Amazon introduces two new 7-inch and 8.9-inch Fire HDX tablets

Amazon is serious about its Fire tablet range. The company has introduced two new HDX models in the Kindle Fire range, a 7-inch one and an 8.9-inch one. The tablets were introduced by Amazon’s CEO Jeff Bezos at an event yesterday.

Both the Kindle Fire HDX and the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9-inch tablets will sport much higher resolutions compared to its predecessors, with the former at 323 and the latter at 339ppi pixel density. Both tablets will also run on an updated Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor running at 2GHz – the only tablets to currently do so – which will provide over three times the processing power as the previous generation. Amazon has fit in the Fire HDX tablets with a doubled-up 3GB RAM as well as a new Adreno 330 graphics engine for four-times the graphics performance than its predecessors.

The Kindle Fire HDX

The tablets will be powered by the latest version of Fire OS, dubbed Fire OS 3.0 “Mojito”. The OS will consist of upgraded features, platform updates and services like X-Ray for Music, Cloud Collections as well as Goodreads, the social networking service purchased by Amazon recently. The company has also upgraded email, calendar, and the Silk Browser to go with the tablets.

The new models are far thinner than the earlier Fire models. The Kindle Fire HDX 8.9-inch, for example, weighs 13.2 ounces, making it the lightest large-screen tablet, 34 percent lighter than the previous generation. To add to it, Amazon says that it has bumped up the battery life on the HDX tablets to make it last nearly all day. They feature 11 hours of mixed use and 17 hours of reading now.

The HDX series will also feature a front-facing HD camera for video calling as well as an 8 megapixel wide-aperture rear-facing camera on the Fire HDX 8.9-inch for higher-resolution photos and 1080p HD video. It also features an LED flash, Electronic Image Stabilisation and a wide aperture f2.2 lens. Amazon is also offering an improved case for the Fire HDX tablets called Origami. These will help you prop the tablets upright in the landscape mode.

With the tablets you also get access to Amazon-exclusive features like Prime Instant Video downloads, Second Screen, and expanded X-Ray for Movies and TV. Most interestingly, the Fire HDX tablets come with a new Mayday button. In case you’re having trouble with a feature or need help, you can tap the Mayday button in Quick Settings and an Amazon Expert will help you out. The feature is free for all users.

The larger Kindle Fire HDX features an 8.9-inch screen

Both the Fire HDX tablets will be available with 4G LTE Wireless and will be available on AT&T and Verizon in the US. The Kindle Fire HDX 7-inch is priced at $229 (Rs 14,376 approx) and the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9-inch comes with a price-tag of $379 (Rs 23,793 approx) The 4G version of the 7-inch version of the tablet will be priced at $329 (Rs 20,654 approx.) and the 8.9-inch will cost $479 (Rs 30,071 approx)

Pre-orders for the tablets have already begun and shipping for the 7-inch version of Kindle Fire HDX set to begin on October 18 and November 14 for the 4G version. The 8.9-inch version of Kindle Fire HDX will start shipping on November 7 and the 4G version on December 10. There is no word on international availability yet.

Amazon will also be making available an entry level 7-inch model of Kindle Fire HD which will start shipping on October 2 priced at $139 (Rs 8,726 approx).