Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Tablets
  3. Mobile
  4. Legacy Archives

Amazon TV ad puts Kindle Fire HD up against iPad

Add as a preferred source on Google

amazon ipad adNo doubt buoyed by recent news that its Kindle Fire tablets currently hold 33 percent of the US Android tablet market, Amazon has rolled out a TV ad with Apple’s iPad in its sights.

Sure, Apple’s device continues to dominate the overall tablet market, but data released last week by research firm IDC suggests the tide may be turning in favor of its competitors. Does Amazon smell blood?

Recommended Videos

In its new ad (below), the e-commerce giant was confident enough to show its 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD device directly alongside the 9.7-inch iPad.

The voiceover introduces both tablets: This is the iPad with Retina display. And this is the new Kindle Fire HD with an 8.9-inch display….

And even compliments the iPad’s screen: Stunning HD.

Before complimenting the Kindle Fire’s display too: Stunning HD. In fact, you may not be able to tell the difference….

Then the killer line: …but your wallet definitely can.

At the same time, the cost of each device shows up on the screen of each tablet: the iPad for $499 and the Fire for $299 (or $269 if you take advantage of the company’s special offer running this week).

The ad’s focus on the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD’s 254-pixels-per-inch display is perfectly understandable, as it’s only a few pixels fewer than what the iPad offers with its 264 PPI display. To see how the two tablets compare on other features, check out DT’s spec showdown here.

Amazon’s anti-iPad campaigns don’t always go to plan, however. The Seattle-based company had to pull an erroneous comparison ad from its website last October when it wrongly listed Apple’s iPad Mini as having a mono speaker when it does in fact have dual stereo ones.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Safari’s biggest tab-management upgrade in years could finally end your browser clutter with iOS 27.3 
Safari learns to tame tabs and dim bright pages.
Safari logo on MacBook

Here’s a confession: I never close my browser tabs. I just let them pile up until my browser looks like a Tetris game I’ve already lost. Well, it looks like Apple is finally ready to help me clean up.

Apple’s first iOS 27.3 developer betas are here, and they add three new Safari features: Vertical Tabs, Adaptive Dark Mode, and Siri commands. It’s the one I’m most excited about. 

Read more
Apple issues a grim warning as memory costs soar. It seems pricey iPhones and Macs are here to stay
Apple’s memory bill is climbing, and your receipt may follow.
MacBook Pro PROLED XDR laptop

Whether it’s iPhones, iPads, or MacBooks, Apple has already slapped revised price tags on a long list of products. Since these products already cost hundreds of dollars more than they did (especially MacBooks and the Mac mini, which use highly capable M-series chips), I was quietly hoping this was it.

However, during its recent earnings call, Apple ended that hope. The company has warned that memory chip prices are climbing at an “unprecedented” pace, with CEO John Ternus telling investors that costs will be even higher in the December quarter (via The Guardian).

Read more
The iPhone Duo taught the iPad a much-needed lesson in multitasking. iPadOS 27.2 makes Split View less of a chore.
A small iPad tweak that fixes a big daily annoyance.
Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone

It’s funny when a brand-new phone teaches an old tablet a lesson. That’s exactly what the iPhone Duo seems to have done for the iPad. I’m genuinely glad somebody at Apple was paying attention, as it was overdue.

iPadOS 27.2 makes setting up side-by-side apps on an iPad much easier, and it is an iPad multitasker’s dream come true if you ask me.

Read more