Amazon has ordered 2 million Kindle Fire 2 for August

According to multiple sources, Amazon has ordered 2 million Kindle Fire 2 for August, preparing for the launch of the updated tablet.

The new device will allegedly have a metal frame and a plastic chassis, somewhat similar to older iPhone smartphones like the 3GS.

If accurate, the new update will be a welcome relief to Amazon fans, many of which complained about the bland design of the original Kindle Fire.

Although Amazon has a huge lead in the 7-inch tablet market, it needs to release an updated model to compete with Google's new powerful Nexus 7, which ships in two weeks.

Additionally, Apple is expected to release an iPad-mini at competitive pricing, which could be a death knell for Amazon and Google.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 5 Jul 2012 0:53

biglo30

Can't wait to see some specs, the nexus 7 is just not the one for me.

5.7.2012 07:42 #1

matty76

You honestly think that if Apple puts out a 7" tablet that it will hurt the Nexus?

You're aware there is a significant stable of Android users who don't care if Apple jumped off a ledge right? Last I read Android smartphone users were over 50% of the marketshare, compared to IOS 30-35%.

Those closest thing, spec wise to the Nexus 7 right now is that Toshiba that is over $400, or I can spend $200 on a pure Nexus device and you think anything is going to hurt that.

You think Apple is going to put their 7" device out to compete at that price point, when their sheep will shell out AT LEAST double that?

Will this hurt the Kindle and Nook... you bet. Why spend $200 on a Kindle when I can buy a Nexus at the same price and download the Kindle app... but to think that a 7" Apple product is a "death knell" to Google is nothing short of laughable.

5.7.2012 07:48 #2

SProdigy

As an owner of both a Kindle Fire and iPad 3, I can say there are purposes to both. The Kindle got me started on the whole tablet phenomena and it's A LOT easier to travel with than say a laptop, that is if you're using basic functions such as email and web. The only knock I have is the amount of backend hacking you need to do in order to get even the most basic apps installed, such as Facebook, which is not a part of the Amazon App Store. If you can get past that, then you're good. My other knock is internal memory (RAM) as some apps run in the background and can't be disabled or worse, uninstalled (Pulse I'm looking at you.)

The iPad on the other hand, just works without any extra goofiness. Since we already have other iDevices, it made sense to make it our second tablet, since we're also in that ecosystem as well. We've pretty much tied into Apple and Amazon's stores, and as said above, I look for stuff via the Kindle app/store first in terms of books or magazines, however, it's hard to deny the beauty of the iPad screen and the fast response and snappiness to everything, plus apps which in our case, we buy them and they work across all our devices (sans the iPad-only apps which are a ripoff mostly.)

The biggest advantage I've seen the Kindle is the price point, and if you don't need GPS, cameras and all that jazz (none of which I use on my iPad; I own an iPhone for that stuff) then it's hard to justify paying more for the Apple logo on the back. I also like that the Kindle has a rubber backing, which makes it less likely to slip off a counter or out of your hands, plus at 7", it's far more portable and easy to carry than a 10" tab.

I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder on this debate. Price/size/function. Just like anything else right? Curious to see what I may upgrade to with the Fire 2...

5.7.2012 11:00 #3

DVDBack23

Originally posted by matty76: Will this hurt the Kindle and Nook... you bet. Why spend $200 on a Kindle when I can buy a Nexus at the same price and download the Kindle app... but to think that a 7" Apple product is a "death knell" to Google is nothing short of laughable. I already have my Nexus 7 pre-ordered and have been using Android since 1.1, but I can guarantee you that if Apple releases a 7-inch iPad, their pre-order weekend will see more sales of the tablet than the Nexus will see in the months leading up to that date.

That is just the world we live in. There are millions of people out there who want an iPad but can't justify spending $500. At $300, they will make the justification.

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5.7.2012 14:07 #4

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