In the past, Amazon has released ad-supported "Special Offers" versions of its E Ink Kindle reading device that allowed customers to save a few bucks off their purchase by getting a device that displayed ads as screensavers and at the bottom of the Kindle's home screen. Now a new report from the Wall Street Journal claims that Amazon is planning to bring ads to a tablet as well. This tidbit comes from "people involved in discussions on the device" that claim that the ads will help to discount the price of the device. One source claimed that an ad will be displayed when the user wakes the slate from sleep.
A separate report shared by CNET claims that Amazon is planning to unveil two 7-inch Kindle Fire models at its event next week. It's been rumored that Amazon is planning a slate larger than 7 inches, but the site's source says that both of the new Fires coming on September 6 will pack 7-inch displays. One will be a brand new Fire, alleges the tipster, while the other is described as "a slightly revamped version of the original." The new Fire is said to have a speedier processor, camera, physical volume controls, an HDMI port and more storage.
The Kindle Fire rumors sure are heating up now that we're less than a week away from Amazon's event, aren't they? It's no surprise to hear that Amazon is prepping a new Kindle Fire that's higher-end than the model that recently "sold out," but the ad-supported version sounds interesting, and it may be the "slightly revamped" tablet that CNET is referring to. There's no mention of exactly how much of a discount Amazon may be planning to offer to customers willing to go with the ad-supported tablet, but the retailer currently sells a 6-inch E Ink Kindle with Special Offers for $79, while customers that want the same model without the ads have to fork over $109. How much cheaper do you think an ad-supported tablet should be compared to its ad-free equivalent?
Via Engadget, Wall Street Journal, CNET
