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New Amazon Kindle Fire to get improved display in Q3

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by Jeff Causey on
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Amazon is reportedly briefing developers on specifications for the forthcoming update to the Kindle Fire unit. A major change includes the display used in the unit. Currently running at 1024 by 600 resolution on a screen with a 1.71 aspect ratio, the unit supposedly will run at 1280 x 800 resolution with a 1.60 aspect ratio. This change will make the unit a little shorter and wider compared to the current model and give it specifications similar to units like the Nexus 7 tablet from Google.

Along with the upgrades to the display, the new Kindle Fire will be lighter, thinner, have a built-in camera, and possibly a faster chip to go with an update to Amazon’s fork of the Android operating system. Despite all these changes, battery life should not be significantly impacted. These improvements are in addition to the previously reported body combining a metal frame with a plastic body.

Is an upgraded Amazon Kindle Fire a tablet you would be interested in?

source: AllThingsD

» See more articles by Jeff Causey


Categorized as Android Leaks & Rumours, Android Manufacturers, Android Tablets

  • LCaution

    I’ve had the FIre for 7 months now and it is my first tablet. Would I be willing to buy another in the 3rd or 4th quarter? Depends.

    I’m not interested in a 10 inch model. While it would no doubt be better for browsing and video, it would also probably be uncomfortable to use as an e-reader. And I’m planning on a new laptop this Fall which will, price-wise, be a better deal for that size screen, at least at I-Pad price points.

    Don’t need a camera. Definitely want a memory card: all the free apps are starting to create a memory shortage.

    The browser needs better bookmark management (there is no way to create bookmark folders).

    The book section needs a lot of work. This is also my first e-reader and while I am not a convert (I prefer to buy used paperbacks, for price and the pleasure of holding a book), I like having access to public domain books in e-format. But Amazon makes it way too clumsy to download e-books from non-Amazon sources and needs to seriously upgrade the library management options (author, title & most recent is fine if you’ve got one or two dozen books but not if you’ve got lots).

    It definitely needs an external volume control. And the decision to put the power button & USB connection at the bottom was and is bizarre. I use the Fire “upside-down” which works for all but about 5 apps but still, this needs to be changed.

    In short, I was willing to spend $200 for a device whose usefulness I had doubts about. Absent the advantages of Prime Membership, if it had cost more than $200, I would have been disappointed by the functionality. With Prime Membership, the Fire is probably the most satisfying gizmo I’ve ever bought.

    But to replace it in less than a year? Well, Amazon will have to fix all of the above before I’d do it. My expectations are higher.