Amazon Kindle Fire 2 tablet rumor roundup
CNET's collection of rumors for the elusive and inevitable new Amazon tablet.
Amazon shook up the tablet scene with the release of the Kindle Fire tablet in 2011. With one of the most popular tablets on the market, rumors are already swirling about Amazon's next move. The release of Google's Nexus 7 tablet at the same price point of the first-generation Kindle Fire has increased the competitive climate; not to mention the seemingly never-ending reign of the Apple iPad as the king of tablets. Will Amazon make another relevant and successful tablet? Will there be three different versions of the Kindle Fire? What about 4G? In anticipation of the expected announcement, here's a collection of all of the Kindle Fire 2 rumors to date.
September 6, 2012
Amazon officially announced its new line of Kindles. In addition to an updated version of the Kindle Fire and a Kindle Paperwhite, there's the Fire HD with the 7-inch screen that will sell for $199, and a Fire HD with an 8.9-inch screen and a $299 price tag. Check out CNET's first take here.
August 31, 2012
Amazon taps Nokia for Kindle Fire maps, report says
A report claims that Nokia has a new mapping partner in Amazon. Reuters reports that Nokia and Amazon have inked a deal that will see Nokia powering the built-in mapping services in the Amazon Kindle Fire 2.
August 23, 2012
Amazon set to introduce new Kindles at September 6 event
Amazon has sent out invites for a press conference in Santa Monica on the morning of September 6. No further information has been released on what Amazon will announce but our bet is that we'll see a new Kindle Fire (or maybe even multiple Fires) and an e-ink Kindle with a built-in lighting option.
July 23, 2012
Staples retail chief outs 'five or six' Amazon tablets
Demos Parneros, president of U.S. retail for Staples, spoke to Reuters and said that Amazon is currently working on "up to five or six" tablets that will come in all different sizes. One of the versions will include a 10-inch display, according to Parneros. He did not say when the devices might launch.
July 17, 2012
Kindle Fire forecast cut by analyst amid Nexus 7 concern
Analysts are beginning to wonder how Amazon will continue to fare in the hyper-competitive market. Cowen analyst Kevin Kopelman believes the Kindle Fire could be hurt by the Nexus 7. He lowered his full-year estimate on Kindle Fire sales to 12 million units from a prior forecast of 14 million. He had Amazon selling 4 million Kindle Fire units in 2011, when it launched late in the year.
July 5, 2012
At least three Kindle Fire 2 tablets (one with 4G) on the way
An analyst with sources in the supply chain connection states that Amazon will release at least three new Kindle Fire tablets with 4G and a higher-resolution 1,920x1,200-pixel display. The rumored sizes of the new tablets are 7-inch and an 8.9-inch, quelling earlier rumors of a 10-inch Kindle Fire tablet.
June 29, 2012
Two new Kindle Fires on Amazon's front burner?
Two sources reported that Amazon is working on two new Kindle Fire tablets. The 7-inch and 10-inch tablets are said to have superior build quality over the current model with Amazon replacing the plastic body with a metal casing. Both tablets are also reported to be thinner than the first-generation iPad, with no display buttons on the front but with the possibility of an HDMI port and a front-facing camera for the 10-inch model.
June 25, 2012
Kindle Fire 2 may hit as soon as July
A credible source told CNET that Amazon will release its second-generation Kindle Fire this summer and is targeting a July 31 launch date. The new Kindle Fire would have a camera and physical volume-control buttons. DigiTimes reported rumors about a new $199 7-inch tablet with a higher 1,280x800-pixel display at the beginning of the third quarter.
May 14, 2012
Report: Front-lit Kindle coming in July
A larger version of the Kindle Fire will arrive in the fall, closer to the holiday season, says a Reuters source. It's a reasonable assumption, given that the first-generation Kindle Fire was released in November 2011.
February 20, 2012
Amazon taps Foxconn for 10-inch Kindle Fire, says report
According to an Asia-based report, Amazon will consign production of a 10-inch Kindle Fire tablet to Foxconn. A 10-inch Fire could put it in the same market segment as Apple's 9.7-inch iPad 2.
February 10, 2012
Amazon readying 9-inch Kindle Fire for 2012, analyst predicts
Pacific Crest analyst Chad Bartley says the larger device could launch as soon as the middle of 2012. Bartley wrote that his prediction is based on his own recent checks with Amazon component suppliers.
December 30, 2011
Will someone besides Amazon release the next Kindle tablet?
Richard Windsor, global technology specialist for Nomura Securities, sees some of the current Android tablet makers looking to Amazon to help float some of their future offerings, or perhaps going as far as taking over production of the follow-up to the Kindle Fire. Windsor suspects Amazon's first $199 tablet could be a way to "seed the market." He sees makers of competing Android tablets -- which consumers seem to view as overpriced and lacking access to compelling content -- in a position to start courting Amazon for possible partnerships.
November, 21, 2011
Amazon may be launching an 8.9-inch Kindle Fire in Q2 2012
The first rumor about the new Kindle Fire tablet stated that Amazon plans to start production of an 8.9-inch Kindle Fire in roughly May 2012 for an eventual launch at the end of the second quarter.