As you probably know, ice and fire are two things that don’t go very well together and such a name change makes little sense. Our guess is that the Kindle Ice may perhaps just be one of the cheaper tablets that Amazon will place on the market as well. But who is the source of this icy rumor in the first place? Amazon? Not directly, but yes, in a way Amazon has shown its interests towards a name such as the Kindle Ice.

 Last year Amazon’s web team began buying domain of similar names related to kindle devices and the upcoming Kindle Fire 2. As it is common practice, other people do similar things with the idea of either:

• Selling those domains back to the company for a large sum of money or
• Actually making their own website about the product

 One such person was, as reports say, Jeffrey Casserino from New York who registered a bunch of domain names that included amazonkindleice.com and kindleice.com which Amazon bought back from him very quickly (or threatened to sue him and got them for free?). Of course this would be treated as an isolated case only is Amazon hadn’t had also bought a bunch of other domains with Kindle Ice in them as well.

 Why report about this now if it happened towards the end of 2011? Well, similar things began happening again, and Amazon’s team seems to be busy at work registering new domains and misspelled versions of the device. Such activity has increase the interest in this subject. It would also make sense for this device to feature Ice Cream Sandwich which we aren’t so used to seeing on Amazon’s devices.

 So, what we think is happening: Amazon is planning another tablet, the Kindle Ice, that will try and ride on the Fire 2′s glory and boost sales of the cheaper tablets. It may very well come out this summer due to its name having some good marketing power. Just be creative: Chill out this summer with your Kindle Ice! It does make some sense, right?

In fact, it actually reminds of this commercial by Amazon that burns Apple’s products down to the ground (of freezes them in their place if you prefer that).

The Kindle Fire 2 will be out this Christmas

 It is sad and disappointing rumor, but at least it still a rumor and may not be true! Reuters reports that Amazon will launch a couple of interesting tablets in July, but these will not be the Kindle Fire 2. The flagship device is planned for Christmas and the holiday season and as such will probably come in a great price bundle when it first appears.

 The Kindle Fire 2 is said to come in three different models, out of which  the rumored 8.9 inch model will be the flagship and the attempt to throw Apple’s iPad out of the USA market for at least the winter season. It isn’t an impossible goal and in a way Amazon has succeeded in similar tasks already.

The Kindle Fire Takes Over the Market!

 Here is some good news all you Kindle Fire fans will enjoy: a report from Arstechnica shows that the Amazon Kindle Fire accounted for 54% of all Android tablet sales, as of the end of February. 54%? Really? That’s quite an amazing achivement and Samsung can only weep in shame as their Galaxy Tab family comes in second with only 15% of the market share. In December they had 23% which only confirms the booming and rising popularity of the Kindle Fire.

Playing games on the Kindle is a breeze!

 This only increases the pressure that the creators of the new tablet are under as it is no small task to build a tablet that can outmatch that and honor the legacy of the previous model. However, we are sure that the factories at Catcher technology and Foxconn will soon be working with full power!

The Need for Smaller Tablets is Growing

 All reports show that not everyone is prepared to pay a lot of money for a big tablet and this is why the Kindle Fire, as a lightweight and very stylish portable device, was able to grow so popular. The small price tag on it is another one of the reasons it got to be so popular. It seems that the competition is catching on to Amazon’s little trick of the trade. Samsung is announcing a smaller version of the Galaxy Tab, and Apple is getting a special iPad mini device ready. Of course, Amazon won’t let them beat the Kindle Fire 2 in its own game and our previous report on the three  possible models confirms this.

The Release Date is still Unknown

 The news from Amazon are coming in slow and seems that once they have bigger update they will let us know. That being said the release date is expected somewhere in the Summer of 2012 as it seems to be the best time for such a release. Perhaps if Amazon times a good date and prepares a nice advertising plan, they could make good use oft he Olympic games as platform to market the product.

 In a poll that we conducted on our site, we asked what your thoughts about the release date of the new device are. Most of you answered that it will be in May, which today seems very unlikely. June and July also have a lot of votes and you can see the full table down bellow.

Didn’t get a chance to voice your opinion? That’s alright, just leave a comment bellow or answer the poll on the side now!

Thank you for your feedback!

]]> http://www.fire2.net/kindle-fire-2-release-date-approaches-as-its-older-brother-becomes-1-674/feed/ 6 http://www.fire2.net/three-models-of-the-kindle-fire-2-665/ http://www.fire2.net/three-models-of-the-kindle-fire-2-665/#comments Thu, 29 Mar 2012 10:52:50 +0000 filip http://www.fire2.net/?p=665  

While most of us are still perhaps busy playing the name game for the new kindle, Amazon is working hard on improving the design and features of their prototype tablet. In order to step up to the plate, the tablet giant will also release their latest device, the Kindle Fire 2, in several versions and models. How many different ones, two? If you follow the latest info in the rumor mill then the answer is three!

Earlier we had the information that Amazon will release two models of the new kindle which will be a 10 inch and a 7 inch tablet. However, newest reports from Taiwan suggest we can add another tablet into the lineup. A disappointment is that there probably won’t be a 10 inch Kindle Fire 2, but two different 8.9 inch tablets and a smaller 7 inch model. The good news is that even if you wanted the 10 inch version, you will still get amazing HD graphics and display with all the other models as well.

This is because Amazon is going full HD! A 1920 x 1200 display sounds great, and is quite an unexpected turn of events for most people. Apple will certainly have to watch out and get down and face the realty which is the Kindle Fire 2, the new amazing tablet that Amazon will certainly use to its full potential. The previous kindle was considered by most an entry level device and that’s why the cost of $199 was perfectly fine. What will the new product bring and how much will Amazon charge for it? If you are really concerned about the price tag then check out our study of the Amazon’s Kindle Fire 2 cost.

One is sure though, thanks to the Amazon-Foxconn agreement you can expect the new kindle to be high quality and very durable. Amazon is certainly investing a lot of effort (and money) to not only stay in the tablet food chain, but also the get to the top of it! Amazon will also try to sell the tablet as cheap as possible so they may get more new users and costumers. However, there is a lot going under the hood of this fancy gadget and it is hard to believe that Amazon will keep cheaper prices for too long so your best bet is to get it while its hot when it does come out!

The news leaked fresh from China and the famous tablet manufacturer Catcher Technology. Their team has gotten their orders and will start production for the new Kindle Fire 2 as soon as possible. It would appear that all the conditions and terms have been met and project is about to kick-start. What will Cather Technology be making for Amazon and is their quality good? A lot can be said about Chinese engineering and Cather is proud, reputable name. They will supply Amazon with the chassis from their factory in Taizhou, China with estimated gross margins of 40%.

But are the Chinese enthusiastic engineers prepared for such a long term project and a client such as Amazon? Report from Taipei say that Cather Technology is purchasing 15,000 CNC machines to help boost the productivity and efficiency of the factory. That is good news for the Kindle Fire fans! The final product will be great quality, durable and in according to Amazon’s standards.

Since the specs are still somewhat unknown an anonymous source has added some juicy rumors to the mill for the Kindle Fire 2 specs. It is clear that Amazon has to compete with the iPad (and vica versa) and get some trump cards that they can play. So what are the main concerns Amazon will try to address and how will the Fire 2 be different from the previous kindle?

First of all, Amazon will address  the problems of the previous kindle and include:

• Volume control
• Support for an SD Card

And there are follow-up rumors in the mill that there will be a 9 inch version of the Kindle Fire 2 which would be really sweet! The new tablet will surely keep Amazon on the top of the tablet food chain!

The only known name rumours that have been floating around are code names which have been, coyote and hollywood. Both names are unlikely to be anything more then code names as it’s highly unlikely that Amazon would stray away from the “Kindle” theme that it started.

Manufacturers have gotten smart over the last few years and have began to follow the suit of Apple in naming devices. The logic is quite simple, keep the momentum of the brand by releasing newer versions. We’ve seen this with the iPhone and then the iPad which have now become household names. Samsung picked up on this and they have recently began a similar practice with their Samsung Galaxy line of devices and using the “galaxy” brand.

We’ve seen Asus and HTC also follow suit with the Asus “Transformer” line of tablets and the new HTC “One” lineup that was just announced at Mobile World Congress 2012.

Why naming devices with the same brand is a good practice:

1. It’s easy for the consumer to remember the device name.
2. Brand loyalty, if a consumer has a good experience with the brand they are likely to purchase the newer model.
3. Manufacturers save money, no need to file new trademarks, they can focus on the product.

We just did a trademark search to see if Amazon has filed any new trademark names associated with the Kindle fire and the answer was no.  They previously filed the trademark for the Kindle Fire on September 28th 2011 months before the release of the Kindle fire.

It seems consumers have been anticipating the Kindle Fire 2 for quite some time, a search of Google search insights shows us that even before the Kindle Fire was even launched people were anticipating the Kindle Fire 2.

I think it’s fair to assume Amazon will keep the Kindle Fire brand for their current lineup of tablets, what remains to be questioned is whether Amazon will call it the Kindle Fire 2 or will they call it Kindle Fire SOMETHING. Taking Apple as an example they wait at least a year before launching a new version, building up the anticipation and not diluting the brand.

 Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

After completing the poll why not share what you think the new Kindle Fire 2 will be called in the comments below…

Amazon bolted into the tablet market back in the winter of 2011 with a bang, they shook up the whole industry by releasing the Kindle Fire for just $199 and in the process sold nearly 4 million units. The Rumour on the street was that Amazon was selling the Kindle Fires at a small loss in hopes of making money off the purchases from their online store, however a tear down of the parts revealed that the Kindle Fire may have only cost $143 to produce. However the original Kindle Fire was produced at Quanta with the OEM making many of the key hardware decisions which means the costs were likely higher and thus the $201.76 price tag is probably legit.

The Kindle Fire 2 on the other hand is currently in production at Foxconn, the same super production plant that makes the Apple iPad 3. This means that production costs will be a lot less as Amazon will have more control over what parts to use in the Kindle Fire 2. On the flip side Amazon is likely to use more expensive parts with rumours of the the Fire 2 sporting a Quad core processor and a bigger screen size, 9″inches is the word on the street. So even though they will save a few bucks by having them made at Foxconn the parts will cost a bit more meaning the price tag is unlikely to be $199 or less.

My estimate is that the Kindle Fire 2 7″inch tablet will go on sale for $249 and the Kindle Fire 2 9″ tablet will have a $299 price tag attached to it. I can’t see Amazon killing the original Kindle Fire by making them the same $199 price tag. Amazon clearly was probing the market with the Kindle Fire and the response was exceptional so they can now launch pricier options with little risk as clearly the demand is there.

How much do you think the kindle Fire 2 will go on sale for? Let us know in the Poll below.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

But, what if we told you Amazon was losing some money on these tablets? Look highly unlikely right? It is such a popular product and sells of the shelves like crazy! Well, you see, a company named Quanta was responsible for the design of the first Kindle and the parts that would go to it. And while Amazon has been selling the Kindle like a fire for $199, there is an estimate that the parts cost them $250. Sure, Amazon makes more money thanks to the other features the Kindle provides the costumers, but this time around Amazon is looking to step-up with it’s own profits.

Amazon is cutting on it loses! Picture of the old Amazon generation of tablets.

China Times reports that Amazon has tapped Foxconn as a second OEM to supply the parts and assemble the new Kindle Fire 2. The idea is to lower the cost, but keep the prices for the costumers as low as possible like with the first one. It’s a great move by Amazon and should bring down their loses considerably. Amazon will not how secure and reliable control of the parts and the process of assembly, which means we as the costumers can feel much safer as the product  is now more reliable and secure.

The components are expected to be delivered this March which has the fan world of the Kindle Fire 2 ablaze! This means the delivery and shipment of the next generation of the Amazon Kindle Fire may begin during May or June! With all this said, the prospects of even bigger sales this year look very promising.

Bigger Screen

There have been reports that the Kindle Fire 2 screen will be bigger. Currently, the Kindle Fire was released with having a 7-inch screen. That is one of the most common concerns for many buyers since they prefer using a tablet that has a big screen due to their media uses. One of their competitors, iPad 2, has a bigger screen which is the reason why some have opted for the Apple product. As for how big the Kindle Fire 2 will be, since Amazon cares about how light it will be due to its original device purpose which is only an eBook reader, the screen size will most likely be 9.7 inches to 10.1 inches.

Superior and Less Rushed

There is solid evidence that showed that Amazon actually wanted to release the Kindle Fire 2 as the first product. However, due to the slow progress of the development as well as their desire to release a product before Christmas, they have released an inferior and rushed product instead which is called the Kindle Fire.

OS is Semi-Android and Is More Amazon-friendly

Amazon’s version of Android (which is why it is called semi-Android) is still going to be implemented for this product. The device will most likely be more biased towards the app store of Amazon. This is done so in order for the buyer to likely search for downloadable files on Amazon rather than search for them in the Google market and the Android market.

Common Features Will Be Present

One of the most common complains of people about the Kindle Fire is that it does not have some features that the iPad has. Examples of these are the non-existence of a camera, a GPS and a microphone. However, with how handy the Kindle Fire 2 will mostly likely be, these extra features are not that much of a deal-breaker if in case the Kindle Fire 2 does not have them.

What are your thoughts on the Kindle Fire 2? What sort of specs will it have?

The Kindle is branded by many as the ultimate gadget to have for readers. Who wouldn’t want an electronic eBook reader that you can carry around anywhere? Not to mention that this gadget can go up to more than half a day without running its battery dry. Who wouldn’t want a book that lights in perfect reading condition in places where it is supposedly too dark to read? When people thought that the Kindle was the next “best thing”, here comes the Kindle Fire.

In a way, the Kindle Fire touched on the features of the iPad 2 more than the iPad 2 trying to touch on the specialty of Kindle Fire. When it comes to this Kindle Fire vs iPad 2 comparison, sure, they are both eBook readers that are able to open applications while letting you use media players for movies, videos and music. However, when you match both of them and look at their similarities, you will have a hard time figuring out which one is for you. In order to fully understand how each is better than the other, let us dissect the major functions and let us try to see which is superior based on this Kindle Fire vs iPad 2 duel.

The Scoring System

For this duel of Kindle Fire vs iPad 2, we tried scoring it with two different categories: major and minor. However, we realized that each category is subject to the reader. It truly depends on the person if which is a minor issue for him or a major issue. Therefore, in order to be balanced for all, we are going to score 1 point for each won category. Let the scoring begin!

Battery Life
A small Kindle can usually go up to 10 – 11 hours if the brightness is at medium. For the iPad 2, it usually cannot go up to 9 hours if constantly used especially if there is much activity from the user. Because the Kindle has slightly less features and capabilities when compared with the iPad 2, it survives longer if the same amount of activity for both products happens simultaneously. Winner? Kindle Fire.

Size and Weight

The Kindle is generally smaller than the iPad 2. However, because of the smaller frame, it is also lighter. The screen size of the Kindle is at 7 inches while the screen size of the iPad 2 is at 9.2 inches. In terms of weight, the Kindle weighs a little bit more than 14 oz while the iPad 2 weighs a little bit more than 21 oz (more if you upgrade the memory). Winner? Tie. 1 point for the iPad 2 for size, 1 point for the Kindle for its lighter weight.

Availability of Movies and Videos

Amazon’s Kindle Fire has a wide array of different videos and movies to choose from the Instant Video store of Amazon. There are two different videos there: stream videos and downloaded videos. For the iPad 2, it is also the same but they are bought through iTunes. However, the advantage of Kindle Fire is that it is able to get streaming videos which the iPad does not have access to. When it comes to the quality of the videos, the Kindle is definitely superior because of the higher pixels per inch (Kindle’s 169 against iPad 2’s 132). Winner? Kindle Fire.

Networking Capability

Although there are possibly many other tablets that are worthy of this discussion when it comes to internet connectivity, the Kindle Fire and the iPad 2 are able to access the Wi-Fi connection. When it comes to simply browsing and surfing, both of them are excellent choices. Wi-Fi hotspots aren’t really known to give off optimum speed but if you are a power user or you are simply accustomed to very fast internet speed then the iPad 2 is slightly better on this one. However, the iPad 2 is better if you have the money to pay for an upgrade for you to be able to connect to superior internet providers.

Pricing of the Products

An average Joe gives much importance to the pricing. However, he would rather pay more if he knows for certain that he will truly get what he is about to pay for. At hindsight, the iPad 2 is definitely expensive if you compare it with the price of the Kindle. The Kindle’s price is less than half of the iPad 2 which means you can basically buy two and a half pieces of Kindles with the money you can buy for an iPad 2. One point for the Kindle Fire.

Storage Capacity

Depending on what you generally use your tablet for, the storage capacity can play a major role in your decision. Upon receiving your device, you can easily say that you won’t fill up the storage capacity since you are only using it for reading and for using applications. However, as time goes by, you will quickly notice that you are slowly running out of storage capacity. Besides, the 8 GB capacity is definitely too small if you store books and videos in your Kindle. However, for the iPad 2, the 16 GB capacity is definitely more appreciated. Although, both tablets have access to cloud and in there, they can store their important files in order to save storage for their tablets. Overall? The iPad 2 wins this one.

Camera

The iPad 2 has a camera. The Kindle has none. What else can I say. One point for iPad 2.

The Winner
Even though we have dissected each part of the product and tried to determine which is superior in that area, these two devices are still different from each other. This Kindle Fire vs iPad 2 comparison shows that the iPad 2 is made to function as an all-in-one tablet that is both versatile and user-friendly. On the other hand, the Kindle Fire is designed to be an upgraded eBook reader that goes beyond its simply functionalities in order to accommodate other needs. If you are asking for a product that can do more, you know the answer. If you are asking which is better for reading, you know the answer. But as far as this comparison goes as well as the point system goes, the Kindle Fire is the clear winner. Congratulations Amazon.

A Bargain at $199

Compared with the iPad 2 and other tablets that seem to go over at least $250, the Kindle Fire is truly a bargain at its current price. This is truly a wise move considering the fact that $199 is a price that is affordable for students, for budget-tight mothers as well as people who are having a hard time earning money. With all the features that have been added to the well-known, simple eBook reader, this tablet is definitely well-praised because of its affordability.

Weight and “Pocketability”

Everybody loves a light tablet that you can easily carry around anywhere you go without having to worry about the weight that it brings. Obviously, tablets are lighter than laptops but what separates the Kindle Fire among the other tablets is the fact that it is very “pocketable”. Pocketable simply means that it can be pocketed easily into a rather big pocket. This means that you no longer have to bring a tablet casing around or a netbook bag in order to have room for the tablet.

Battery Life

The battery life of the Kindle Fire is just like other tablets, if not, longer. Most tablets who have added features or added capabilities will usually experience a reduction of the battery life. When comparing the Kindle Fire from the Kindle, you would only see a few hours of reduced battery life despite the many added features.

High Pixel Per Inch

Many tablets, including the iPad 2, have lesser pixels per inch than the Kindle Fire. In this Kindle Fire review, we would like to emphasize that the PPI of the tablet is very important because it is what separates a tablet from the other tablets. At 169 pixels per inch, the only popular tablet that has matched the Kindle Fire is the Nook by Barnes and Nobles.

Durability

The eBook reader named Kindle was very durable for its size and weight. Now, with the Kindle Fire, Amazon has made it even more durable. According to many reviews, it is estimated that the screen’s durability is more than 25 times more durable than plastic.

Can Be Carried and Watched Using One Hand

If you read a Kindle Fire review, you will definitely read at least once per review someone praising the Kindle’s light weight and easy-to-grip surface. This enables your other hand to rest while the other hand is holding the device tight. This is very handy for people who are travelling because you usually use your other hand for holding bags.

Amazon’s Wide Variety of Things In Its Store

Amazon has millions upon millions of add-ons, games, videos, movies and music files you can choose from. The variety is something that you will appreciate. Although it can’t open or have access to Apple products (yet), Amazon has quite enough to meet every possible need that you have.

Almost Every Book Written Is Available

The reason why the Kindle is much loved by people is because it is a reader’s friend. The availability of books, the selection of genres and how easy it is to download are the things that people appreciate the most. When you read a Kindle Fire review, it is a common trend that people will appreciate the fact that this device is slightly heavier than a heavy book and that is what makes it an excellent eBook reader.

Things To Improve On

The Kindle Fire’s 8 GB storage capacity is something to frown upon. 8 GB is simply too small for a user who intends to use this device everywhere he goes. Even though there is free cloud storage for Kindle users, the small memory of this device will hinder this device to be fully enjoyed. Also, you cannot plug in any external memory which makes it not expandable for power users.

Next: See how the Kindle Fire Matches up vs the Ipad 2: Kindle Fire Vs. Ipad 2

Sorting products by Total Price

	Kindle Fire, Full Color 7" Multi-touch Display, Wi-Fi Movies, apps, games, music, reading and more, plus Amazon's revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser - 18 more...		$199.00
	Kindle Fire Leather Case Cover by Marware, Black more...		$44.99
	2-Year SquareTrade Warranty plus Accident Protection for Kindle Fire, US customers only more...		$44.99
	Kindle Fire Lightweight MicroShell Folio Cover by Marware, Graphite more...		$29.99
	Kindle Fire Lightweight MicroShell Folio Cover by Marware, Black more...		$29.99
	CaseCrown Bold Standby Case (Purple) for Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet Protect your Amazon Kindle Fire with this CaseCrown Bold Standby Case at all times! This more...		$24.23
	Marware Kindle Fire ANTI-GLARE Screen Protector 2-Pack with Cleaning Cloth - Lifetime Warranty more...		$10.99

Searching the web for the best product deals...