Amazon updates Fire tablets & TV products, introduces $50 tablet & $100 4K Fire TV
Amazon on Thursday announced seven new hardware products from its Fire lineup of tablets and streaming TV accessories, including an entry-level tablet that costs just $49.99, and a new $99.99 Fire TV with support for 4K video content.
The new $49.99 Fire tablet.
With its newly updated tablets, Amazon continues to focus on the low end of the market, as headlined by the new $50 Fire tablet. Amazon is also offering discounts on buying the Fire in bulk, with a six-pack of the devices available for $250.
The 7-inch Fire tablet includes a quad-core processor and front- and rear-facing cameras. It comes with 8 gigabytes of storage, but is expandable to up to 128 gigabytes with a micro SD card.
The entry-level Fire is available for preorder now, and it will be released on Sept. 30.
The Fire HD 8.
The $50 Fire is joined by new Fire HD tablets priced at $149.99 for an 8-inch model, and $229.99 for a 10.1-inch size. Both feature a quad-core processor and Dolby Atmos stereo speakers.
The Fire HD 10.
The 8-inch version comes in 8- or 16-gigabyte varieties with color options of black, magenta, blue, or tangerine. The 10.1-inch Fire HD has capacities of 16 or 32 gigabytes, and is available in black or white.
Amazon Fire Kids Edition.
The Fire Kids Edition has also been given a price cut to $99.99. It features an all-new Fire tablet, a year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, a kid-proof case, and a 2-year guarantee that the device will be replaced if it's broken in any way.
Finally, Amazon's Fire OS has been updated to version 5, dubbed "Bellini." It features a new home screen that simplifies content discovery, a new Amazon Underground app store with free titles, and new "Word Runner" capabilities that aid reading by showing words faster or slower based on their difficulty.
Amazon Fire TV.
As for the Fire TV, Amazon's set-top box has been updated with support for 4K Ultra HD content, thanks to hardware that is 75 percent more powerful than last year's model. Priced at $99.99, Amazon says it's half the cost of any other 4K streaming media player. Apple's forthcoming $149.99 Apple TV will not stream 4K content.
Fire TV has also brought Alexa, the brain behind its Echo device, to the television. Users can ask for music, information, weather, traffic, and more.
Fire TV stick with Voice Remote.
The Fire TV Stick also gains access to Alexa thanks to a new Voice Remote bundled with the hardware. The new Fire TV Stick includes twice the memory of a Google Chromecast, and is priced at $49.99. The device can also be purchased with a standard remote for $39.99.
Fire TV Gaming Edition.
Amazon has also launched a new Gaming Edition of its set-top box, which includes the all-new Fire TV, a dedicated gaming controller, a 32-gigabyte microSD card, and two popular games, "Shovel Knight" and "Disney's Ducktales." The bundle is priced at $139.99, a discount from the full price of $187.95.
The new Amazon Fire TV will start shipping on Oct. 5, while the Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote will ship on Oct. 22.
The new $49.99 Fire tablet.
With its newly updated tablets, Amazon continues to focus on the low end of the market, as headlined by the new $50 Fire tablet. Amazon is also offering discounts on buying the Fire in bulk, with a six-pack of the devices available for $250.
The 7-inch Fire tablet includes a quad-core processor and front- and rear-facing cameras. It comes with 8 gigabytes of storage, but is expandable to up to 128 gigabytes with a micro SD card.
The entry-level Fire is available for preorder now, and it will be released on Sept. 30.
The Fire HD 8.
The $50 Fire is joined by new Fire HD tablets priced at $149.99 for an 8-inch model, and $229.99 for a 10.1-inch size. Both feature a quad-core processor and Dolby Atmos stereo speakers.
The Fire HD 10.
The 8-inch version comes in 8- or 16-gigabyte varieties with color options of black, magenta, blue, or tangerine. The 10.1-inch Fire HD has capacities of 16 or 32 gigabytes, and is available in black or white.
Amazon Fire Kids Edition.
The Fire Kids Edition has also been given a price cut to $99.99. It features an all-new Fire tablet, a year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, a kid-proof case, and a 2-year guarantee that the device will be replaced if it's broken in any way.
Finally, Amazon's Fire OS has been updated to version 5, dubbed "Bellini." It features a new home screen that simplifies content discovery, a new Amazon Underground app store with free titles, and new "Word Runner" capabilities that aid reading by showing words faster or slower based on their difficulty.
Amazon Fire TV.
As for the Fire TV, Amazon's set-top box has been updated with support for 4K Ultra HD content, thanks to hardware that is 75 percent more powerful than last year's model. Priced at $99.99, Amazon says it's half the cost of any other 4K streaming media player. Apple's forthcoming $149.99 Apple TV will not stream 4K content.
Fire TV has also brought Alexa, the brain behind its Echo device, to the television. Users can ask for music, information, weather, traffic, and more.
Fire TV stick with Voice Remote.
The Fire TV Stick also gains access to Alexa thanks to a new Voice Remote bundled with the hardware. The new Fire TV Stick includes twice the memory of a Google Chromecast, and is priced at $49.99. The device can also be purchased with a standard remote for $39.99.
Fire TV Gaming Edition.
Amazon has also launched a new Gaming Edition of its set-top box, which includes the all-new Fire TV, a dedicated gaming controller, a 32-gigabyte microSD card, and two popular games, "Shovel Knight" and "Disney's Ducktales." The bundle is priced at $139.99, a discount from the full price of $187.95.
The new Amazon Fire TV will start shipping on Oct. 5, while the Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote will ship on Oct. 22.
Comments
Don't give a hoot about the tablets, but I'll pickup a Fire TV to hook up to my 4K TV, replacing my Roku 3.
And why are they forcing silly gaming options on us!
In terms of tablets - it's still the case that it's the iPad and then everything else. No interest in these at all.
How are they able to make a tablet that costs less than the price of an iPad cover?
The trick is locking you in to Amazon services, advertising and shopping, that's where the money is.
How are they able to make a tablet that costs less than the price of an iPad cover?
Their profit model is such that their profit is earned from the stuff one buys in their store (setting any quality differences aside).
Personally, I've always felt it's a bit dishonest for manufacturers to distract you with cheap prices for its products it offers in one hand, while the other hand slyly and silently reaches around to your back pocket and removes money from your wallet, which is how it makes its profit for the (cheap) device(s) holding your attention.
As has been said before, "Amazon is a charity for investors."
Just ordered the Fire TV. Much better value than the Apple TV I think. It's a shame I can't stream from my iPhone or Mac. But small price to pay for a proper 4K box with Netflix etc.
And why are they forcing silly gaming options on us!
In terms of tablets - it's still the case that it's the iPad and then everything else. No interest in these at all.
Uhm, not seeing the whole "forcing silly gaming options on us", given that the AppleTV remote is likely better for media than the remote you will get with your FireTV; by a long shot I would argue
For the record, I buy stuff frequently from Amazon, but none of their branded hardware.
Their profit model is such that their profit is earned from the stuff one buys in their store (setting any quality differences aside).
Personally, I've always felt it's a bit dishonest for manufacturers to distract you with cheap prices for its products it offers in one hand, while the other hand slyly and silently reaches around to your back pocket and removes money from your wallet, which is how it makes its profit for the (cheap) device(s) holding your attention.
Which is why Apply is appealing to the Supreme Court on the ebook case; everything Apple did was pro-competitive at a time when Amazon held 90% of the market using the profit model that you outlined above.
My point is I don't think phone games should be on TV boxes. They are just money making scam games with payable coins etc anyway.
That's what XBox and PS are for.
On the other hand, there are millions of people who could benefit from a tablet but can't afford an iPad. So Amazon's move has social value.
Still, a new or gently used iPad Mini 1 is probably a better choice than these cheap Fire tablets and can be found for about the same price as some of them.
Don't give a hoot about the tablets, but I'll pickup a Fire TV to hook up to my 4K TV, replacing my Roku 3.
What is the source of your 4K content?
The funny thing is the A8 is perfectly capable of playing 4k video. Makes me wonder why Apple choose to not support 4k on the ATV
What is the source of your 4K content?
for me, Youtube, Netflix and my own 4k home video.
What is the source of your 4K content?
Well I assume Amazon will start dishing out 4K content. Netflix has some 4K content, at least for their own newer programs. but really, are you actually streaming 4K content, or really highly compressed, but lower quality B.S. 4K. You're not even streaming 1080P Blu-Ray Quality, 4K content can't be much better then the so called 1080P streaming content.
If you actually want 4K, need to wait for Ultra Blu-Ray to be released.
It does seem a shortsighted decision on their part considering all of the other 4K capabilities (software and hardware) in their new releases.
Have Apple said they are going to start Annual updates? Thought they were on a 2-3 year cycle.
The funny thing is the A8 is perfectly capable of playing 4k video. Makes me wonder why Apple choose to not support 4k on the ATV
The same reason why Apple didn't support 3G at first or LTE in their phones. There's just not enough content or 4K watchers out there right now. There might be 1-2 years from now but. The only reason for Apple to support 4k is when their entire iTunes catalog goes over to 4k. Anything before that represents a very small number of users.