The Kindle Fire will be a Google Android OS based color tablet
Sources are confirming that the Amazon event being held tomorrow is for the Amazon Kindle tablet. However, the new gadgets will not be known as just the Kindle as expected. Instead, it will carry the name Amazon Kindle Fire, according to the latest gadget news. The reason for the slight name change is that the Amazon Kindle is normally an e-ink reader. The Kindle Fire will be a Google Android OS based color tablet. The name change distinguishes both devices from each other.
It’s also been confirmed that the Kindle Fire will sport a 7-inch screen, and that the device is similar in looks to a BlackBerry PlayBook. That’s because Amazon opted to outsource the design and hardware of the device so it could launch quicker, and they chose the manufacturer that also produces the PlayBook. Amazon does have its own internal team to create hardware, which is where the Amazon Kindle comes from, so perhaps we’ll also see some design changes in the second generation Kindle Fire.
Although the BlackBerry PlayBook hasn’t done too well, the Kindle Fire should do far better as it uses custom software and is based on content from a huge company. By having a lot available in a sleek UI, the Kindle Fire could do exceptionally well….perhaps one of the top 5 new gadgets of the year.
Amazon has also been making last-minute deals with the likes of Fox for movies and TV shows through their streaming video service, which will be a key part of the Fire. And they have several publishers on board for magazine offerings, as Peter Kafka reports today. The Fire will rely heavily on Amazon’s MP3 service and, of course, the Kindle bookstore.
For email, Amazon hasn’t included a built in client, but a 3rd party app can be installed, or GMail for example, can be used via the web browser. The latest pricing rumor is a tag of around $300. We’ll know a bunch more tomorrow.
Check out Jeff McCord’s news spot on Amazon’s Kindle Fire…
http://youtu.be/aCtxAvt3Wto
