Amazon Set to Unveil $199 'Kindle Fire' Tablet

[LeoCastillo]

No accelerometer?

Something just hit me...

Does the Kindle Fire have an accelerometer?

Makes sense not to have one to make the price lower, though it will seriously limit the gaming capabilities of the Fire. Realized this when the games they displayed (Angry Birds & PvZ) don't use accelerometers, and you'd think they'd hype an accelerometer game if they had one.

Checked the Amazon page and said nothing about it (the Kindle has it but not the Fire).

Leo

 

[KingCrimson]

The appeal for me is that I'm an Amazon Prime subscriber and this tablet will be the *only* way to consume that video content in mobile form.

 

[TallManNY]

If that's what you need, fine. This definately covers that niche. But it definately not the same specs as an iPad. To say it is is to be an Android Fan Boy.

Same doesn't mean competition. For book reading and movie watching, it is possible that the iPad is overspec'ed. So someone has cut costs and focused on those two activities. That is competition for the iPad.

But the Kindle Fire has to (a) actually work in a responsive and consistent manner (we've all seen tablets that don't) and (b) get released in time for Christmas and well before iPad 3 raises the bar (or lowers its price).

 

[Lindenhurst]

Where do the other Android tablets go to now?

Eery time I go to best buy I see more and more new tablets that I have never heard of. I guess with most of the population not having a tablet, there is plenty of room to grow.

 

[FroMann]

The only thing Amazon is doing wrong right now is selling Kindles with ADs or special offers, to get a Kindle without the ADs or special offers you have to pay an extra $40.

 

[Tones2]

Hmm...no 3G and almost no storage (Only 8 GB with no microSD card slot).

Sorry - I can't imagine this being that useful to me. I can store almost no media on it and I can't stream unless I'm in a WiFi zone. Very impractical.

Tony

 

[rusty2192]

Dang it! The $99 Kindle Touch is with special offers.

Trust me. You WANT the Special Offers. It is not intrusive at all. There is a full screen ad when the device is asleep (instead of the picture of some random dead author) and then a small banner at the very bottom of the home screen. That's it. When you are in a book or anything else, you would never know it had the Special Offers.

But the best part? The Offers!! I got my KSO specifically for one offer. 20% off a laptop, including macs. We saved over $200 on my wife's new MacBook Air. There was even a huge thread on here about it. So I essentially got a free Kindle and we saved a ton on a new computer. It's a no-brainer.

 

[rockrigo]

Get over yourself, Boston007.

The Kindle Fire has:
(a) ads - unless you buy a more expensive version
(b) no 3G
(c) less battery life
(d) smaller screen
(e) no camera or microphone
(f) not all the same sensors (for rotating screen, proximity sensors, etc)
(g) no GPS
(h) less memory

Looks like it costs less, because you get less.

If that's what you need, fine. This definately covers that niche. But it definately not the same specs as an iPad. To say that is to be an Android Fan Boy.

It's definately great for it's price. But, it's not an iPad.

is the 1st b in your screenname for "butthurt"?

 

[jsh1120]

Also, leaving out 3G in their "flagship" model seems puzzling.

The problem is that they can't treat 3G for a tablet the way they do for an e-Reader. A carrier can afford to provide a "lifetime" one-time $50 access to the internet for an e-Reader because it's used only occasionally and even then for only a minute or two. Once you provide ongoing access to the entire web, you have a huge and continuous demand for downloaded content. Unless Amazon does what Apple (and other tablet manufacturers) have done in setting up partnerships with carriers for a monthly limited charge, there's no way to provide 3G.

 

[cmwade77]

No 3G seriously limits the usefulness of such a device for me. However, it still looks somewhat exciting, and the price is right if this article is true. I'll await their official unveiling...

I have a 4G hotspot device, what do I need 3G built-in for? Also, Wi-Fi is available just about everywhere these days.

I still say that if they had included 3G in it and did the same as on the other Kindles where free 3G is included for life that it would have probably killed the iPad.

 

[solinari6]

Did they make any mention of whether this thing will only have access to the amazon app store (and not the google market app?)

The amazon store is nice, because it filters out a lot of the crap apps, but on the other hand, a few of my favorite apps still aren't on amazon, so that would make me balk.

Just found the answer to my own question. The info page says all apps are tested to work perfectly on the kindle fire. ... i'm pretty sure that is implying amazon app store only

 

[samcraig]

No, they won't. This is hardly a tablet. It is an expensive reader. It lacks the functions and apps that the iPad has. It is also too small to do more than some basic consumption. It may find a niche, but it is not an iPad killer. It is a starter device that people may buy before spending the money on a real tablet like the iPad.

Wow is that elitist (bolded by me).

It's a tablet for people who don't need all the bells and whistles of a 499+ device and are happy with spending under 200 to get email, watch movies, play some games, read and listen to music with one device.

Is a Ford a "starter" device to a porshe?
Is a hamburger a starter to ordering a steak?

No - sometimes people want/need/only want to spend money on something that fits their desires and use cases (and budget) instead of over-buying.

IE - most people don't need all the power of most macs and pc specs. They surf the web and use office or other "light" apps. Yet they spend money on the best specs because they are told they need them. The really smart people are those that do their homework and buy what they want and need with room to grow but don't buy in excess.

How many people need a digital camera with more than 4 megapixels. I'll tell you. Very few as MOST people are just using their cameras to share pics online. Further - you can get amazing pictures and 4x6 prints form 4 megapixels.

Yet people are constantly buying 12, 14, 18 megapixel cameras because that's what they are told they need. Unless you're printing a billboard for the side of your house (for example) - 18 megapixel is overload.

 

[crawler1975]

why is the kindle being compared to the ipad? personally, i think kindle and ipad are two distinct products and not to be compared side by side.

 

[KingCrimson]

Like I said, it's a niche product that will carve out maybe 2% of the overall tablet market. In the end, it's really going to be Windows 8 tablets that challenge the iPad. I mean think about it - a full OS on a tablet that sacrifices nothing with performance, battery life and app ecosystem. That's the ultimate doom for iPad.

 

[Lindenhurst]

i don't travel or take public transport much, but when i do i wanted a 7" pad to consume content.

Reasons:
Something less conspicuous than the 10" ipad.
Something i can hold comfortably in one hand.
Thumb type of necessary.
Be able to threw in a coat pocket.

This may be my device.

+1

 

[silentnite]

Why would I want a tablet with no mic or camera, did I read it correctly? So I would have to lug around another device with the extras. I don't see this giving iPad any competition. Nice for the little kids or older grandparents.

 

[wmmf]

This is a good thing for everyone. Just remember folks - Apple doesn't have to lose if the Kindle wins.

Competition is a good thing. Whether or not we perceive the Fire to be a competitor to the iPad, it will be compared since iPad has set the "gold standard" for tablets to this point.

As an iPad fan/user, I hope the Fire does well so that Apple is forced to innovate and address their pricing model as it may relate to the Fire.

Will it last longer than the current lineup of pretenders? I hope so. We'll see...

This +1000

 

[trip1ex]

How is it not a direct iPad competitor?

Different class of tablet.

 

[PracticalMac]

Using the cloud for some web page processing means a heavy load for web servers. I wonder what the service will cost?

Their is a catch somewhere, especially for $199.

 

[Savor]

I love you, Amazon.

Perfect timing (Nov 15th) and $50 cheaper than expected.

No, Apple iPad fans -

Nobody is expecting this to replace your precious iPads. But Amazon is setting the price for future tablets for years to come. I know someone who has owned an iPad 2, TouchPad, and PlayBook. He thinks tablets are just USELESS toys and still prefers a laptop or desktop to get any work done. He says iPad and TouchPad are too bulky. PlayBook is still limited at functions. Tablets will end up being a niche product just like netbooks were. We are just at the apex of this trend. The idea of paying $400-$500 is downright ridiculous when they are half-ass computers. Apple is the only one who can get away with price gouging.

Most tablets should cost below $250. Amazon just hit the sweet spot at under $200. I was checking out the discounted prices on the BlackBerry PlayBook which got slashed by $200 with rebates. I am waiting by DevCon if it can drop the 16GB model for $199 WITHOUT rebates. Going to wait a few weeks. This happened similar to the TouchPad. Patience. Amazon ignited a price war now and all non-iPad competitors will need to follow.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

LOL
Keep up the comedy guys.

You might find it funny but the guys on Wall Street do not joke around when it comes to money. They flee at the first sign of trouble. You remember the unfounded rumor a few days ago that iPad production was slowing which sent Apple stock tumbling. And that was on a no-proof rumor.

Well the Fire is real and today Apple stock is up, not down. Wall Street isn't concerned about the Fire eating into iPad sales at all. At all. So I think the theory I share w/ many others that the Fire does not impact iPad sales b/c it doesn't directly compete with it are well founded.

 

[Mac-Mariachi]

Cloud Services

It´s cool but I´m not sure how those cloud services will perform once a few million users start downloading content. I mean they can work great right now when only a few Kindle Fire tablets are being shown, but come the holidays...

 

[uva25]

apps

Will all Android apps work on this?

 

[BC2009]

He was right. It had everything to do with it.

The "Multi-Touch" trademark was denied because it had not acquired the necessary distinctiveness.

This is determined by 15 U.S.C. 1052(f), which states in part that: "If a proposed mark is not inherently distinctive, it may be registered on the Principal Register only upon proof of acquired distinctiveness, or "secondary meaning," that is, proof that it has become distinctive as applied to the applicant's goods or services in commerce."

Apple failed to prove the existence of secondary meaning. Basically they relied on the argument that just because they sold a lot of multi-touch devices, then the term must belong to them. That's like claiming that because you sell a lot of AWD cars, "AWD" must belong to you, instead of coming up with something distinctive like "Quattro". As the PTO put it:

"Again, simply because the applied-for term has been used in association with a highly successful product does not mean the term has acquired distinctiveness. Decision: The examining attorney’s finding that the Section 2(f) showing is insufficient is affirmed."

Great post. Exactly why they failed to get the trademark and exactly why they still have a slightly better chance with "App Store". Apple has gone to great efforts to make the "App Store" a distinctively "Apple" term even though it clearly has a generic meaning. Their efforts may ultimately prove fruitless (hey that's punny) since they may be denied that trademark as well on the exact same grounds, but it is clear that Apple has actually marketed and defended the term "App Store" actively, but has done nothing to make "multi-touch" a distinctively Apple term.

----
Anyway, back on topic.... The Fire looks like a great alternative to Nook Color, but I know many Kindle users love the Kindle for the e-ink screen. I was almost hoping for an e-ink screen on the back of the thing. The Kindle Fire will do a great deal to expand the market. Many folks who held off buying an iPad because the price did not justify it for sheer media consumption will jump on the Kindle Fire. The Fire will provide great media consumption (albeit a slightly small screen for movies), it will social networking, gaming, music and web browsing. I think the experience is going to break down a bit at web browsing due to the device size (I really prefer the 10-inch screen and most websites provide desktop, tablet, and mobile layouts -- this is a "tweener"), but certainly the 7-inch screen at that price point is a great option. All in all, the iPad market will become a true "tablet market" as devices like this come about to expand the market by fulfilling needs at price points that the iPad does not cover. This will go much further to expanding the market than any other "me too" iPad-look-alike tablet -- especially with Amazon's media ecosystem behind it. Bezos knows what he is doing.

 

[iMaci7]

Lol, they copy apple with this new color/touch verison to compete with the iPad, then they copy apples stage presentation i thought i was looking at an Apple keynote in the picture.