The new Kindle Fire tablets had been rumored for the past month to be released soon. Most of the specs had been leaked but now we have official word from Amazon about the new Kindle Fire HDX. Most of what was expected based on leaks was true about the tablet but there is a few new things. Let’s take a look at the details of the all new Kindle Fire HDX.
As in the previous models, the Kindle Fire HDX comes in both 7″ and 8.9″ models. One new item in this year’s model is that you can get the tablets not only in 16GB and 32GB but there is also a 64GB version as well. One reason for the higher 64GB version is probably due to the fact that you can now download Prime instant movies and TV shows where previously you could only stream. This is a very big deal and something that consumers had been asking from Amazon. I’m certainly looking forward to that this Christmas with a long flight in my plans.
In regards to specs the Kindle Fire HDX is top-notch and competes with the Nexus 7 and other high-end tablets. On the 7″ inch devices you get a 1920 x 1200 resolution display and the 8.9″ comes in at 2560 x 1600. Both version have a quad-core 2.2GHz processor, 2GB RAM, and new Adreno 330 graphics processor. The tablets also have Dolby Digital Plus audio and front-facing 720p HD camera. Only the new 8.9″ HDX features a rear-facing 8-megapixel camera along with the front facing. The Kindle Fire HDX is a premium hardware tablet by any measure.
The software for the new HDX has been upgraded to Fire OS 3.0 “Mojito” which is a forked version of Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. It boasts improved performance and battery life. Included is the X-Ray for Movies & TV but with the addition of Music. The software also adds grid display for the apps along with the normal carousal design. I know that many people have been asking for this as they don’t like the carousal display. Unfortunately like previous tablets, there is no support for official Google apps or Play Store. But don’t worry as the Android community will figure out root method and we’ll be bringing it to you as soon as it’s out.
Something completely new on the HDX is Mayday which promises 24/7 365 customer support. Basically you press a button on the tablet and an Amazon representative with join via video chat to help you with the device. Amazon hopes to have a response time of 15 seconds but we’ll have to test this in person to see if it holds up. But either way it’s a bold move that no one else can claim. I’ll be curious if this feature gets disabled once you have rooted the device. This may be a way for Amazon to get customers to not root and tinker with the HDX.
Overall the new Kindle Fire HDX looks like a great improvement over the previous versions and a very good competitor withe Google and Apple tablets. The price is also very competitive with $229 for the 16GB 7″ and $379 for the 16GB 8.9″ device. You can pre-order your today and it will be delivered by Oct 18th for the WiFi version and Nov 14th for the LTE version. I’ve already ordered mine and can’t wait to get my hands on it. Let us know what you think about the new tablet and if you are getting one.
Pre-order: Kindle Fire HDX 7″, HDX Display, Wi-Fi, 16 GB – Includes Special Offers
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