At the last Amazon press event, a lot of people expected Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos to unveil a 10-inch Android tablet. However, instead of a 10-incher, Bezos unveiled the Fire HD 8.9": a Kindle equipped with a 9-inch high-definition screen and 1920x1200 pixel resolution.
Based on early reviews, this Kindle appears to run a lot faster than the original. This is due in part to its 1.5GHz dual-core TI OMAP4470 processor and 1GB of onboard RAM. Internal storage starts at 16GB and can go up to 32GB, plus users can use Amazon cloud storage to back up and download all kinds of data. This particular tablet is one of the most well-equipped mobile computing devices ever announced with Android. Which by the way, is version 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich.
Most reviewers agree that those looking for tight integration with Amazon's catalog of movies, music, games and books would be well served by this tablet. If you're one whose been pining for a slightly larger version of the original Fire, you'll probably love the HD 8.9”.
Need to Know: Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9”
1. 9-inch capacitive touchscreen display features native resolution of 1920x1200 pixels. (The Good)
2. Designed to work well with Amazon’s various online services. (The Good)
3. Default software is an older version of the Android operating system. (The Bad)
4. Lacks Google Play for Android applications. (The Bad)
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Nadia Oxford, 148AppsThough Terrortown is a good-looking and clever title that offers tons of achievements, it’s a pretty short game overall. Only perfectionists are going to want to comb through every single scoring option, whereas everyone else will probably sate themselves with a couple of playthroughs.But spen...
- Dan Seifert, The VergeThe Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 is a solid device and an improvement over last year’s model. It's fast, light, and has a great display, but it doesn't really measure up to an iPad Air or even a modern 10-inch Android tablet when it comes to actual functionality. Watching video on the high-res display...
- Madeline Bennett, The InquirerThe Kindle Fire HD has improved on its smaller sibling with a larger and higher quality display, and the carousel has certainly grown on us since first use with the 7in model, but the issues around performance and usability remain. The tablet is a good buy for anyone already tied into the Amazon eco...
- Seth Barton, Expert ReviewsIf you prefer to take your content from a wider range of sources though, like to play all the latest games, have access to a wider range of apps and have the freedom to choose your own browser and email client, then the Google Nexus 10 is a better buy for £90 more. That said, if you're on a ti...
- Darien Graham-Smith, PC ProIf you’re looking for a general-purpose Android tablet, the Kindle Fire HD 8.9in does a more equivocal job. In terms of processing power it’s fine, but nothing to write home about: the dual-core 1.5GHz TI design is a step up from the 1.2GHz CPU used by the 7in model, but a SunSpider score of 1,438ms...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Resources
Helpful Links Share / Embed
Maybe one of your friends will find this review helpful? Please help us spread the word.