Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/28/amazon-fire-tablet-unveiled-7-inch-display-199-price-tag/
Okay, so it wasn't much of a surprise, but Amazon finally has a tablet, and as expected its name picks up where the Kindle left off:
Fire. Of course, rumors of an Amazon tablet date back to this time
last year (if not before), but it seems that Jeff and co. have wisely chosen to get this thing out on the open market before having yet another wild and wacky holiday quarter.
Bloomberg has curiously reported on some of the details before the event itself kicks off, noting that the 7-inch device will run a version of Android while acting much like a "souped-up Kindle." The real kicker, however, is the price -- at just $199, it's bound to turn heads, regardless of whether you were interested in a slate before. Naturally, that bargain-bin sticker explains the lack of an embedded camera and microphone, though consumers will find WiFi (no 3G, sadly) and a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. It's also quite clear that Amazon's hoping to make a bigger splash on the content side of things than has been made already by Apple, and with the deals flowing like wine, we wouldn't be shocked if it does just that.
Update: Itching for specs? How's about a 7-inch IPS (!) panel, Gorilla Glass coating, a dual-core CPU and a chassis that weighs 14.6 ounces. There's also access to things you'd expect to have access to: Android Appstore, Kindle books, magazines, etc. -- all stored for free via Amazon Cloud Storage. Per Jeff: "Delete it and get it back when you want." Oh, and Whispersync now works with movies and TV shows! "When you get home, switch to your big screen TV. Your movie will be right where you left it."
While it's clearly Android underneath, the actual UI looks effectively nothing like it -- considering
TechCrunch's
intel that Amazon went and did its own thing without Google's blessing, we guess that makes some level of sense.
Update 2: We've added the first commercial video after the break.
Keep up with the unveiling at our
liveblog of the Amazon event.
Continue reading Amazon Kindle Fire tablet unveiled: Android-based, 7-inch display, $199 price tag
Amazon Kindle Fire tablet unveiled: Android-based, 7-inch display, $199 price tag originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:42:00 EDT. Please s! ee our < a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds.
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