Amazon Reveals New Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Fire HD Family

This week was filled with a smattering of mobile and tablet news, as major hardware providers scramble to keep their products in the limelight in anticipation of Apple's September 12 event. Today, Amazon's Jeff Bezos took the stage to announce not one, but seven total upgrades or new products in the company's already successful Kindle family. 

The Basic Kindle Is Now $69

OK, so maybe it doesn't have all the bells of its Fire cousin, but the traditional e-reader Kindle is no slouch. Last year, Amazon introduced a super-affordable $79 version to the delight of book lovers everywhere. The new Kindle is just $69, and receives some minor improvements like new fonts, crisper text, and speedier page turns. The new Kindle ships on September 14.

Read Your Kindle In Low-Light With Paperwhite

So, it turns out the rumors are true: Amazon's new e-reader will brighten up the device's screen, thanks to a new, patented "light guide." While reading books on a bright LCD screen can sometimes  lead to eye strain, the Kindle Paperwhite front-lit system seems to put off a more subtle, ambient glow. The Paperwhite model gets eight weeks of battery life, 62-percent more pixels (212ppi), and a capacitive touch screen. Both the wi-fi ($119) and 3G ($179) models will ship October 1.

Kindle Fire Gets Updates, HD Models

Bezos made a point during today's event to mention the Kindle Fire tablet as Amazon's number-one selling item. So, it's no surprise the company is challenging the tablet market full-bore. The Kindle Fire will feature 40-percent faster performance with a new processor, twice the amount of RAM, and also includes a longer-lasting battery. The standard Fire model ships on September 14 for $159.

But there's even more additions to the Fire line-up. Amazon made it abundantly clear it plans to take on competitor Apple with higher-end tablets. The new Kindle Fire HD comes in two screen-size varieties: 7-inch and 8.9-inch. Both models feature hi-res (1920X1200) displays, a laminated touch sensor for less glare, and a Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 processor. 

Bezos claims dual-band wi-fi antennas and MIMO functionality mean Kindle Fire HD runs 41-percent faster than the new iPad. The Fire HD also features two Dolby Digital speakers, and HDMI out. The 7-inch model ships September 14 for $199. The 8.9-inch model ships November 20 for $299.

The Kindle Fire HD Goes 4G LTE

Last, but certainly not least, Amazon also announced the Kindle Fire HD with 4G LTE -- now that's a long name. Amazon is framing its highest-end tablet as a direct competitor to the new iPad. The device features 32GB of storage, and the super-affordable Amazon 4G LTE Package. Priced at $49.99/year, the package includes 250MB/month of data, 20GB of Amazon Cloud storage, and a $10 Amazon Appstore credit. Kindle Fire HD 4G ships for $499 on November 20.

Whispersync For Games

One of the more interesting tidbits during the Amazon event was Whispersync for Games. Kindle will now sync your scores, saves, etc. across its devices; no need to start your games all over when switching to a new device. 

Another Whispersync -- for voice -- will sync audiobooks with printed books. Essentially, the Kindle reads to you as you're reading the words. Kind of weird, but it sounds interesting. 

A huge show for Amazon, and the price of that long-winded Kindle Fire HD with 4G looks awfully tempting. What do you think?

Source: http://www.maclife.com/article/news/amazon_reveals_new_kindle_paperwhite_kindle_fire_hd_family

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