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Amazon Comes Swinging: 3rd Gen Kindle Fire HD (1 Viewer)

mattCR

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http://bgr.com/2013/07/30/amazon-kindle-fire-hd-2-specs-exclusive/
The first will be a replacement for the entry-level Kindle Fire tablet, while the other two will be replacements for both current flagship Kindle Fire HD models. Now, multiple trusted sources have provided BGR with a more complete picture of the company’s next-generation Kindle Fire HD tablets that includes the devices’ complete specs.
Beginning with the upcoming new 7-inch Kindle Fire HD tablet, we already reported that the slate will feature a high-resolution 1,920 x 1,200-pixel display and a new design, and now we can fill in the blanks. We’re told the tablet will be powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) system on a chip, which includes four Krait 400 CPUs and Adreno 330 graphics. Prototypes are said to be clocked at about 2GHz.

With Texas Instruments no longer producing mobile processors, Qualcomm was the obvious choice but we’re not sure anyone expected Amazon to go with the high-end Snapdragon 800 chipset for its next-generation tablet lineup.

The new 7-inch Kindle Fire HD set to launch later this year also includes an upgrade to 2GB of RAM, a front-facing camera, Wi-Fi and available cellular connectivity. It will ship with either 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of internal storage according to our sources, and internal test units are currently running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean with Amazon’s heavy customizations. Considering how close we are to Amazon’s target launch timeframe, this will likely be the device’s operating system version at launch.

The larger 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD model Amazon is planning to release this fall features specs similar to the 7-inch model behind its 2,560 x 1,600-pixel high-definition display. Sources state that the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chipset will power the tablet and it will also feature the same front-facing camera, optional cellular data support, internal storage sizes and 2GB of RAM. The 8.9-inch model will also feature an 8-megapixel rear camera though, while the 7-inch model will not include a rear camera.
Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.

We’re told that the look and feel of Amazon’s next-generation Kindle Fire HD tablets are vastly improved compared to the current models, and we detailed several design changes in our earlier exclusive report. The new tablets are said to be more comfortable and lighter than the models they will replace; the current 7-inch Kindle Fire HD model weighs 13.9 ounces and the 8.9-inch model weighs 20 ounces.
One source also noted that the bezel around the screen on the 7-inch model measures about half an inch all around and the 8.9-inch model’s bezel is about three-quarters of an inch wide.

Beyond the look and feel of the tablets, their performance is also vastly improved. This is obvious on paper from the specs listed above but more importantly, it is very evident in practice. Even in their current pre-launch states, benchmark test results reveal performance that is roughly three times better than the scores achieved by Amazon’s current Kindle Fire HD lineup.
About a 3X bump in speed, lighter weight, bump in resolutions, and other upgrades, Amazon is definitely in the Tablet game to make some noise.
 

DaveF

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Where does the Snapdragon 800 fall relative to the A7 or whatever Apple is on, or the Nexus tablets?Battery life speculations? Not awesome for Nexus.http://allthingsd.com/20130730/googles-new-nexus-7-the-budget-tablet-to-beat/Another drawback: In my test, the new Nexus 7’s battery life was underwhelming. Compared with the same battery test of the iPad mini and first Nexus 7, it fell short at just six hours; the others clocked in at 10 hours and 27 minutes and 10 hours and 44 minutes, respectively. Google claims the battery life can last over nine hours, but the company tests it in Airplane mode (Internet connection off), with screen brightness set to 44 percent while playing video. I keep Wi-Fi on in the background and screen brightness at 75 percent while playing video.Lots of intriguing devices coming out for the holidays. MotoX has some neat features, with its hardware design and customzibilty, always listening, low-power screen notifications.
 

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