Amazon Kindle Fire to sell for $200

Amazon has unveiled their long-awaited tablet offering this morning, the $200 Kindle Fire.

The device will be 7-inches and run on Android but will remove some functionality seen on rival tablets like the iPad.

Offering Wi-Fi but no 3G, the device also removes a camera and a mic, in an effort to cut down costs. Despite its smaller size, the display is impressive IPS with Gorilla Glass.

The Kindle Fire will have its own new mobile browser dubbed Amazon Silk. The browser is ?cloud-accelerated? and uses Amazon's EC2 to turn 100 millisecond waiting times into 5.

Additionally, all buyers get a 30-day free trial to Amazon Prime, and access to free TV and movie streaming along with the usual free two-day shipping and discounted 1 day shipping.

As expected, Amazon has closely integrated their ecosystem of services into the Android operating system make it very easy for users to find music, movies and magazines. Cloud access, via the Cloud Drive and Cloud Reader, are also one-click away.

Pre-orders start now for November 15th release date.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 28 Sep 2011 10:12

biglo30

After seeing the specs I don't think its worth it anymore, the no camera and mic was a killer for me.

28.9.2011 12:29 #1

klassic

I was really hoping for a 10 inch version. I think I will pass on this for now.

I do agree that the lack of camera and mic sucks. I don't think I would use the camera often, but it would save me from pulling out my phone and setting the kindle down.

I wanna devise a virus and bring dire straights to your environments. Crush your corporations with a mild touch, trash the whole computer systems and revert you to papyrus - Deltron 3030

28.9.2011 13:54 #2

Xian

My interest is piqued, but I think I am going to wait for more info, or the inevitable version 2 next year. I haven't seen much info yet on whether you will be locked in to the Amazon store, or if you be able to use the Android market. I suspect the former.

28.9.2011 17:29 #3

buxtahuda

I actually love the lack of camera/mic in return for a lower cost. I have my phone exactly for those things, and I personally don't want to be pointing a 7 - 10" device around to take a picture or trying to handle it to make a call or risk everyone hearing your conversation over speaker. I just don't see why it would need these things, other than just to directly compete with all the other tablets as an all-in-one device. It's understandable people would want it that way, one device for it all, but again I've already got my phone and I'm not trying to replace it with something twice its size.

~*Livin' Electronicallly*~

28.9.2011 17:50 #4

POGK

I like the idea but, there are several deal breakers for me. No camera/mic, no listed internal storage, limited to the amazon marketplace. The whole reason I don't do Apple is their proprietary BS, now Amazon is doing the same thing but cheaper! Internal storage is 6 gig, not enough when you are not near a WiFi hotspot, and it pretty much forces you to pay for their cloud storage.

I do like the idea that the Amazon Marketplace screens and verifies app compatibility though.

28.9.2011 22:58 #5

DVDBack23

Guys, the Amazon Marketplace is just as good as the Android Market, seriously, try it. As for the internal storage being low, does it matter when you have 20GB free Amazon Cloud storage? I've only ever met one person who filled up his 16GB tablet, but the average person does not get anywhere close.

Flash, Android, IPS + Gorilla Glass, Amazon music, video, cloud, shopping and a $200 price tag. It's a winner for sure. An "iPad-killer"? Of course not, but nothing ever will be and that isn't the point of this device. It WILL kill the media player market (whatever is left of it), meaning iPod Touch, etc, and the Nook Color.

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29.9.2011 00:54 #6

KillerBug

Originally posted by DVDBack23: Guys, the Amazon Marketplace is just as good as the Android Market, seriously, try it.
-The amazon marketplace is censored...if I wanted a censored market I would buy a (cr)Apple device.

Originally posted by DVDBack23: As for the internal storage being low, does it matter when you have 20GB free Amazon Cloud storage?
-20GB of cloud would be great if there was a way to access it...but there is no 3G, no 4G, no Ad-hoc, and no wifi direct...so when you leave the house, that 8GB is all you get...when you are at home, who needs a tablet? That is what PCs are for.

Originally posted by DVDBack23: I've only ever met one person who filled up his 16GB tablet, but the average person does not get anywhere close.
-You have never met me...let me introduce myself...I have about 100MB of free space out of 8GB internal, and my 32GB MicroSD card is so full that I have to delete my last nandroid backup before doing the next one. That is just music...no movies, no books...just music...and it is only a sliver of my collection.

Originally posted by DVDBack23: a $200 price tag. It's a winner for sure.
It is a good price...a full $100 less than what BB charges for a similar tablet.

Originally posted by DVDBack23: It WILL kill the media player market (whatever is left of it), meaning iPod Touch, etc, and the Nook Color.
I agree that it will kill the Nook Color (unless they somehow drive the price way down or if they sell it to schools by saying, "You can't play games on it")...but I don't know about the media player market. No one wants to go jogging with a tablet...and if anything could kill the media player market, it would have been smart phones.

29.9.2011 05:18 #7

ruff469

Aha!!! I got 2 HP touchpads for $99. Anything else that costs more SUX . Don't care who makes it or what they do to get the price down. lol. My only regret was that I didn't have a twin with me 2 buy more. MMMWWWAAAAHHHHAAAAHHHHAAAAHHHHHHAAAAA!!!!!!

4.10.2011 08:53 #8

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