Last night, the new Kindle Fire devices were unveiled. The revamped 7-inch model and its improved 7-inch counterpart, the Kindle Fire HD, left us speechless. But even more surprising was the 8,9-inch version, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9. This is a truly impressive, all-around tablet that also offers two connectivity options. We want to compare it to what is considered the best tablet on the market, the new iPad. So let's begin the comparison between the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 and the new iPad.
Size and weight
The numbers speak. Kindle Fire HD is a smaller and lighter tablet, although it more or less maintains a weight / size ratio similar to that of the New iPad. The Amazon tablet offers more portability compared to the greater convenience of the Apple one.
Screen
The Retina display is starting to face some challenges. Things are more evenly matched with the Kindle Fire HD screen; there's really no noticeable difference in sharpness. Both have almost the same pixel density: the new iPad has 264 ppi compared to the Kindle Fire HD 8.9's 254 ppi . Your eyes won't notice the difference. Super-high-definition displays aren't a patent, as Steve Jobs would have us believe; they're simply a component you can choose to include or not.
Unlimited
The Kindle Fire HD's 1.5GHz dual-core OMAP 4470 processor is said to have 40% more memory bandwidth than NVIDIA's Tegra 3. Or at least that's what Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos claims. Furthermore, its modified operating system, based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, runs incredibly fast, as we've seen in videos from the presentation. Accessing Amazon content is remarkably quick, and the interface is very responsive. The new iPad and its iOS 5, however, are a gem. Its level is being gradually reached, narrowing the qualitative gap.
Storage
Both tablets come with the same storage options: 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB. However, the WiFi + 4G LTE version of the Kindle Fire HD doesn't offer the 16GB option. Neither tablet has an SD card slot, but they do offer free cloud storage solutions. Amazon provides 20GB compared to Apple's meager 5GB of iCloud. And if you need additional cloud storage, Amazon's is cheaper.
Connectivity
They have very similar connectivity options. Both offer two models: WiFi and WiFi + 4G . Bluetooth is also included in both. However, Amazon's WiFi port is superior. We're talking about dual-band Wi-Fi with dual antennas at 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz, which Amazon claims is 40% faster for downloads and streaming than the new iPad.
In addition, Kindle Fire HD has USB 2.0 connectors and HDMI output , two systems that are much more universal than Apple's pin docks.
Cameras and sound
The New iPad has a 5 MPX rear camera that the Kindle Fire HD does not have, since it only has a front camera for video calls.
They both have two rear speakers that sound really good. There is not much difference in this.
Battery
Amazon has a somewhat higher autonomy according to the numbers, but this has to be checked at length because there are many ways to use the battery.
Price and conclusions
We are facing two very high-end tablets. Amazon has gone to enormous lengths with this tablet that they prefer to refer to as a service. We have already stressed many times that what really interests Amazon is the sale of content. We can only say that the Amazon tablet would be below the New iPad in performance and camera. Otherwise they are equaled or Kindle Fire HD is better.
The price of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 is spectacular. Even the top-of-the-line version is only slightly more expensive than the new iPad. We've shown you the prices of the Amazon tablet in dollars; if those figures were converted to euros, we'd be talking about €599 versus €820. It will be released in the US on November 20th, and we don't yet have a release date for Spain, but this could definitely be the iPad killer.
| Tablet | New iPad | Kindle Fire HD 8.9 |
| Size | 241 x 185 x 9,4 mm | 240 x 164 x 8,8 mm |
| Screen | 9.7-inch multi-touch LED IPS, Retina | 8,9 inch HD LCD, IPS panel |
| Litigation, Arbitration | 2048 x 1536 (264 ppi) | 1920 x 1200 (254 ppi) |
| Thickness | 9,4 mm | 8,8 mm |
| Weight | 652 or 662 grams | 575 grams |
| Operating system | iOS 5 | Modified Android (based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich) |
| Processor | A5X dual-core @ 1 GHz + Quad-core GPU | OMAP 4470 Dual Core 1,5 GHGPU: Imagination SGX5540 3D |
| RAM | 1 GB | 1GB |
| Conference proceedings | 16 GB / 32 GB / 64 GB | 16/32 / 64 GB |
| Extension | iCloud (5GB) | Cloud (20GB) |
| Connectivity | WiFi 802.11 b / g / n / 4G LTE, Bluetooth | WiFi Dual band, dual antenna (MIMO) / WiFi + 4G, Bluetooth |
| Ports | 30 pin, 3.5 mm Jack | USB 2.0, microHDMI, 3.5 Jack, |
| Sound | 2 rear speakers | 2 Speaker, Dolby Audio Dual |
| Camera | Front VGA / Rear 5 MPX (1080p video) | Front HD |
| Sensors | GPS, Accelerometer, Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Compass | GPS, G-Sensor, Gyroscope, Light Sensor, E-compass |
| Battery | 10 hours long. | 11 hours long. |
| Price | WiFi: 492 euros (16 GB) / 594 euros (32 GB) / 697 euros (64 GB) WiFi + 4G: 615 euros (16 GB) / 717 euros (32 GB) / 820 euros (64 GB) | WiFi: $ 299 (32GB) / $ 369 (64GB) WiFi + 4G: $ 499 (32GB) / $ 599 (64GB) |