Jennifer Van Grove / VentureBeat
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
Amazon is planning to refresh all three of its Kindle tablets in the near future, according to a BGR report that cites anonymous sources familiar with the company’s plans.
Last year, Amazon dropped the price of its original Kindle Fire to $ 159 and introduced a new Kindle Fire HD and Kindle Fire HD 8.9-inch. But rather than introduce a new product, Amazon is apparently going to refresh each of those devices. If true, it could mean that Amazon is no longer worried about competition from the likes of Samsung or rival bookseller Barnes & Noble, which recently announced that it would partner with outside companies to produce its Nook tablets rather than producing the tablets itself.
We’ve asked Amazon for further comment, and will updated this post with any new information.
According to BGR’s sources, the standard Kindle Fire’s screen will still be 7 inches but will get an upgraded resolution from 1024-by-600 pixels to 1,280-by-800 pixels. The design probably won’t change much, but the nicer screen should be a selling point for people who want a low-priced tablet.
The Kindle Fire HD’s screen is also apparently getting an upgrade to 1,920-by-1, 200 pixels (up from 1,280-by-800 pixels), as is the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD’s screen to 2,560-by-1, 600 (up from 1,920-by-1, 200 pixels). One thing to note about the 8.9-inch screen’s rumored resolution upgrade is that it would be better than Apple’s 10-inch iPad Retina Display screen. Both the Kindle Fire HD tablets will be lighter and a new body that features a sloped back and less pronounced curved edges. Also, the volume buttons are relocating to the side.
BGR’s sources indicate that the refreshed line of Kindle Fire tablets should be available to consumers just before the holiday season begins. That means Amazon will continue its practice of refreshing its tablet devices once per year.
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