Amazon sets fire to the tablet market
New e-readers highlight a big week for product announcements, while hackers claim to steal Apple IDs. Also: iPhone 5 next week?
Amazon is heating up competition in the tablet sector with three new models of the Kindle Fire that are clearly aimed at wooing those who might buy a tablet from Apple.
The Amazon assault begins with a new $199, 7-inch model with an HD screen that doubles the built-in storage of the previous entry-level Kindle Fire to 16GB. Amazon has also doubled down on that product line with a larger, 8.9-inch model that has a 1,920-by-1,200 resolution, features 16GB of built-in storage, costs $299 and ships November 20. Topping out the line is a new 32GB model with 4G LTE wireless connectivity for $499, which Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Thursday compared directly to Apple's $729 third-generation iPad with similar specs.
The three versions of the Kindle Fire HD represent an expansion of the company's strategy with the original Kindle Fire. Amazon worries about getting the tablets into the hands of its consumers first, and then focuses on making money off of the services and products it can deliver to them later. While Bezos denies this is the razor-and-razor-blade model, it's actually an apt analogy.
• First take: Kindle Fire HD, times three
• Amazon's new Kindles: Everything you need to know (FAQ)
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