Skip to main content

Amazon rumor: 8.9-inch Kindle Fire due in 2012

amazon-kindle-fire
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The rumors were true, check out our full review of the Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9 tablet. 

Amazon has both 8.9-inch and 10.1-inch versions of its Kindle Fire tablet in the works, according to a report from Taiwan-based DigiTimes. The 8.9-inch Kindle Fire will reportedly go on sale during the second quarter of 2012. The currently-available Kindle Fire has a 7-inch screen.

Rumors of the new Kindle Fire models come via an anonymous source, who has knowledge of the production plans of Foxconn Electronics, which also makes a majority of Apple’s iPhone and iPad devices. This rumor follows talk last week that Amazon also has a smartphone in the pipeline, which is said to debut sometime next year, most likely in the fourth quarter.

If these rumors are true, they show that Amazon is speeding up its transformation from an online retail giant into a full-blown consumer technology hardware company. Of course, this is not an entirely new development. The company has been producing its Kindle e-readers for years. But the addition of two more tablets and a smartphone would greatly increase Amazon’s reach into markets currently dominated by other companies.

Unlike Apple, which aims to make high-end devices, Amazon is shooting straight toward the ground. The current Kindle Fire sells for $199 — less than what it costs Amazon to produce a single device — making it one of the least expensive Android tablets available. While this low price point is obviously attractive to customers, the quality of the Kindle Fire, and the user experience that goes with it, shows that you get what you pay for, i.e. nothing close to the polish of higher end devices.

It must be noted that Amazon’s strategy of making its own hardware appears to be simply a way to further expand its online retail business. That is to say, Amazon devices are especially good at one thing: getting users to buy more stuff from Amazon. That’s their true purpose, nothing more. Not that that’s a bad thing, per se. But it’s something users should be aware of before dropping dollars into a new device.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
How to share Kindle books with family and friends
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite next to the Kindle Scribe.

While we adore books, we have to admit that e-books have some serious advantages over traditional print. You can cram thousands of e-books into a single e-book reader, for one thing, making e-books perfect for long holidays, commutes, or just casually carrying around. Doing the same with traditional books would require wheeling around a suitcase or having arms larger than Hercules.

However, physical books are still better in some ways. Want to lend a great book to someone? Throwing a paperback book at them is far more practical than handing them your Kindle and telling them to give it back when they're done.

Read more
The 5 best Kindle alternatives in 2024
The Kobo Libra 2 being used during breakfast.

Amazon has led the way with its Kindle lineup when it comes to reading e-books and interacting digitally with our favorite stories. The Amazon Kindle Paperwhite is one of the most popular e-readers on the market and has been since its release. The best Kindles have a lot to offer, but not everyone wants to go with an Amazon product. If you’re one of those people you may be wondering what the best Kindle alternatives may be. There are quite a few brands out there making quality e-book readers, and we’ve tested them out. In the process we’ve made our selections for the best Kindle alternatives.
The best Kindle alternatives in 2024

Buy the

Read more
Amazon’s kid-friendly Fire HD 10 tablets bring AI-powered games
Photo of the new Amazon Fire Kids tablets from its September 2023 event.

Amazon launched a pair of new devices for its Fire Kids range at its fall event, including updated models of the Fire HD 10 Kids and Fire HD 10 Kids Pro. While there's little to write home about in terms of physical updates, these two new tablets have also been released alongside some new apps that make them great options to entertain the whole family, not just children.

The big draws here are the new apps and games on offer. Amazon's big, new drive involves implementing AI into its products, and these two Kids tablets are no exception. The new Music Maker app allows children to become composers by combining a number of different instruments and sound effects into their own composition, while being assisted by the app's AI.

Read more