There are no fewer than four Kindle Fire sequels on the way, according to an analyst. And as well as one with a bigger screen and models equipped with cameras, there’s a 4G version in the pipeline.
Google, consider your Nexus 7 burned.
Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch, is the man with the info. He’s been tipped off by sources in the supply chain – a group of companies making components and assembling products. Basically, if anyone knows, it’s these guys.
So what will these four Kindle Fires look like? Well there’s a bigger version on the way, according to Shim: it’ll have an 8.9-inch screen with a resolution of 1,920×1,200. It’ll be in production in Q4, so presumably it’ll go on sale in time for Christmas. That resolution isn’t far off Apple’s retina display on its latest iPad. The Kindle Fire’s smaller screen should look if not just as sharp, then certainly pretty close.
The other models are all 7-inchers, like the current Kindle Fire. The 4G model will have a 1,280×800-pixel resolution screen, and will go into production in September. It’ll also have a rear camera, which is lacking from the existing Kindle Fire.
The other two won’t have cameras, and will go into production in August. One has a screen resolution of 1,280×800-pixels, the other 1,024×600.
If Amazon can ‘do an Apple’ and launch the bottom of the range versions for the same price as the current Kindle Fire, or even drop it to compete with Google’s Nexus 7, then it could really do some damage. The Nexus 7 is currently cheaper than the Fire, and has Android Jelly Bean bringing cool features like Google Now. But a 4G Fire, as well as an 8.9-inch version, would put Google on the back foot.
Over to you, Google.
Source: CNET
