In a California based media event, Amazon has announced brand new Kindle Fire HD tablet that’s bigger and better than its predecessor. The Kindle Fire HD will be available in two variations: 7-inch and the 8.9-inch version. But this does not mean that the Kindle Fire is left out, it has also been revamped to offer better performance, thanks to its faster processor and double the amount of RAM. The new Kindle Fire costs $159, which is now $40 less than the first Kindle Fire and the Nexus 7.
So now we have a total of four types of Kindle Fire devices:
- New Kindle Fire 7″: Updated version and works twice faster for $159
- Kindle Fire HD 7″: $199 for 16GB
- Kindle Fire HD 8.9″: $299 for 16GB
- Kindle Fire HD 8.9″ 4G LTE: $499 for 32GB
Now let’s compare Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HD to Nexus 7 tablet.
| Device | Kindle Fire HD | Nexus 7 |
| Screen | 8.9-inch or 7-inch IPS touchscreen display | 7-inch HD backlit IPS display |
| Resolution | 1280×800 for 7-inch model & 1920×1200 for 8.9-inch model | 1280×800 and 216 ppi |
| Processor | TI OMAP Dual-Core 4470 processor | Quad-core Tegra 3 processor |
| Storage | 16GB or 32GB | 8GB or 16GB |
| RAM | 1GB | 1GB |
| Front Camera | HD front-facing camera | 1.2MP front-facing camera |
| Rear camera | No | No |
| OS | Forked Android version | Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 2.4GHz/5GHz | WiFi 802.11 b/g/n |
| Battery | 11 hours | 10 hours |
| Accelerometer | Yes | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes | Yes |
| GPS | No | Yes |
| microSD | No | No |
| NFC | No | Yes |
| Microphone | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| HDMI Out | Yes | No |
| Weight | 394 grams (for 7″ model) | 340 grams |
| App Store | Amazon | Google Play |
| Price | $199 for 7″ and $299 for 8.9″ | $199 for 8GB and $249 for 16GB |
Amazon has made additions to Whispersync technology which now allows users to save their progress in games and audiobooks also. Whispersync is now not just limited to books but it has come to games and audiobooks also.
Amazon says that the TI OMAP 4470 processor in the Kindle Fire devices can outperform the current Tegra 3 processor. Nexus 7 comes with Tegra 3 processor but only a real world benchmark could shed more light on Amazon’s claims.
Comparing the resolution of the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD model with Nexus 7, then the both the devices feature the same resolution of 1280 x 800.
In terms of storage, Kindle Fire HD comes with 16GB and 32GB options, but Google doesn’t offer the 32GB option. Also Nexus 7 doesn’t offer any HDMI out, whereas the Fire HD comes with such an option which can be used to share content on a TV. The inclusion of a dual-antenna in Fire HD should mean faster internet speeds (at least theoretically).
Kindle Fire HD can be considered as a closed system, as it deals nicely only with Amazon’s own services and apps. You can install apps only from Amazon’s App Store and not from Google Play. This device also does not comes with digital compass, NFC, gyroscope and GPS, which are found in Nexus 7.
Kindle Fire HD devices can be pre-ordered right now but the shipping starts on September 14 for the 7-inch variant and November 20 for the 8.9-inch variant.
What are your thoughts about the new Kindle Fire HD? Are you going to buy it this holiday season?
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