped into the digital book market, digital books were cheaper. Amazon was selling a digital book for less money than a print book, and rightly so. When Apple stepped in and allowed publishers set their own pricing, retail prices of digital books went up everywhere.
There is no justification for a digital book to cost the same amount of money as a physical book that has to be printed and delivered. This move was never anything other than book publishers lining their pockets with higher profits. The high prices of digital books caught the eye of federal regulators and an investigation ensued.
That investigation is over and has ended in a settlement by publishers without admitting any wrongdoing. However, if you purchased a best-selling book between April 2010 and May of 2012, you’re eligible to get a single dollar in refund. The credit will be deposited into your Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes account. Users who purchased books through Sony or Google will get refunds via a check. It sounds like you don’t have to fill out any paperwork, because honestly one dollar isn’t worth the effort. The total money publishers will pay back to customers works out to $69 million.
In addition, the major publishing houses of Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster will grant retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble the ability to set their own retail pricing. You can read more details of the settlement here.
Amazon has confirmed pricing and availability for the Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD in the UK and across Europe, the first time its Android tablets will be launched outside of the US. The new slates, revealed yesterday, will hit the UK on October 25, with the 7-inch Kindle Fire priced at £129 for the single 8GB model, while the more advanced Kindle Fire HD will be from £159.
Two versions of the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD will be offered, either with 16GB of internal storage, for £159, or with 32GB of storage, for £199. In contrast, Google’s Nexus 7 – which also has a 7-inch display – starts at £159 in the UK, meaning Amazon is offering either a similarly-sized tablet for almost 20-percent less than Google, or a more powerful model for the same price. Amazon will not be offering the 8.9-inch model, at least not yet.
In Europe, meanwhile, the Kindle Fire will be priced at €159, while the Kindle Fire HD will be €199 for the 16GB model and €249 for the 32GB version. The launch date is the same as for the UK, with both models shipping from October 25.
New Kindle Fire HD hands-on:
Since Amazon’s heavily-customized Android tablets are tied into the retailer’s webstore offerings, it will also be opening up the Appstore for Android – its version of the Play store – up to European use. In the UK, there will also be LOVEFILM streaming movie and TV show access.
You can preorder the Kindle Fire HD in the UK here and the Kindle Fire here; alternatively, head over to your country-specific Amazon store for preorders of both models in mainland Europe.
This week the folks at Amazon introduced a set of new Kindle tablets including a refresh of the Kindle Fire, two new Kindle Fire HD tablets, and a reader called Paperwhite. This last entry in the list of new items might be the most overlooked to the biggest news seekers, but it’s set to overtake a still massive ereader market with technology that’s set to dash standard E-Ink’s brains out – and it’s relatively inexpensive, too! The original Kindle Fire was refreshed with a lower price, and both the Kindle Fire HD 7 and 8.9 were introduced with pre-orders starting today.
Start your journey with a look at how the original Kindle Fire has been updated with a select number of features right alongside a price drop to $159 – that’s madness! The new set of Kindle Fire devices come in both 7 and 8.9-inch display sizes, the latter also having a 4G LTE iteration coming with a new data plan that will run you just $50 USD a year – that’s 250MB of 4G LTE data a month for a total of $50 USD a year! Don’t get too pumped up though, there’s a catch: you still gotta pay overage costs.
There’s also a catch for those of you that aren’t fans of advertisements in your devices – the device you payed for and supposedly own. Amazon’s entire Kindle Fire lineup now also has Special Offers showing up on their lock-screens – with no option (other than hacking, of course) to get rid of them. Per Amazon’s press release:
“Special Offers
The new Kindle Fire family comes with special offers that appear on the lock screen. Examples of special money-saving offers that customers will enjoy include a $5 credit in the Amazon MP3 Store and a $5 credit for select titles in the Amazon Instant Video Store. Customers will also receive special offers and screensavers from brands like AT&T, Discover and Intel, such as a special offer of a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card when a customer uses their Discover card to purchase a digital product on Amazon.”
You’ll be glad to know, however, that we’ve got no reason to believe that this line of tablets is immune to hacking – as it was with the original Kindle Fire. Also, it does appear (according to several sources, but not yet confirmed by Amazon directly) that the Kindle Fire HD lineup is coming with Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich behind their own customized user interface. That’s good news for you future-looking developers out there with diamond software modification in your eyes.
Kindle Fire HD 7 hands on:
The Kindle Fire HD lineup comes with a collection of software innovations like X-Ray and Whispersync. Have a peek at the timeline here to see our hands-on with the Kindle Fire HD duo as well as notes on the software features at hand:
Prices for the Kindle Fire HD lineup are as follows (followed by the refreshed Kindle Fire and the Paperwhite as well): Kindle Fire (Refresh): US $159 / UK £ 129 Kindle Fire HD 7: US $199 for 16GB and $249 for 32GB / UK £159 for 16GB and £199 for 32GB Kindle Fire HD 8.9: US $299 for 16GB and $369 for 32GB / UK N/A thus far Kindle Fire HD 8.9 4G LTE: US $499 for 32GB and $599 for 64GB Kindle Paperwhite: $119 Kindle Paperwhite 3G: $179 Kindle (Refresh): $69
Most if not all of these devices are now up for pre-order on Amazon with ship dates either in mid-September, early October, or November – it’s a spread!
Have a peek at the information we’ve got on the Paperwhite – including its 3G iteration with free – yes free – 3G. The smallest and lightest Kindle has also been updated with a few new software updates like improved fonts and 15% faster page turns as well. We’ve got hands-on with the three biggest beasts here, and of course more details than you can shake a stick at from throughout the day today. Stick around our Amazon tag portal for more information as it pops up between here and release time!
UPDATE: The full event video is now up via Amazon – enjoy!
It’s a big day in the world of e-books, and not just for the crew at Amazon. Today, Judge Denise Cote approved settlement terms for three of the publishers accused by the Justice Department of price fixing. Hachette Book Group, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins each agreed to settle with the government, rather than face trial — as Apple, Macmillian and Penguin Group will do in June of 2013. As part of the settlement agreement, each of the publishers will be required to terminate their contracts with Apple within one week. Similarly, they will be required to end contracts with other e-book retailers where clauses exist that would hinder the seller’s ability to set pricing. Further, the settling companies won’t be able to form contracts for the next two years with e-book retailers that would hinder the seller’s discretion to set pricing.
During the settlement approval period, individuals and companies alike were given 60 days to weigh in on the matter, which included objections from the American Booksellers Association, the Authors Guild and Barnes & Noble. Ultimately, Judge Cote determined that arguments against the settlement were “insufficient” to block the approval.
Though we wont be able to have a peek at AT&T’s 4G LTE version of the tablet until later this year, Amazon has allowed us a quick touchy-feely experience with the 8.9-inch version of the Kindle Fire HD before its software is finalized. What we’re seeing here is the slightly larger version of the Kindle Fire HD 7, that being essentially the same size as the standard Kindle Fire which also got a refresh this week. The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is the company’s new flagship device, we would say, with an 8.9-inch display made to compete directly with Apple’s iPad.
This device has a back that’s slightly rubbery with a single ribbon of shine on the bottom half, there showing the device’s brand. The device is relatively light and certainly thin, and though its chassis don’t tell much about how it’s forward-thinking here in 2012, the software features and display construction certainly do. One of the more important elements sits right up front and center with the display being closer to the glass panel than Amazon’s previous efforts, this resulting in a much clearer, crisper, and less glare-prone solution.
The Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is indeed going to be coming with essentially the same software build as the Kindle Fire HD 7, with a user interface that’s been upgraded from the original Kindle Fire as well. Here we’re seeing nearly buttery-smooth action and next-level response time thus far – we’ll need more time with the finalized device to know for sure.
With a relatively standard non-intrusive and certainly quiet-seeming bit of hardware to surround it, Amazon appears to have once again created what may be a winner for the 2012 holiday season for hardware. How it’ll work to ramp up sales in all sectors when they’ve now got not two, but three tablets with quite similar specifications and three very different prices though, we’re not sure. Check out the timeline below for additional information on the releases that’ve occurred this week with Amazon and plan on getting a Kindle this winter – this 8.9 tablet wont be out until November.
Amazon made a ton of major announcements during its press event today, wowing the crowd with the reveal multiple new Kindle Fires including an HD variant. While the Kindle Fire HD is certainly something to get excited about, so is the Kindle Paperwhite, Amazon’s latest iteration in its line of Kindle eReaders. Don’t be fooled by your expectations for eReaders, though, because the Kindle Paperwhite brings a number of innovations to the table.
The first is obviously that gorgeous “Paperwhite” display. Amazon has upped the resolution of the screen over previous versions of the Kindle, and as a result, the text you see on screen is sharper than what you’ll get with other eReader displays. That’s helped along by the fact that you can change the font and its size with the Kindle Paperwhite, which is definitely an appreciated addition. Then we have the backlight, which is one of the more predictable features, but still nice to have along nonetheless. You can adjust the backlight strength depending on your surroundings, so you can always have the perfect amount of light to make sure that what’s on screen is easily readable.
One of the most exciting announcements Amazon made in relation to the Kindle Paperwhite is that its battery can last up to 8 weeks. That’s with the backlight kept on the entire time, which is absolutely nuts. There are few key features that come packed with the Kindle Paperwhite too, including X-Ray, “Time to Read” and Whispersync. X-Ray implementation in the Kindle Paperwhite serves as something as an on-demand glossary, giving you information on the characters in your story with a simple touch. Time to Read displays the amount of time you have left in your book at the bottom of the page you’re currently on, and the Whispersync feature syncs your audiobooks to your text books, allowing you to listen to the narrator as you read along.
There are two versions of the Kindle Paperwhite. The standard version is $119, while there’s a version with free 3G for $179. Like most eReaders, the Kindle Paperwhite is very lightweight, coming in at only 7.5 ounces and 9.1mm thick. The Kindle Paperwhite looks great, and with that bump to resolution – Amazon is touting 212 PPI – it sounds like the company has a winner on its hands.
So there you have it – even though a lot of attention will be on the Kindle Fire HD, the Kindle Paperwhite is by no means a slouch. It’s definitely one of the most impressive eReaders we’ve seen, and at $119 for the standard version, Amazon will have no problem winning over the eReader crowd. Both are available starting October 1 and are up for pre-order today, so if you want one, you won’t be left waiting long. Expect to hear more from the Kindle Paperwhite in the very near future.
Now that the Kindle Fire HD is out from under wraps, it’s time to start looking at how that TI OMAP 4470 chipset and 1900×1200 pixel screen compare to what the other notable tablets have to offer. So we lined up the specs of the original Kindle Fire, Google’s Nexus 7, Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 7.0, the iPad, and the just-announced Kobo Arc to give you an idea of where it excels and where it doesn’t (on paper, at least). More »
There’s a brand new Amazon tablet out there on the market – up for pre-sale today and shipping in October – the Kindle Fire HD, and for just $50 a year, you can get 4G LTE connectivity with it. Of course the device will cost you $499 in the first place – but that’s not the catch. The catch is that this data plan with 4G LTE through AT&T, $49.99 though it is, will limit you to 250MB of data per month – and if you’re anything like us, you’ll go through that amount of data in no time at all.
This data plan is of course compared to the iPad 3 on a similar data plan, complete with the cost of a similar model with 4G LTE. Amazon showed this week a chart with an iPad 3rd generation tablet with 32GB internal storage and 4G LTE connectivity next to a Kindle Fire HD – also with 32GB of internal storage and 4G LTE connectivity. The iPad 3 with those specifications will cost you $729 USD, while the Kindle Fire HD will cost you $499 USD.
Amazon then compared (at their big Kindle event, mind you) the cost of comparable data plans on both the tablets mentioned. It’s odd that they include 20GB of Cloud Storage and $10 Appstore Credit along with the 250MB of data allowance per month since these are not standard features of any iPad-related data plan. We must assume that these costs are added separately to the iPad data plan cost then – but even so, the difference between $230 USD per year and $50 USD per year is significant nonetheless.
The Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE will cost you $499 and is up for order starting today from Amazon’s online store. This device will be shipping on November 20th while several other tablets mentioned earlier today (see the timeline below) have been announced as being shipped in early October. Sound like a good deal to you? We’ll see how much the overage costs for data are soon enough.
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