Amazon today unleashed a wave of new tablet hardware that range from a large 10-inch model to a $50 7-inch tablet and a new kid-focused unit.
First up, the new Fire HD tablet comes in 8-inch and 10.1-inch screen sizes. Besides their screen sizes, these two tablets are largely similar, boasting a 1280x800 screen resolution, 5-megapixel rear and 720p front-facing cameras, and quad-core MediaTek processors. They’ve also got 1GB of RAM, microSD slots, dual band Wi-Fi, and bodies that measure 7.7mm thick. Both tablets run Fire OS 5 Bellini, which is based on Android Lollipop.
When it comes to storage, the 8-inch Fire HD offers 8GB or 16GB, while the 10.1-inch comes with 16GB or 32GB of storage. One other difference between the two tablets are their color options: The 8-inch is available in black, magenta, blue, and tangerine hues, while 10.1-inch is only available in black and white.
Both of Amazon’s new Fire HD tablets are available for pre-order today ahead of a September 30 launch. The 8-inch version starts at $149 for 8GB of storage and goes up to $169 for 16GB, while the 10.1-inch model costs $229.99 for 16GB or $259.99 for 32GB. All models come with sponsored screensavers for Amazon content, but you can disable them for $15 if you’d like.
The other big release today is Amazon’s new Fire tablet, which is a 7-inch device that costs just $49.99. That’s cheap, and Amazon knows it, because the company is actually offering the Fire in a six-pack in which you pay for 5 Fire tablets and get 1 free with the code FIRE6PACK. As with the Fire HD tablets, the Fire comes with sponsored screensavers that can be disable for $15. The Fire is available for pre-order today and will launch on September 30.
As you might expect, the Amazon Fire tablet isn’t exactly a powerhouse in terms of specs. It’s got a 7-inch 1024x600 display, quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 2-megapixel rear and VGA front cameras, 8GB of storage, micro-SD slot, and Fire OS 5 Bellini, all of which is crammed into a body that’s 10.6mm thick. For just $50, though, the Fire tablet could be a solid little tablet for throwing in a bag, especially since it comes for a well-known company.
Rounding out Amazon’s new tablet offerings is an updated Fire Kids Edition. Like last year’s model, Amazon promises that it will replace the Fire Kids Edition if your little ones manage to break it. That offer is good for two years.
The Fire Kids Edition is largely similar to Amazon’s new Fire tablet, boasting a 7-inch 1024x600 display, 2-megapixel rear and VGA front cameras, quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, and a microSD slot. The difference is that this kids tablet is wrapped in a Kid-Proof Case to help protect it from drops. The Fire Kids Edition also includes one year of access to Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, which includes kid-focused books, games, movies, and educational apps.
Amazon’s Fire Kids Edition is available for pre-order for $99.99 and is being sold with blue or pink cases.
