Amazon has been doing a damn fine job of developing new hardware for people. From the Fire TV to the Echo, we’ve been pretty impressed with what they’ve been doing, and today they’ve revealed the latest and greatest coming to their line of “Fire” products…and they look pretty swanky.
First, let’s talk about the NEW Fire TV. The latest iteration of the box-top device (which is still my primary TV option) is coming in a pair of new models. Both of them have a bigger harddrive than normal, allowing for more apps, but also allow for 4K streaming options, giving you the highest quality possible. The second version is designed specifically for gamers, and comes with the controller, an even bigger HDD, and two games. Here’s some more info:
The new Amazon Fire TV is available for pre-order today for just $99.99 and will start shipping on October 5. Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote is available for pre-order today for $49.99 at www.amazon.com/fire-tv-voice and will start shipping October 22. Fire TV Stick is also still available for purchase for $39.99 at www.amazon.com/fire-tv-stick.
Fire TV devices have the most channels, apps, and games of any streaming media player, and are the easiest way to enjoy movies, TV shows, music, and live TV from services such as Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO NOW, Hulu, WatchESPN, SHOWTIME ANYTIME, Sling TV, STARZ PLAY, ENCORE PLAY, NBC News, Prime Music, Spotify, Pandora, Vevo, Plex, A&E, YouTube.com, and more. Plus, the new Amazon Fire TV provides access to more 4K Ultra HD movies than any other streaming media player, with 4K content from Netflix, Amazon Video, and Prime Video. Already available in 4K are shows and movies from Amazon Video such as Transparent, Better Call Saul, American Hustle, and Amazing Spiderman 2, as well as shows and movies such as Narcos and Marvel’s Daredevil from Netflix.
“The team has packed an incredible amount of technology and innovation into a tiny package,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO. “The new Fire TV includes 4K support, more processing power, Alexa integration, the largest selection, and exclusive features—for less than $100. The new Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote brings voice search and Alexa integration for less than $50. These are powerful devices at incredible prices.”
Gaming on Fire TV is now better than ever. Today, Amazon introduced a new version of Fire TV designed for affordable, high-quality gaming. Amazon Fire TV Gaming Edition includes the all-new Fire TV, the new Fire TV Game Controller, a 32 GB microSD card, and two popular games: Shovel Knight and Disney’s Ducktales—all for just $139.99 (regularly $187.95).
All right, let’s move on from sitting in front of your TV and talk about some tablets. Today, they revealed the brand new Fire HD tablets, but beyond that, they also revealed this really cool $50 tablet:
Amazon today introduced a groundbreaking new tablet for under $50. The new Fire tablet includes a quad-core processor, 7” IPS display, front- and rear-facing cameras, up to 128GB of expandable storage, exclusive Amazon features and services, and access to the world’s best content ecosystem—all for just $49.99. Customers can also choose to buy Fire as a six-pack for less than $250.
Fire delivers a world-class entertainment experience. With access to over 38 million movies, TV shows, songs, books, apps, and games, as well as exclusive features like X-Ray, ASAP, and Second Screen, Fire is great for watching movies, playing games, reading books, listening to music, and more. With expandable storage via microSD card and features like On Deck you’ll never worry about running out of entertainment, whether jumping on a plane or heading out on a family road trip.
Best display of any tablet in its price class—Unlike other low-cost tablets that use TN displays, Fire’s 7” IPS display offers a great viewing experience with vivid and accurate color reproduction that can be seen at all angles.
Quad-core 1.3 GHz processor—2x more processing power than Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 Lite at less than half the price; quickly and easily switch between apps, stream movies, and browse the web without waiting for your tablet to catch up.
Durability—As measured in tumble tests, Fire is almost 2x more durable than the latest generation iPad Air.
Front- and rear-facing cameras—Video chat with friends and family with the front-facing camera; take and share photos, and save them for later with free, unlimited cloud storage for all photos taken on Fire devices.
Up to 128GB of expandable storage via microSD—Enjoy even more videos, music, games, and photos while offline.
All-day battery life—Delivers up to 7 hours of reading, browsing the web, listening to music, and watching video.
Fire OS 5 “Bellini”—Includes an updated user interface that replicates the look and feel of a magazine, making browsing and searching for your content easier than ever—what you want is just one tap away; plus, Fire OS 5 includes hundreds of new and upgraded features and platform updates, plus Amazon-exclusive services.
Amazon Underground—A one-of-a-kind app store experience where over $10,000 in apps, games and even in-app items are actually free—including extra lives, unlocked levels, unlimited add-on packs, and more.
Frankly speaking, I love this option. While it’s obviously not as high powered as the HD models (which I’ll share more on in a second), if you’re looking to get a cheap tablet for a kiddo or just to have, this is pretty perfect. It won’t break the bank, but can still do all you need. If you WANT more horsepower, then check out the details on the Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10:
Amazon today introduced all-new Fire HD tablets, designed from the ground up for entertainment with a stunning 8” or 10.1” widescreen HD display, an incredibly thin and light design, quad-core processor, stereo speakers with Dolby Audio, front- and rear-facing cameras, and microSD card support providing up to 128GB of expandable storage. Fire HD also introduces Fire OS 5 “Bellini,” which brings the best entertainment experience on any tablet, with an updated user interface, deep integration of Amazon-exclusive services, and hundreds of new and upgraded features and platform updates.
With its 8” display, Fire HD 8 is the perfect tablet for web browsing, reading, or gaming. It is available in four color options: black, magenta, blue, and tangerine, and offers an incredible value at only $149.99. Fire HD 10 is Amazon’s largest tablet yet, with a 10.1” display that is perfect for widescreen entertainment. Available in two color options, black and white, it’s only $229.99. Fire HD tablets start shipping September 30.
New Fire HD features:
Thin and light industrial design—at 7.7mm, Amazon’s thinnest tablets ever.
Crisp and vivid HD display with over 1 million pixels; with a 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio, Fire HD 8 offers 15% more HD video viewing area and Fire HD 10 offers 22% more HD video viewing area than similarly-sized tablets with a 4:3 aspect ratio.
Powerful quad-core processor running at up to 1.5 GHz for fast app switching and fluidity.
As measured in tumble tests, Fire HD is almost 2x more durable than the latest generation iPad Air.
Up to 128GB of expandable storage via microSD—enjoy even more videos, music, games, and photos while offline.
Stereo speakers with Dolby Audio, which are custom-tuned for immersive, high-quality sound.
Powered by the latest version of Fire OS—Fire OS 5 “Bellini”—with an updated user interface that is inspired by the beautiful layouts of high-quality magazines, making it fun to browse for your next movie, song, or book, or easy to pick up where you left off. Plus, Fire OS 5 includes hundreds of new and upgraded features, platform updates, and Amazon-exclusive services.
Amazon has been carving out a pretty substantial niche with their devices, and today’s new announcements make it clear that they plan to keep going strong with them. Which are these are you most looking forward to?
-Jordan
