Kindle Fire

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June 28, 2012
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Amazon prepping two new Kindle Fire tablets with improved build, metal casing

By on June 28, 2012 at 10:10 AM.

Amazon prepping two new Kindle Fire tablets with improved build, metal casing

Kindle Fire 2 Specs Details

Amazon is working on not one, but two new Kindle Fire tablets that will launch in the coming months. Earlier reports suggested that Amazon will announce a new addition to its Kindle Fire lineup late next month and while we cannot speak to the timing of Amazon’s upcoming announcements, BGR has confirmed that Amazon is indeed finally readying the launch of its 10-inch tablet. More →

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Tablets
June 26, 2012
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Amazon’s next Kindle Fire tablet to be announced next month

By on June 26, 2012 at 2:40 PM.

Amazon’s next Kindle Fire tablet to be announced next month

Amazon Kindle Fire 2 Release Date

Amazon intends to unveil its next-generation Kindle Fire tablet next month according to a recent report. Citing anonymous sources, CNET reported this week that Amazon’s Kindle Fire sequel will be announced on July 31st. Additional details were scarce, though the website claims that the next Kindle Fire will include a camera, physical volume controls and 8GB of internal storage. Earlier reports stated that Amazon’s next-generation Kindle Fire tablet will launch in the third quarter this year, and will feature a 10-inch display. BGR exclusively reported last year that Amazon was developing two tablets, a 7-inch “Coyote” slate with a dual-core processor that launched as the Kindle Fire in November, and a 10-inch “Hollywood” tablet that is powered by a quad-core processor. More →

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Tablets
June 15, 2012
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Amazon may slash Kindle Fire price to $149 with new models on the way

By on June 15, 2012 at 1:05 PM.

Amazon may slash Kindle Fire price to $149 with new models on the way

Amazon Kindle Fire Rumor Price Cut

Amazon’s cheap Android tablet may soon get even cheaper. DigiTimes has talked with upstream supply chain sources who say that new Kindle Fire tablets are on the way and that the current Kindle Fire model could see its price cut to $149. The newer Kindle Fire, it seems, will be much like the original 7-inch Kindle Fire but with its screen resolution boosted to 1280 x 800 pixels. DigiTimes also reports that Amazon has stopped production of its planned 8.9-inch Kindle Fire model, although it still expects the 10.1-inch Kindle Fire model to go on sale some time within the next year. The Kindle Fire was initially a hot seller in the United States but demand has since tapered off and usage has even been overtaken by Barnes & Noble’s rival Nook tablet. More →

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Tablets
June 14, 2012
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Nook Tablet tops Kindle Fire traffic share, iPad still dominates market with 91%

By on June 14, 2012 at 7:45 PM.

Nook Tablet tops Kindle Fire traffic share, iPad still dominates market with 91%

Nook Tablet Kindle Fire Market Share

Apple’s iPad may be alone at the top when it comes to tablet traffic, but some movement down at the bottom earlier this month is raising a few eyebrows. Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet has been a quiet success story ever since it first launched in 2010 as the Nook Color, and it looks like the eReader/tablet combo still has some fight left in it. Amazon’s Kindle Fire has garnered far more attention than its B&N counterpart since it launched late last year, but according to ad network Chitika, the Nook Tablet’s share of traffic across its massive network recently surpassed that of the Kindle Fire. Barnes & Nobles tablet was responsible for 20% more traffic than the Kindle Fire between June 4th and June 10th of this year, but the two are still fighting over scraps — Apple’s iPad claimed 91.07% of all tablet traffic during that period, while the Nook Tablet and Kindle Fire accounted for 0.85% and 0.71%, respectively. More →

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mobile
June 13, 2012
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Amazon Appstore coming to Europe this summer, Kindle Fire may follow

By on June 13, 2012 at 2:00 AM.

Amazon Appstore coming to Europe this summer, Kindle Fire may follow

Amazon Appstore European Launch

Amazon’s Appstore for Android is reportedly nearing a European launch, marking the first time the store will be available outside the United States, according to AllThingsD. Some time next week, the Internet giant will announce that it will begin accepting submissions from developers in the near future, with the store expected to go live later this summer. Similar to the Appstore, Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet is also only available in the U.S., however the report indicates that the Seattle-based company could soon offer the device overseas. Amazon’s tablet saw an explosive debut quarter, capturing almost 14% of the U.S. tablet market, but since then sales have begun to fizzle and the company may be looking to offer the slate to a wider audience. Amazon launched its Appstore in the U.S. in March of last year, almost eight months before the Kindle Fire went on sale. The timetable for a possible European Fire launch is unknown. More →

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Software
June 6, 2012
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HBO GO now available for Amazon Kindle Fire

By on June 6, 2012 at 10:55 PM.

HBO GO now available for Amazon Kindle Fire

Amazon Kindle Fire HBO GO

HBO on Wednesday announced that its popular video streaming app HBO GO has launched for the Amazon Kindle Fire. Available immediately as a free download for Amazon’s tablet in the Amazon Appstore, HBO GO allows HBO subscribers with service through certain cable providers to stream HBO content such as Game of Thrones, True Blood, The Sopranos and a variety of movies to their mobile devices. “We are thrilled to offer HBO GO to the growing community of millions of Kindle Fire owners,” said Aaron Rubenson, director of the Amazon Appstore. “The HBO GO app will offer instant access to HBO’s incredible lineup of shows. Kindle Fire owners already download and use apps and games frequently on their devices, and we expect that only to increase with the addition of HBO GO and all of its popular content.” HBO’s full press release follows below. More →

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Tablets
June 5, 2012
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Apple continues to dominate tablet market, Kindle Fire demand fizzles

By on June 5, 2012 at 7:30 AM.

Apple continues to dominate tablet market, Kindle Fire demand fizzles

Apple iPad

ABI Research on Monday revealed the results of a its latest study concerning the global tablet market, which grew a whopping 185% year-over-year. The research firm found that Apple’s iPad continued to dominate the market, and after an explosive debut quarter, demand for Amazon’s Kindle Fire has begun to slow. Manufacturers shipped more than 18 million tablets in the first quarter of 2012, with Apple accounting for 11.8 million devices, or nearly 65% of the market. Shipments of Amazon’s Kindle Fire “fizzled” allowing Samsung to ship the most Android tablets, although it still only managed to move 1.1 million units. “A pattern similar to smartphones is also occurring in tablets,” said Jeff Orr, ABI Research group director of consumer research. “Apple and Samsung have demonstrated staying power while other tablet vendors ebb and flow like the tide.” The research firm found that only two manufacturers saw shipments increase in the first quarter over the same period a year earlier: Research In Motion, which saw shipments of its PlayBook tablet grow 233%, and Lenovo. ABI’s press release follows below. More →

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Business
May 18, 2012
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Amazon shops Kindle Fire home screen to advertisers

By on May 18, 2012 at 9:15 PM.

Amazon shops Kindle Fire home screen to advertisers

Amazon is reportedly meeting with advertisers to pitch the idea of welcome screen ads on its popular Kindle Fire tablet. The retail giant is asking $600,000 for prime placement on the slate, according to a report from AdAge. Amazon currently offers its entire range of Kindle eReaders with advertisements that appear on the devices’ screen savers. Customers who opt to purchase a Kindle with ads enjoy discounts of between $30 and $50 off the purchase price of the devices; if Amazon carries the same model over to its Kindle Fire, the end-user cost of the tablet could drop by as much as 25% to $149. Following an explosive launch quarter that saw Amazon’s Kindle Fire take an estimated 14% of the global tablet market after less then two months of availability, the tablet’s market share reportedly tumbled as Apple’s $399 iPad 2 extinguished Kindle Fire demand. With rumors surrounding a $200-$250 “iPad mini” heating up, an ad-supported Kindle Fire with a reduced price tag may help keep Amazon’s 7-inch tablet in the running. More →

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Tablets
May 18, 2012
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Amazon's 10-inch Kindle Fire tablet due in Q3, report claims

By on May 18, 2012 at 5:45 PM.

Amazon's 10-inch Kindle Fire tablet due in Q3, report claims

Amazon 10-inch Kindle Fire Launch

Amazon’s second Kindle Fire tablet, an updated model with a 10-inch display, will launch in the third quarter this year according to a recent report. Backing away from its earlier reports placing the 10-inch Kindle Fire’s launch date in the second quarter, Digitimes on Friday cited market rumors in claiming that Amazon’s next tablet will launch in the third quarter. The site also reports that the launch of Amazon’s purported 8.9-inch tablet has been suspended. BGR exclusively reported more than a year ago that Amazon was developing two tablets, a 7-inch “Coyote” with a dual-core processor that launched as the Kindle Fire, and a 10-inch “Hollywood” tablet that is powered by a quad-core processor. More →

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Business
May 9, 2012
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iPad 2 said to have extinguished Kindle Fire demand

By on May 9, 2012 at 2:45 PM.

iPad 2 said to have extinguished Kindle Fire demand

Apple IPad Tablet

Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet exploded onto the scene late last year. Despite only being available for a month and a half in the holiday quarter, Amazon shipped nearly 4 million Kindle Fires in its launch quarter to take 14% of the global tablet market according to market research firm IHS iSuppli. While many touted the tablet as the iPad’s biggest competitor, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook insisted that Amazon’s tablet had absolutely no impact on iPad sales. Now, in the first quarter of 2012 it looks like the tablet that was once said to be Apple’s biggest tablet threat may have seen drastically reduced demand following Apple’s move to drop its pricing on the previous-generation iPad 2 to $399. More →

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Tablets
May 3, 2012
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Kindle Fire market share tumbles in Q1 as new iPad launches

By on May 3, 2012 at 1:35 PM.

Kindle Fire market share tumbles in Q1 as new iPad launches

Kindle Fire's market share tumbles

Amazon’s Kindle Fire debuted and found rapid success, recording an explosive first quarter and capturing a 14% share of the overall tablet market. The latest numbers from comScore indicate the Kindle Fire had almost doubled its share of the U.S. Android tablet market over the past two months to 54.4%. According to market research firm IDC, however, Amazon’s market share tumbled from 16.8% in the fourth quarter of 2011 to just over 4% last quarter, pushing Amazon to the No.3 spot behind Apple and Samsung. The Cupertino-based company shipped 11.8 million iPads, down from 15.4 during its holiday quarter, and increased its worldwide share from 54.7% to 68%. Samsung took advantage while Kindle Fire sales slid and regained the No.2 position while Lenovo captured the fourth spot, followed by Barnes & Noble. Read on for IDC’s press release. More →

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Tablets
April 27, 2012
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Kindle Fire ignites Android tablet market, overtakes Google in U.S.

By on April 27, 2012 at 10:25 AM.

Kindle Fire ignites Android tablet market, overtakes Google in U.S.

Amazon’s Kindle Fire has seen rapid adoption among tablet buyers since its release last November. The device had an explosive debut quarter, giving it a 14% share of the tablet market. According to the latest numbers from comScore, the Kindle Fire has almost doubled its share of the U.S. Android tablet market over the past two months from 29.4% in December to 54.4% in February. In other words, more tablets running Amazon’s version of Android were sold in the U.S. than tablets running Google’s version of Android. Amazon’s tablet is followed by the Samsung Galaxy Tab family, which had a combined 15.4% share in February, and the Motorola Xoom with a 7.0% share. The ASUS Transformer and Toshiba AT100 rounded out the top five with 6.3% and 5.7% of the market, respectively. The research firm also found, when analyzing page view consumption, that 10-inch tablets had a 39% higher consumption rate than 7-inch tablets and a 58% higher rate than 5-inch tablets. Read on for comScore’s press release. More →

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Tablets
April 24, 2012
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Apple iPad to dominate tablet market through 2016

By on April 24, 2012 at 8:55 AM.

Apple iPad to dominate tablet market through 2016

According to a recent report from Forrester Research, Apple’s iPad tablet PC will continue to lead the tablet market through 2016 despite increased competition. The Cupertino-based company’s iPad is expected to account for 53% of the global tablet market in 2016, at which time emerging markets may account for nearly 40% of all tablet sales, The Financial Post reported on Monday. Over the next five years, the global tablet market is estimated to increase to 375 million devices, up from 56 million sold in 2011, for a total global base of more than 760 million tablet owners. The report identifies Amazon’s Kindle Fire as the only viable alternative to the iPad, while devices from Google and Research In Motion are said to be failing to keep pace with Apple’s tablet. Forrester also indicated that by 2016, about one-third of all tablet sales will be for businesses, accounting for roughly 122 million units. More →

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