Upcoming Kindle Fire Tablets to Sport Snapdragon 800 Chip, Android 4.2.2
Amazon's Kindle Fire lineup has enjoyed its fair share of popularity, with its HD lineup particularly impressing last year. Beginning with its original Fire tablet, Amazon made it clear it's intent on forging its own unique path to tablet nirvana, combining a robust ecosystem with a starting price point that couldn't be ignored. And it's going to repeat that same model later this year, with one report claiming the upcoming devices could be the best value yet.
According to sources speaking with BGR, Amazon will introduce three new Kindle Fire models this fall equipped with some surprisingly powerful specs. BGR has a shaky track record as of late, so we're not stating any of this as fact right now. Even still, if you were impressed by the value proposition unleashed by Google's new Nexus 7, BGR claims Amazon's new devices will make you think twice about which device to get. After seeing the potential specs, that claim might not be all that far off, especially since they are the most obvious expectations for any next-gen tablet.
Starting with the Kindle Fire HD 7, Amazon will reportedly include a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip (possibly clocked at 2GHz) with four Krait 400 CPUs and Adreno 330 graphics, a 1,920 x 1200 resolution display, 2GB of RAM, a front-facing camera, Wi-Fi and LTE connectivity, Android 4.2.2 and storage options of 16GB, 32GB and 64GB. Amazon's customizations will still be intact, while the tablet itself will undergo a makeover that includes a half-inch bezel around the screen, and an overall lighter and slimmer body.
The larger 8.9-inch model, which we considered one of last year's best tablets, will see similar upgrades to the 7-inch models, though it'll allegedly sport a 2,560 x 1,600 resolution screen and an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera; the 7-inch model won't have a rear-facing camera at all. Additionally, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 will have a bezel that's three-quarters of an inch around the display, though it's otherwise similar to the HD 7.
Early prototype tests claim the new devices are benchmarking three times faster than 2012 models, meaning the tabs are going to be plenty quick. Not information was provided on the regular old Kindle Fire, unfortunately. Pricing is still up in the air, though Amazon is making it a point to follow last year's prices—variations will depend on whether you pick up a 16GB, 32GB or 64GB model.
Google's Nexus 7 has been a runaway success in the Android market, but Amazon's lineup could be the dark horse this year, especially if those specs hold true. Last year's Fire devices were great in their own right, but the new ones could potentially be even better—whether that'll affect the Nexus 7 at all remains to be seen.
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