With Apple appearing increasingly vulnerable, Amazon have made a play to enter the overcrowded tablet market – after the embarrassing failures of Research In Motion’s Playbook and Hewlett Packard’s untitled, never-produced device.
The Kindle Fire (and new “Kindle Touch”) were launched on the 28th of September and, while it lacks the horsepower of the Apple behemoth (which is 2.7 inches bigger), it promises just enough features to make it a worthy purchase.
While its lack of mobile internet connectivity and camera or microphone may be a huge drawback for some, its main selling point is in straight-forward media consumption. No longer limited to simple eBooks, the Kindle Fire is designed for reading magazines, watching videos and listening to music - and with automatic compatibility to Amazon’s vast library of content, it could be a genuine threat. Not only that, it comes with free storage for all purchased Amazon content - meaning you will never run out of space.
MEC Opinion: Amazon are taking quite a different strategy to target UK buyers in general, with the “entry level” Kindle costing almost twice as much as the US equivalent ($79 vs $140). While the UK version is ad-free, one of the main reasons it serves as an “iPad killer” is the increased likelihood of impulse buys due to the low price point, which will hurt its chance to make inroads into the market.
Additionally, there is, as yet, no announced launch date for the Fire or Touch models, so there could be more changes on the way. It’s doubtful that Amazon will do much to woo the hardcore techgeek crowd but we’d expect it to make significant inroads into the casual market, making it a genuine contender.
