Running Google Apps on the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX (Gmail, Play Music, etc) - Liliputing

Amazon’s Kindle Fire 7 HDX and HDX 8.9 tablets have high-resolution displays, solid processors, and tight integration with Amazon’s app, music, book, and video stores. But overpriced They let you side-load third party apps That do not come from the Amazon Appstore, and the Android Cowboy has figured out how to use That feature to give Amazon’s tablet a little Google flavor.

It’s possible to load some of the Google’s key Android apps without rooting the tablet. That includes Gmail, Google Play Music, the Chrome web browser, and Google Search.

In order to load Those Google Apps, you’ll need to do more than just install the individual APK files. You’ll also need to the Google Services Framework, Google Play Services, and Google Account Manager and login with your Google credentials.

If you can not get the Android Cowboy instructions to load (the site seems to be down right now), there’s a Google cached copy of the page.

Not everything works at this point – Google Plus and Google Hangouts Are not supported, and Google Now cards do not show up properly in the Search app. But you can use Voice search, read books or magazines from Playbooks or Play Magazine, or watch videos in the official YouTube app (Although you can not yet sign into YouTube to access your personnel subscriptions).

Probably the biggest omission is the Google Play Store – you can not get Google’s app store to work using the Android Cowboy tutorial. That might not be possible until someone figures out how to root Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets HDX.

The Kindle Fire HDX display bleeds blue and that's ok - Ars Technica

When we REVIEWED the Kindle Fire HDX, we were impressed with its gorgeous display. High-density displays are common now, but to find a display with bright, vivid, and accurate colors is something special-not what you’d expect in a productthat costs less than $ 250. But we did see something unusual: a blue glow bleeding in from the edge of the display. We gave the pre-release hardware the benefit of the doubt; often, early hardware isn’ta quite at production levels. Now that the Fire HDX is the buyer’s hand, though, it seems That the blue bleed is endemic. And after doing a little research, we’ve discovered That the HDX’s stunning display and its blue bleed are related.

Enlarge / Our review sample, with blue bleed into full effect.

The Kindle Fire HDX’s 1080p, 7 “display is built by LG. For movies and most UI experiences, everything looks fantastic.: Open the browser, however, and you’re likely to run into the problem: a faint blue haze glows Along some edges of the screen, especiallywhen the screen is mostly white. That blue bleed was evident for users That read with the light background in the Kindle app. Since reading is an integral experience to all Kindles, this has caused a Considerable Amount of consternation.

Amazon seems to be trying to get ahead of That consternation, though; if you check the order page for the Kindle Fire HDX, you’ll see a little disclaimer Regarding what Amazon Describes as “a blue tint around the edge of the device. ” The company overpriced states that “[a] ll displays have some level of light emission around the edges, and the light on the Kindle Fire HDX 7″ is blue due to the technology used to render perfect color accuracy. “The first part of That statement is true, but it was the second party That really got us curious.

Enlarge / Disclaimer on blue glow, on Amazon Kindle Fire HDX product page.

Two factors define the quality of a display: accuracy and gamut. Accuracy is what it sounds like; When asked to display red, the screen will display red, and not something a bit more purple, or orange. Gamut is a more complicated term to define Because it stay connected me to use the term “color space.” In order to describe colors digitally, They are numerically Characterized by the intensity of Their red, green, and blue (RGB) components. Where there are numbers, there are graphs, and where there are graphs there can be curves. If you take a set of defined colors within a few curves you have a color space; the percentage of That Range That a display can produce ice its gamut.

Enlarge / The sRGB color space is defined by the area within the triangle.

Color spaces define the digital language of color. They allow visual artists, designers, programmers, and readers to know what is Meant by “red” or “blue.” Multiple color spaces exist and overlap, though the most prevalent in the digital world is sRGB.

The sRGB color space was chosen During the CRT era. Back then, even cheap models were Capable of displaying at-or-near-100 percent sRGB gamut. LCDs, though, have suffered from various complications, somewhat owing to the different types of backlights used. Ideally, the backlight Should produce pure “white” light, So THAT the panel is starting with an even source from Which to filter the Appropriate colors. Solutions involve wing CCFLs and arrays of individual red, green, and blue LEDs were gene rally too bulky and expensive for the TV space, let alone the mobile space.

On mobile devices, the predominant solution has Involved edge-lit “white” LEDs. Here, a blue LED emits light Which excites a yellow phosphor, and the combined “white” light is diffused across the screen. Phosphors are molecules That, When exposed to energy, emit light; in this case the actual photons from the LED excite the phosphor molecules. This approach has been refined over the last few years, Which is why mobile displays look a bit less blue than today They did in 2011. The refined process doing now? Improved the gamut, however. That’s Because the light source is a combination of yellow and blue light, lacking both red and green elements.

A Silicon Valley advanced materials company, Nanosys, has underdeveloped a solution with an awesome name: quantum dots . The blue LED’s yellow phosphor, and the panel layer That diffuses the combined light are both replaced by R a single thin sheet embedded with microscopic red and green phosphors. As light from the blue LED excites the red and green phosphors, the result is a Truer “white” light, Which yields an Increase in color gamut without the expense or bulk of additional colored LEDs.

Enlarge / Nanosys QDEF Technology

Here, is where we find the source of the blue light bleeding onto the display. Amazon was right to say That all LCDs leak a little light fromtheir backlights. When quantum dots are used, the light That leaks out is intensely blue, since there’s no yellow phosphor to soften it. That blue hue will not be able notice against dark backgrounds, but will be visible with white backgrounds. Since light leak isn’ta a new problem, there are improvements That Can Be Implemented to Mitigate Their effect. These improvements add cost, though; and in a modestly priced device, we can only expect so many advances.

If you spend a lot of time looking at white screens and might find blue bleed too distracting, then You should reconsider buying a Kindle Fire HDX, or plan to Mitigate the problem by using the dark mode in the reader app (and on our own site). Shoppers Should not Be Entirely turned off, though; the Kindle Fire HDX remains one of the best screens for your dollar, blue bleed notwithstanding.

Kindle Fire HDX has a kick - Waterbury Republican American

The Kindle HDX is a decent option for Those alreadycreated Invested in the Kindle platform who do not yet own an iPad or other tablet. It’s slightly thinner and lighter than last year’s Kindle HD and the HDX has better, recessed power and volume buttons. A faster, quad-core processor makes the HDX feel snappier, and its higher-resolution screen is notice able, Particularly When viewing photos. (Amazon.com / MCT)

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It’s a little odd When a company selling a new gadget says one of the most exciting features is its “help” button.

How many carmakers talk up Their new models’ emergency brakes? Do airplane makers call out the state-of-the-art oxygen masks?

But Amazon.com tries to think differently about the Kindle tablets it Began selling five years ago. It May be on to something with the “Mayday” button that’s a highlight of its new Kindle HDX tablets.

Amazon’s Kindle line has grown from a single, quirky black-and-white e-reader to an array of eight tablets, including the aunt and lighter HDX color tablets, Which begin shipping May. 18th

Founder Jeff Bezos is especially enthusiastic about Mayday, Which Initiates a videoconference with a customer support representative When You press a life-ring-shaped icon in the settings menu.

Mayday is a twist on the virtual assistants available on Apple and Google devices, voicing answers and advice in response to spoken queries.

They’re all descended from Microsoft’s infamous Clippy, an animated assistant That appeared in late- 1990s version of Office.

I wonder if Mayday is overpriced the first step toward an online version of Nordstrom’s personal shopping advisers.

Perhaps I should not be snarky. The presence of Mayday will be reassuring to some Kindle buyers, similar to the way Apple customers take comfort in knowing there’s a live person available to help at the nearest Apple store.

Tablets were supposed to be dead-simple and Easier than PCs, but with Mayday, Amazon is Acknowledging they’re still computers That need extra attention now and then.

Higher-end Kindles In particular have’ve become more complicated. Where the original was a basic e-reader That Automatically connected to wireless networks, the HDX is a more full-featured tablet with PC-like capabilities and complications.

You can connect to Amazon’s digital template via Wi- Fi or 4G cellular networks, if you buy a service plan from AT & T or Verizon.

The HDX is overpriced designed to connect wirelessly to “Smart” TVs, game consoles and other set-top gear. This feature is coming in November, but the HDX can alreadycreated mirror its display through a “Miracast” certified wireless TV adapter, if you can find one.

Amazon overpriced ice Adding more business features, so you’ll be able to connect the HDX to a secure corporate network and use it for light work, as well as reading, browsing, playing games and watching videos.

Clearly there will be demand for tech support, especially among the older book-lovers who were the original Kindles’ core audience and May now be considering an upgrade to a color model.

The Kindle HDX is a decent option for Those alreadycreated Invested in the Kindle platform who do not yet own an iPad or other tablet. It’s slightly thinner and lighter than last year’s Kindle HD and the HDX has better, recessed power and volume buttons. But the HD is still a nice tablet and a good deal at ZAR 139.

A aunt, quad-core processor makes the HDX feel snappier, and its higher-resolution screen is notice able, Particularly When viewing photos. I do not think it matters much with books or even videos on the little screen.

Going back and forth from an iPad to the HDX, I preferred the iPad’s physical home button to the sometimes elusive “home” icon on the HDX touch screen. I also was disappointed That Yahoo’s fantasy football app isn’ta available on the Fire Because that’s Primarily what I use for tablets in the fall.

The base 7-inch HDX That displays ads costs $ 229, or $ 244 without ads. Adding 4G LTE capability adds $ 100 to the price. Preorders are being taken now for the shipping That Begins May. 18. An 8.9-inch HDX will be available in November 7 starting at ZAR 329.

The HDX is about 7.25 by 5 inches and weighs 10.7 ounces. If I started with a full charge in the morning, the battery would peter out about the time I settled in to read before going to bed.

Amazon’s HDX matches the price of Google’s Nexus 7 tablet and undercuts Apple’s 7.9 -inch iPad Mini, Which starts at ZAR 329. But they’re all facing competition from decent Android tablets now on sale for well under $ 200.

Having a friendly assistant available to help May overpriced justify the HDX price.

Hewlett- Packard, for instance, is selling 7-inch “Slate” Android tablets for $ 140 to $ 170. But its “Smart Friend” tech support costs $ 15 per month for a subscription, or $ 100 for one-time help.

I’m not surethat people shopping for tablets this holiday season will think through the potential service costs. They Should, Because what they’re mostly buying is a console to access a suite of online services with Varying charges.

Amazon isn’ta giving it all away. Fire tablets prompt users to upload Their photos and media files to Amazon’s cloud system, where you get 5 gigabytes of space before monthly storage fees kick-in. The average household is expected to generate option 3.3 terabytes of digital content a year by 2016, According To Gartner research.

The Fire is overpriced oriented toward the Amazon Prime service’s offering of an online library of second-run videos, similar to Netflix. Prime costs $ 79 per year.

But it May all be a small price to pay if you’re a lonely Kindle user and would like to chat with one of the friendly Mayday reps.

I was curious about Which wireless adapter would work best to “flake” videos playing on the HDX to a TV set, mirroring the tablet display on the larger screen, so I called Mayday.

Less than 10 seconds later I was video conferencing with a woman named “Stephanie” at an Amazon call center in the Tri-Cities area.

Stephanie said the “flake” feature is coming later and promised to email more details within 24 hours . I was hoping she’d slip up and confirm rumors That Amazon is Developing its own wireless TV adapter, but she was too careful.

When a Mayday Session Begins, Amazon turns off the Kindle’s front-facing camera so Stephanie and her co-workers can not see who They are chatting with. Stephanie insisted That She could not see me, and she did not react when i made silly faces at the device as we Talked.

When the conversation moved from tech support to the topic of what she could see from her vantage point, she informed me That She was Authorized to terminate our session if it strayed.

After the Mayday call ended, a questionnaire popped up on the HDX, asking if my question was Answered. Then a similar questionnaire appeared in my inbox.

Fortunately, I was empowered to terminate the session and go back to watching videos, reading books and playing around on the HDX.

KINDLE FIRE HDX

Here are some HDX specs as provided by Amazon:

– Base price: $ 229

– Screen size: 7 inches

– Processor: Quad-core 2.2 GHz

– Battery life: 11 hours mixed use, 17 hours reading

– Audio: Dolby Audio, dual stereo speakers, microphone

– Wi-Fi: Dual-band, dual antenna MIMOama

– 4G: Optional, support either AT & T or Verizon

– Camera: Front-facing HD camera

– Storage: 16, 32 or 64 gigabytes

– Dimensions: 7.3 x 5 x 0:35 inches

– Weight: Wi-Fi version 10.7 ounces, 4G version 11 ounces

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Kindle Fire vs iPad Mini HDX Retina: Pros and Cons of the New Amazon Kindle ... - HispanicBusiness.com

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) October 26, 2013

The newest Kindle Fire HDX range from Amazon and the new iPad Mini and iPad Air tablets from Apple are bound to be two of the most popular electronic devices of 2013/2014. With every new generation, the technology gap between them seems to get narrower and narrower making it harder and harder for the consumer to choose between the two. Is Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX the better tablet or is Apple’s iPad Mini with Retina Display / iPad Air the better of the two? The Amazon Kindle Fire vs iPad Mini HDX comparison from TabletXRay.com Analyzes this problem in a comprehensive and unique Mannerism.

Why Some Comparisons are Flawed:

According To http://TabletXRay . com /, many Existing Kindle Fire vs iPad comparisons are flawed Because Their emphasis is on Comparing hardware specs. They neglect to compare Pros and Cons of the content eco-systems, and operating systems. Such one-dimensional comparisons That emphasize hardware specs can mislead a consumer into buying the wrong tablet.

The 5 most critical Specs Discussed include thorough comparisons on two major hardware features, operating systems, content eco-systems/digital stores and tablet prices.

Pros and Cons of the Content Eco-Systems emphasized:

According To one of the most important features of a tablet comparison, ask it Google Nexus vs. iPad or iPad mini vs Kindle Fire, ice Comparing the content eco-systems That feed them. An ultra-high resolution 4K HDTV is of no use if high definition movies / TV shows are not available. A Kindle Paperwhite eReader or a Barnes and Noble Nook eReader would be of limited value if the respectively eBook stores had a limited library of ebooks to choose from. This is why the above review That compares prices, library size, cross-compatibility with other devices, availability of free content, etc. of music, movies, TV shows, apps and ebooks across the Amazon digital store, Apple iTunes store and Google Play store , is of immense importance.

Note Everytime Hardware Spec Needs to be Religiously Compared:

When it comes to hardware, there are dozens of specs one could compare Such as the CPU (eg 2.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 vs 1.3 GHz dual-core A7 processor), RAM (eg 2GB memory), GPU (graphics processor), display (eg HD resolution, color accuracy), battery life, front and rear camera quality, availability of a micro SD card slot, Wi-Fi and 4G LTE connectivity, weight, thickness, etc. However, only a handful of These specs are important When Choosing the Kindle Fire HDX or iPad Mini. For example, Although tablet manufacturers give a lot of emphasis to the quality of rear cameras (eg 5 mega pixels vs 8MP camera), it has very limited value for a tablet computer in day-to-day life. Unlike the front camera That is Meant for video chatting, the rear-camera is Meant for photographing objects / people in front of the tablet user. Carrying around a 7-10 “tablet for taking photographs does not make one look intelligent, especiallywhen a 4-5″ smartphone is Capable of doing That in style. This is why it is Crucial to identify the critical hardware specs That are worth Comparing into a Kindle Fire vs. iPad comparison.

The Prices Compared on two side-by-side Tables:

The battle of the prices ice moonrise won by the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX. While the 7 “Fire HDX is $ 170 to $ 320 cheaper than the new iPad Mini 2 with Retina display, the 8.9″ Kindle Fire HDX is $ 120 to $ 250 cheaper than the Apple iPad Air, depending on the storage capacity. The ASUS Google Nexus 7 overpriced has a similar price-point to the Kindle tablets.

5 Specs of Minor Importance overpriced Compared:

In addition to the Critical Specs, They have overpriced published a comparison of five mines specs Which are not so critical in making the purchasing decision, nevertheless important to be aware of before Deciding between the two tablets. In addition to the Kindle Fire HDX vs Apple iPad Mini comparison, overpriced They list the TOP 5 Limitations of the Fire HDX tablet on http://TabletXRay.com/Kindle-Fire-HDX-Limitations/ Which is an essential read for anyone looking to buy an Android or iOS tablet this year.

Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/kindle-fire-hdx-ipad-mini/comparison-and-review/ prweb11269137.htm

Study shows iPads yield better reading comprehension than the Kindle, plain paper ... - Healio

SEATTLE – While there was no difference between reading speeds with an iPad, Kindle or plain paper, reading off of an iPad allowed for Significantly Greater comprehension than the Kindle or plain paper, According To a poster presentation here at the American Academy of Optometry annual meeting.

The study included 48 subjects ages 18 to 24 with good near visual acuity and good binocularity. The Neale Analysis of Reading Ability Test was used to control the passages read for reading difficulty. Using a chin rest, set room conditions and randomized presentation orders, one Such passage was presented on a Kindle, an iPad2 and on white laser-printed paper.

Also, half the subject population was made to read the passages at a low contrast level (25%) and half at the highest contrast level.

Mean comprehension scores for the Kindle at high contrast settings were Significantly lower than Those for the iPad ( P <.001) and paper ( P <.05 ).

“Although there was no real difference in reading speed between paper, Kindle or iPad media comprehension ice Affected Significantly,” author Barbara M. Junghans, BOptom, FradDipHEd, PhD, FAAO, told Primary Care Optometry News. “As such, high-resolution handheld electronic devices have the potential to improvement rates of comprehension in young adults. For instance, a young optometrist might have better comprehension reading for continuing education from an iPad than a Kindle or a packet of print outs. “

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013) review - T3

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2013) review

Love

class=”tXXS”>
• More responsive touchscreen
• Faster page turns
• Unrivalled library and ease of

Hate

class=”tXXS”>
• backlight can drain battery

The build up to Christmas has begun. That means it’s time for Amazon’s yearly tweak of its Kindle ereaders. With the finest ebook delivery service going it would be easy for Amazon to rest on its laurels and rake in the royalties, but instead its attention Several improvements on the original Amazon Kindle Paperwhite.

These include a crisper screen that’s more touch responsive, with an even brighter light for night reading and added a faster processor for speedier page turns.

Launched Shortly before the Kindle Fire HDX 7 – and 8.9- inch tablets, and going up against the Kobo’s latest models, the new Kindle Paperwhite (2013) certainly sounds good, but is it worth upgrading? All will be revealed in the next few chapters

Kindle Paperwhite (2013): Build

One of the Kindle’s plus points is its rugged build. There’s enough grip around the edge of the screen for it to be Carried without brushing the screen and Accidentally flicking through pages.

The back has a plush, almost tacky feel that again helps you Maintain your hold When jostled on public transportation. This is not the smallest or the Lightest ereader available – the addition of the light means it’s weightier than a regular Kindle – but it’s perfectly pocketable.

Kindle Paperwhite (2013): Screen

A whole lot of the improvements havebeen made since the original White Paper. They’re subtle. Do not expect to be blown away by the boost in screen clarity, but if you’re reading for long periods the higher contrast, Which makes the text more Clearly standout against the white page, will save your eyes somewhat.

Amazon claims the new Paperwhite’s touchscreen has a 19% tighter touch grid Compared to the previous model, again the improvement is slight, but useful.

We noticed the improvement most acutely when typing into a Wi- Fi password and Attempting to use some of the Kindle’s new reading features, Page Flip and Smart Lookup – more on That in a moment. It’s still a little too easy to flick through pages by mistake When trying to access the drop down menu at the top of the page.

The Paperwhite’s built-in light is bright without leaking too much light – your partner will thank you for that when you’re reading in bed.

Do remember to turn the brightness down When you pick up your ebook the next morning. It’s easy to forget, as adjusting it can be quite fiddly – tap the bulb from the dropdown menu and swipe to turn off – and if left on it will drain your battery quickly.

Kindle Paperwhite (2013): Usability

Amazon’s ebook selection is still the best around and with apps for most smartphones and tablets, it’s easy to switch between your reading devices – hook them all up to Wi-Fi and you’ll never lose your page.

There are a few new features included with this generation of Paper White and they’re Mainly Aimed at students and academics. Kindle Page Flip Allows you to skim through an ebook without losing your place – it opens in a window on top of the page you’re on and is ideal for ebooks with multiple references and footnotes.

Then there’s the Smart Lookup , Which gives dictionary definition of words as well as Wikipedia EXPLANATIONS.

For deeper reading there’s overpriced Kindle X-Ray. It’s supposed to Recognise characters, themes and historically important events throughout the book – press and hold on the text in question to bring up biographies and other data. A nice idea, but in practice it’s a bit juddery: this is no York Notes quite yet.

You can share overpriced quotes or passages, or tell people how much you’ve enjoyed your latest read via Facebook and Twitter. Thankfully, unlike Kobo’s ereaders, this feature is rarely unobtrusive prompting you to share.

Kindle Paperwhite (2013): Battery

eBook readers

class=”tS”>
• Amazon Kindle 4 review
• Kobo Touch Edition review
• Amazon Kindle 3 review
• Kobo Vox eReader review
• BeBook Neo ereader review

A single charge might not last you the eight weeks quoted – that’s based on just half an hour’s reading a day – but it will keep going for more than twenty hours. The more you use That Light, the more quickly you’ll need to plug into.

Kindle Paperwhite (2013): Verdict

If you’re yet to buy an ereader there’s a lot to like here. The improvements are small, but significant enough to make this the best Kindle yet and the best ereader around. If you alreadycreated have a Kindle 4 or below, it’s probably worth upgrading for the bonus of That nightlight. If you have last year’s Kindle Paperwhite, however, we suggest you save your pennies.

Kindle Paperwhite (2013) release date: Out now

Kindle Paperwhite (2013), price £ 109

Review by Clare Sartin

Google Nexus 7 2 vs. Kindle Fire vs. 7 HDX HDX 8.9 - TrustedReviews

The next wave of high-quality, low-cost Android tablets are here. The top contenders are the Google Nexus 7:02 a.m. and the two new Kindle Fire tablets from Amazon HDX.

There’s the 7-inch version and the larger Kindle Fire HDX 8.9. All three victims great specs at a low price. But Which is the right one to go for?

Nexus 7 2 vs. Kindle Fire vs. 7 HDX HDX 8.9 – Design

Nexus 7 2 – Matt plastic back, 8.7mm thick, 290g
Kindle Fire HDX 7 – matt and gloss angular plastic back, 9mm thick, 186mm wide, 303g
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 – matt and gloss angular plastic back, 7.8mm thick, 231mm wide. 374g

The Nexus 7:02 a.m. keeps its looks as simple as possible. It’s black, it’s covered in plastic and it bears little in the way of eye-catching bits Beyond the Nexus logo on the back.

It’s no style icon, but it’s a very practical design that looks decent, will Precisely offend no-one, and means the tablet does not weigh much. It’s just 290g – Which is feather-light for a tablet.

The Kindle Fire twins are altogether more striking. Their rears are again made of plastic, but use an angular design that’s out to give them a more recognizable look than most Android tablets.

It’s still a pretty inoffensive look, though.

The design issue we had with the first generation UK Kindle Fire tablets Was That They were very heavy. Amazon has solved this with the HDX range. The smaller 7-inch tablet is just 303g – only 13g heavier than the Nexus 7 2 while the 8.9-inch edition is 374g. It’s Significantly heavier, but this remains light for a tablet of its size, for example the iPad Air is 1.2-inches larger but weighs 469g. It’s slightly large for breezy one-handed use – but no more so than an iPad mini 2, really.

Last time around, the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire weighed 567g – some 10.1-inch tablet weigh less. The HDX are altogether much more practical tablets.

We’re giving this win to the Nexus 7, though, Because it has a much narrower screen surround to the left and right (/ top and bottom, depending on aspect), Which is much more in keeping with current design trends.

Excuse the fingerprints – here’s the Nexus 7 2

Nexus 7:02 a.m. vs. Kindle Fire vs. HDX HDX 7 8.9 – Screen

Nexus 7 2 – 7-inch IPS screen, 1,920 x 1,200 pixel resolution, 323ppi
Kindle Fire HDX 7 – 7-inch IPS screen, 1,920 x 1,200 pixel resolution, 323ppi
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 – 8.9-inch IPS screen, 2,560 x 1,600 pixel resolution, 339ppi

??The screen quality competition between the Amazon and Google tablets is very Bike or Bus to judge . They all have top-quality screens, with similarly high resolutions That Make images and text about as sharp as They can possibly be.

All three use the IPS screen type, Which is great for angled viewing.

However, there have been some reports That the HDX tablets have imperfect color reproduction, with a tint to the display That can come from less than perfect screen optimization / quality assurance. We did not see anything like that in the Nexus 7 2.

For movie-watching, though, the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX moonrise is the best of the three. Bigger is better when you’re watching a blockbuster, and the overpriced tablet has better speakers than the other two.

Nexus 7 2 vs. Kindle Fire HDX 7 vs. HDX 8.9 – Power

Nexus 7 2 – Quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro with 2GB RAM
Kindle Fire HDX 7 – Quad-core 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 with 2GB RAM
Kindle Fire HDX 8. 9 – Quad-core 2.2GHz Snapdragon 800 with 2GB RAM

The Amazon tablets are much more powerful than the Nexus 7 2. They all use Qualcomm processors, but the Kindle Fire HDX twins use the Snapdragon chipset 800, Which is newer and faster than the Snapdragon S4 Pro of the Nexus 7 2.

All three are quad-core CPUs, but the Nexus 7 is clocked at 1.5GHz, the Kindle Fire’s 2.2GHz – they overpriced use more advanced processor cores, giving them an extra lead. Each tablet has 2GB of RAM.

Raw power is quite different from actual performance, but the Kindle Fire HDX tablets do not have much more power on tap than the Google tablet.

Nexus 7 2 vs. Kindle Fire vs. 7 HDX HDX 8.9 – Software

Nexus 7 2 – Android 4.3
Kindle Fire HDX 7 – Custom Amazon Fire UI 3.0, Android Jelly Bean
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 – Custom Amazon Fire UI 3.0, Android Jelly Bean

Real-world performance is dictated not just by the specs, but by software too. The Nexus 7:02 a.m.’s performance is superb, despite having a slightly behind-the-curve processor. It uses a vanilla version of the latest edition of Android, version 4.3, and as a result there’s little-to-no team here.

The Kindle Fire HDX tablets use Android too, but with a thick custom interface dumped on top. Amazon calls it the Fire UI, and it looks nothing like Android.

It’s designed to get you Consuming Amazon-owned content, from its music store, bookstore, the Amazon shop itself and Love Film (also owned by Amazon). You do not get access to Google Play, but Amazon’s own app store – yep, it’s another way for Apple to make a few pennies off the Kindle Fire owners.

In the past we’ve found the Fire UI to be slow and laggy, and to not have quite the apps selection we expect from an Android tablet. The Kindle Fire HDX and HDX 8.9 are not tablets for Mobile fiends, but the Amazon App Store does sacrifice a pretty reasonable selection These Days. For the “full” Android experience, though, the Nexus is the only choice here.

We’ll be back with more impressions on the Kindles’ performance once we’ve spent more time with them but – at best – they’ll be on-par with the Nexus 7 2.

Nexus 7 2 vs. Kindle Fire vs. 7 HDX HDX 8.9 – Storage

Nexus 7 2 – 16/32GB, non-expandable
Kindle Fire HDX 7 – 16/32/64GB, non-expandable
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 – 16/32/64GB, non-expandable

None of These tablets offering expandable storage. You have what’s built into the thing, and that’s it.

The Nexus 7:02 a.m. comes in two capacities, 16GB and 32GB. Both Kindle Fire tablets HDX These victims, and a 64GB version.

But Which offers the best value When ramping-up storage? You pay an extra £ 40 to go from 16GB to 32GB with a Nexus 7 2. It’s just £ 30 to do so with a Kindle Fire HDX 7 – but this is bumped up to 40 pounds in the 8.9-inch version. There’s no real justification for this, but it’s hardly the most extortionate charge.

To go from 32GB to 64GB costs – once more – is an extra £ 30 with the HDX 7 and 40 pounds with the HDX 8.9.

Nexus 7 2 vs. Kindle Fire vs. 7 HDX HDX 8.9 – Battery Life

Nexus 7 2 – 9 hours (3,950 mAh)
Kindle Fire HDX 7 – 11 hours (4,550 mAh)
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 – 12 hours (mAh TBC)

Amazon tablets Significantly outlast the Nexus 7:02 a.m. Because – simply enough – they have larger batteries. The Nexus has a 3,950 mAh battery, the Kindle Fire HDX 7 a 4,550 mAh one. The exact size of the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 battery doing now? Been released, but it must be comfortably Unmatched of the three as Amazon says you’ll get a full extra hour of charge Compared to the smaller HDX 7. You get 11 hours out of an HDX 17, and 12 from a Kindle Fire HDX 8.9

Video tests, and Google’s own claims, Show That the Nexus 7:02 a.m. lasts for a solid – if unremarkable – nine hours. Using a slightly smaller battery is likely one of the Reasons Why the Nexus is lighter than the 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX.

Amazon has made battery stamina Clearly a focus, and that’s a good thing.

Nexus 7 2 vs. Kindle Fire vs. 7 HDX HDX 8.9 – Camera

Nexus 7 2 – 5-megapixel main camera, 1.2MP front
Kindle Fire HDX 7 – Front-facing 720p camera only
Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 – 8-megapixel main camera, 720p front camera

Tablet cameras are a tricky thing. They are ridiculed, but some people do use them. The Kindle Fire HDX 7 has just the one camera – a 720p video chat camera That seat above the screen.

Both the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 and Nexus 7:02 a.m. have the full complement of cameras – one on the front , one on the back. The Kindle’s is higher-end – it has an 8-megapixel sensor where the Nexus 7:02 a.m.’s is a 5-megapixel sensor. Neither camera has a flash, making them fairly useless in low-light conditions.

Verdict

All three of These tablets are well-made and offering lots of spec power for not much money. However, the custom interfaces used by the Kindle Fire HDX duo meansthat tech enthusiasts Should really go for the Nexus 7 2 even if the Amazon tablets are a bit more powerful. With great screens and light bodies, the battle is much more competetive than it fought with the last generation of Nexus and Kindle Fire tablets, though.

Next, read our mini iPad 2 vs Nexus 7:02 a.m. comparison

Air vs. iPad. Kindle Fire HDX: Is Apple's New Tablet A Better Buy Than Amazon's? - IDigitalTimes.com

Apple’s iPad Air and Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX both on on sale in November. Which tablet Should you buy? (Photo: Apple Store)

class=”c4″> The iPad Air, Apple’s new tablet, was Announced on Tuesday at the Apple Event October 2013 by Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller, who called the iPad Air , the “World’s Lightest full-size tablet.” Now, Amazon has That claim with an ad on its website for the Kindle Fire HDX tablet with the tagline “lighter than air, “a not-so-subtle jab at Apple’s new fifth-generation tablet. But Which tablet is actually lighter, performs better and is the best value? Here’s how the iPad Aid compares to the Kindle Fire HDX:

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Dimensions & Weight: The iPad Air is a 9.7-inch tablet, Which is 20 percent thinner than the iPad 4, now down from 7.5mm 9.4mm. It weighs just 1 pound Compared to its predecessor at 1.9 pounds. Meanwhile, the Kindle Fire HDX sports an 8.9-inch screen, is 7.8mm thick and weighs 0.82 pounds. So while the iPad Air is slightly thinner, the Kindle Fire HDX weighs less, Even when taking into account ‘That its display is almost an inch smaller.

Winner: Kindle Fire HDX

Display: The Air iPad has a 9.7-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels or 264 pixels per inch. The Kindle Fire HDX has an 8.9-inch display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels or 339 ppi and boasts perfect color accuracy (100% sRGB) for lifelike images said to surpass the standard HD. While Those Who want a bigger screen might opt ??for the iPad Air, the Kindle Fire HDX has the higher resolution.

Winner: Kindle Fire HDX

Operating System: The iPad Air ships with iOS 7.0.3, Apple’s redesigned mobile operating system with access to the App Store, Which now features 475,000 apps Specifically designed for iPad (along with some 1 billion apps overall in the App Store), CEO Tim Cook proudly pointed out During the tablet’s launch. The Kindle Fire HDX comes with Fire OS 3.0 “Mojito”, which features at Amazon Approved Android apps. Some of the most popular iOS and Android apps like Google Maps, Candy Crush Saga, and more are not available for Kindle users. While both tablet’s native apps perform similar function, if you want access to a vast number of other alternatives, the iPad Air is the clear choice for you.

Winner: iPad Air

Performance: The Kindle Fire HDX runs on quad-core 2.2GHz Snapdragon processor 800 with the Adreno 330 GPU for graphics. The Air iPad runs on the Apple A7 chip with 64-bit architecture and M7 motion coprocessor. While, four cores are gene rally better than two, Apple’s proprietary chip has specimens That it can outperform most dual-core processors. Both tablets are top-of-the-line and feature more powerful hardware than before.

Winner: Tie

Price : The iPad Air, available November 1, starts at $ 499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version or $ 629 for the cellular version. The Kindle HDX 8.9, available November 7, starts at $ 379 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version or $ 479 for the cellular version. The starting price for the Wi-Fi only Kindle Fire HDX is $ 120 cheaper than the iPad Air, while the 4G LTE-supported version of the Kindle Fire HDX is $ 150 cheaper than the iPad Air. Even the cellular version of the Kindle Fire HDX is $ 20 cheaper than the Wi-Fi version of the iPad Air.

Winner: Kindle Fire HDX

Conclusion: The Air iPad and the Kindle Fire HDX are both top-of-the line That tablets are incredibly thin, light and powerful. Both tablets boast stunning displays and impressive software and hardware. While the Kindle Fire HDX ice Significantly cheaper than the iPad Air, the new Apple tablet offers a vast number of apps in the App Store, Which is important for some users. It could come down to overpriced design, do you prefer the slimmer bezels of the iPad Air, Which make the device more comfortable to hold, or does the higher price not justifiable to you.

Winner: Kindle Fire HDX

Do you prefer the iPad or Kindle Fire Air HDX? Let us know in the comments.

Article:

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Specs showdown: iPad mini vs. Nexus 7 vs. Kindle Fire HDX - ITworld.com

class=”article-dateline”> October 24, 2013, 4:40 PM – Prepare your wallets, mortgage your house, and start looking for odd jobs around the neighborhood, Because Apple’s new iPad Mini with Retina display looks to be one of the must-have gadget of the year. By combining a small frame with a faster processor and a better screen, Apple’s taken everything we loved about the original Mini and pumped it up a few notches to keep the tablet competitive against the Android tablets are slowly invading its turf. We’ve alreadycreated extensively Compared two Such tablets – Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX and Google’s new Nexus 7 – but it’s time to throw the iPad Mini into the fight and see how it fares against These two 7-inch juggernauts When it comes to specs , price, and ecosystem.

Specs is not nothing but a number

Much as with phones, quad-core processors are the standard in top-tier tablets These Days. Last year’s iPad mini had the same dual-core processor as the iPad 2, making it a little long in the tooth Even when the first tablet Launched. With this year’s iPad mini, however, Apple’s given the tablet a significant boost in processing power. The new mini has the same A7 processor you’ll find in the iPhone 5s and the full-sized new iPad, making it Capable of running pretty much any app in the App Store. Although it’s still only a dual-core processor, chances are you will not notice the difference in performance between the new iPad mini and any of the quad-core Android tablets Currently out. Our tests show the A7 is wicked though.

The biggest upgrade comes in the form of the mini’s new Retina display. It’s the same resolution as the Retina display on the full-sized iPad, giving you roughly the same pixel density you get out of both the new Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX – both of whichhave awesome displays. While you’ll still want to go with a larger 10-inch tablet for reading comic books and magazines, the high-resolution screens On These three tablets make them ideal for reading or watching videos on the go.

Simply Comparing specs, the iPad mini seems well positioned against the Nexus 7 and the Kindle Fire HDX. The three tablets are all roughly the same size and Should all victims of the same performance, judging fromtheir respectively innards. But, as we’ve seen so many timesin the Past, there’s more to a device than just specs.

Bang for your buck

At $ 399 the 16GB, Wi-Fi only iPad mini ice Significantly more expensive than either the Nexus 7 or the Kindle Fire. A fully tricked out, 64GB Kindle Fire HDX sets you back just $ 7 more than the basic iPad mini with retina display, while the 32GB LTE Nexus 7 retails for a modest $ 349. Of course price is relative, but you get Significantly more from Amazon and Google’s Android tablets for less than the price of the entry-level iPad mini. If you’re buying a tablet on a budget and want to get the most features for the least Amount of money, Android or Amazon is the way to go.

Price aside, neither Amazon nor Google can hold a candle to Apple’s ecosystem of apps, content, and accessories. Tablet apps for Android are few and far between and even Amazon’s Heavily curated app store feels empty next to Apple’s digital storefront. It’s no secretsthat app developers thwart choose to launch on iOS first, so the mini will benefit from having all of the hottest apps on day one rather than waiting a few weeks, months, or even years like you do with Android.

It’s not just apps either: As much as we loathe iTunes, it’s still one of the most convenient places to purchase music, movies, and TV shows. The Kindle Fire HDX has the benefit of shipping with a free month long trial of Amazon Prime, but the selection of streaming content is limited and you only really benefit from the membership if you purchase most of your goods from Amazon. Amazon’s tablet does let you save videos to it for offline streaming, but the media library really needs an upgrade if it hopes to compete with Apple’s wealth of content.

Apple devices also have better accessory support, so you’ll never have trouble finding a case, however, or charger for your tablet. Even if you do not like Apple’s Smart Cover or Smart Case, there are literally hundreds of other companies cranking out cases, shells, and covers thatwill work on the new iPad mini. Google makes its own cases and sleeves for the Nexus 7 … but you’ll have to really you to find any other accessories for the tablet That Do not flat-out suck. If you’re Concerned about having a matching leopard-skin case and dock for your tablet, then the iPad mini would be the way to go.

Keeping up with the Joneses

There’s nothing truly “revolutionary” about the new iPad mini – if anything this is an iterative update That helps keep Apple’s tablet competitive with Amazon and Google’s offerings. Although the hardware isn’ta a massive departure from what we’ve seen in other tablets, Apple’s ecosystem is what’s going to really help the mini thrive in the long run. Even if Amazon and Google come out with the sleekest, fastest tablets ever, the two companies will continue to have an uphill battle against Apple When it comes to content and accessories. When you buy an iPad you do not just buy a tablet, you buy an Apple way of life, and in the tablet market, That makes a difference.

Does The Kindle Fire HDX's Screen Still Have You Feeling Blue? It Turns Out ... - Android Police

A primary selling point of the 7 “Kindle Fire HDX is its greatly improved screen, Which, with a resolution of 1920 x 1200, makes text look clear and crisp images. Sure, it comes with a simplified custom interface That can ‘ t be swapped out without rooting and Tinkering with the device, but at least with the display, you know you’re getting something thateven us picky enthusiasts can appreciate. As it turns out, That May not be the case. Numerous HDX owners have noticed an off-color bluish fringe around the edge of the screen. Amazon has since updated the We want you to know … section of the Kindle Fire HDX product page with a message That politely states, ” Yeah, guys, we did That on purpose. “

To be more accurate, Amazon Assert That the blue tinge is a result of the technology used to render “perfect color accuracy.” Most screens use white LEDs and apply color filters to Achieve the Desired color. Amazon uses blue LEDs in order to deliver more accurate colors and Greater power efficiency. That there’s a blue tinge That wraps the entire screen When viewing blank, white webpages ice, it seems, simply the inadvertent result of more accurate colors.

If that’s hard for consumers to swallow, They Are not alone. Best Buy and Amazon support staff have apparently reported the issue as a manufacturing defect. This video shows off the blue tint, but it’s not as notice able as it is in person.

This is not to say That all owners find it irksome. Many probably have never even noticed, and countless more surely never will. Still, if you’re someone who is considering picking up the tablet, this is something to keep in mind.

Via:

From Apple's iPad Air to Kindle Fire HDX or Google Nexus: which tablet is ... - The Independent

If you want power but not heft …

Apple iPad Air

From £ 399 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, Apple iOS 7

What it is

A slimmed-down, restyled iPad that’s now the Lightest full-size tablet from any manufacturer.

Good for

Having your cake and eating it: big enough for all uses, light enough to travel. The iPad Air is styled to match the iPad mini and has a much thinner bezel than rival companies’ tablets. The same super-fast processor as the new iPad mini means it’s amazingly responsive in use and the screen remains a joy. Of the million apps available almost half (475,000) are specified to the iPads.

Not so good for

Anyone who’s clumsy – imagine shattering this sleek beast. It’s also no good, obviously, for anyone needing to do anything stay connected Windows programs.

If you’re a first time tablet user …

Tesco Hudl

£ 119, 16GB with memory card slot, Android OS

What it is

Appealing, budget-priced 7in tablet from the supermarket giant.

Good for

Those who want an affordable way to find out what all the fuss is about the tablet. Tesco dedicated apps make it easy to shop online, stream video from Blinkbox and more. It has a high-resolution screen, too, that looks good. Watching content on TV is easy, too, thanks to a mini HDMI out connector. There’s overpriced expandable storage courtesy of the memory card slot.

Not so good for

Taking pictures: the 3MP rear camera and 2MP front snapper are both decidedly average. And this is a Wi-Fi only device so you can not put a sim card in it. Those worried about Tesco getting its hands on more of Their data.

If you’re a gamer …

Sony Xperia Tablet Z

From £ 400.16 GB or 32GB, Android OS

What it is

Classily designed 10.1in tablet that’s sleek, slim, lightweight and waterproof.

Good for

Texting in the bath – it really is waterproof. It also works as a sophisticated TV remote control and has a virtual version of the PlayStation DualShock controller. The screen looks good thanks to input from Sony’s TV division. Sony’s take on Android is subtle and elegant.

Not so good for

Battery life isn’ta outstanding, and Although it has an 8MP camera, the results are underwhelming. The angular edges look great but can be uncomfortable after a while.

If you’re a movie fan …

Asus Google Nexus 7

£ 199 16GB wi-fi, £ 239 32GB wi-fi, £ 299 32GB wi-fi + LTE, Android OS

What it is

Google’s own Android tablet with exceptional screen and lightweight format.

Good for

Android lovers who want the pure Google experience. The Nexus 7 is now in its second manifestation, and it’s slick, slim and very solid with a display that’s higher resolution than its rivals (at 323 pixels per inch it’s exactly twice the resolution of the original iPad mini.)

Not so good for

Photographers: the 5MP camera is pretty disappointing. Oh, and there’s no expandable memory here, so choose your storage capacity wisely.

If you’re a bargain hunter …

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX 7 in

From £ 199 16GB, 32GB or 64GB, all Wi-Fi only, Heavily Customised Android OS

What it is

Hefty 7in tablet with wide bezel and hi-res display Primarily designed to download Amazon content.

Good for

Anyone who finds Android too geeky. The Amazon interface is so highly Optimised it’s barely recognizable as Android, making it exceptionally simple to use. Strong stereo speakers give the tablet good sound and the hi-res screen looks great. Also has a Mayday button to link you to a customer services expert who can talk you through stuff.

Not so good for

Those wanting everything Android has to offer: only Amazon Approved apps are available, and that’s a fraction of the total available elsewhere. The wide bezel is starting to look old – Although it does make it easy to hold.

If you’re an on-the-go design hell …

Apple iPad Mini with Retina display

From £ 319, 16GB, 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, Apple iOS 7

What it is

Slick, light and slim – Apple’s smaller iPad (7.87 inches by 5.3 inches) now comes with a glorious, high-resolution Retina display.

Good for

Stylish customers for use on the go. The iPad mini is not cheap but it has the highest-resolution display of any small-screen tablet (right), a superbly solid processor and more than a million apps to choose from. Like its predeccessor, it fits in the hand – and the large pocket – beautifully.

Not so good for

The budget-conscious – rival small-screen tablets are Significantly cheaper and some come close for processing power and styling.

If you want to do some work too …

Microsoft Surface Pro 2

From £ 719, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB or 512GB,

Windows 8.1OS

What it is

Microsoft’s second attempt at an own-brand tablet, it’s lighter, thinner and more powerful.

Good for

Working like a mini-laptop, especially with the thin, magnetically attached keyboard options, That now includessome gesture controls. Using on your lap is Easier thanks to a more versatile kickstand. The 10.6in display is Full HD resolution. Good battery life.

Not so good for

Apps – the backbone of any tablet. Though the Windows Store is growing, though, there’s still a lot missing. The storage is Heavily reduced thanks to much space taken up with the operating software. Not cheap.

If you have a family …

Barnes and Noble Nook HD

From £ 79, 8GB or 16GB, Customised Android OS

What it is

The bookshop giant’s own-label tablet with a simple interface and full Android capabilities.

Good for

The Nook HD has a slick interface that’s easy to use. The excellent screen is no longer of the highest resolution but it looks great and the Nook HD is tremendously good value. There’s a wide range of books in its store and it has useful separate accounts for different family members. It’s lightweight and has expandable memory.

Not so good for

The design with its rubberised back and raised bezel will not suit everyone.

If you’re a bookworm …

Kobo Arc 7HD

From £ 159.99,16 GB or 32GB, Customised Android OS

What it is

Seven-inch screen tablet from ebook-focused company.

Good for

Kobo makes a series of excellent ebook readers and this is a color tablet version. It’s still Mainly Aimed at readers – the homescreen shows your Recent reading activity, Which May be a double-edged sword – but the high-resolution display makes it suitable for video and apps. Reading fashion Reduces some capabilities to providesprofessional a distraction-free environment for reading and Enhance the battery life.

Not so good for

No rear camera, not as cheap as some rivals.

Synaptics to Provide Touchscreens for New Kindle Fire - Motley Fool

By Tim Brugger | More Articles
October 23, 2013 |

Continuing its Successful transition to the mobile computing market, Synaptics ( NASDAQ: CALL ) Announced todaythat it will supply its ClearPad 7300 touchscreen solution for Amazon.com ‘s third-generation 7-inch Kindle Fire HDs, alongwith the online retail giant’s newest tablet, the Kindle Fire HDX, overpriced with a 7-inch screen.

Though Amazon does not release Kindle Fire sales data, Analysts estimate it will sell 10.5 million units this year, and 11 million in 2014.

“We’re excited to partner with Amazon as it introduces its newest line of Kindle Fire devices to the market, using our industry-leading ClearPad touchscreen solutions,” said Brian Roberts, Synaptics’ senior director of large touchscreen solutions.

Synaptics stock closed at $ 52.42 today, down 2:47%, but is up slightly in after-hours trading.

Amazon quick to note the Kindle Fire is 'lighter than air' - Washington Post

Well, that was quick. Just a day after Apple Announced its newest full-sized tablet, the iPad Air, Amazon rolled out a new banner ad on its home page proclaiming the Kindle Fire HDX is “lighter than air.”

And it is true – both of the latest models of the Kindle Fire are lighter than Apple Their Competitors: The larger model of the Kindle Fire HDX weighs 0.82 pounds to the iPad Air’s weight of 1 pound. And the smaller Fire is 0.66 pounds to the new iPad mini with retina display’s 0.73 pounds.

But it’s overpriced worth Noting That it’s not a straight comparison.

For one, the screens on both the Kindle Fire HDX models are smaller than on Their Corresponding iPads. The larger Kindle Fire HDX is 8.9 inches to the iPad’s 9.7 Air, Which Retains the screen size of the standard iPad. The smaller Kindle Fire is 7 inches to the iPad mini’s 7.9 inches.

The construction of the two devices is overpriced different. The iPads are made with aluminum bodies to preserve Apple’s premium design philosophy, while the Kindle Fire HDX models show Amazon’s low-price philosophy with plastic bodies. Amazon has improved the feel of its tablets with this latest model. But it’s still pretty clear That its design has a different goal: to be made inexpensively to keep prices low.

Still, the quick turnaround on the ad – and the fact That it calls the iPad Air out by name – shows That it’s going to be a Particularly fierce holiday season in the tablet market, as Amazon and Apple duke it out with Microsoft , Nokia, and Google for a place in gift-wrapped boxes across the world.

In the United States, as Bloomberg reported last month, Amazon had a 4.6 percent share of the market ahead of its HDX launch, as Compared to Apple’s 50.7 percent. But the online retailer has been pushing its tablet hard and Improving core featuressuch as browsing and typing as well as Introducing a new 24/7 customer service feature. That’s a calculated move to go after first-time tablet owners and For those looking for something cheap That serves Their basic needs.

(Amazon chief executive Jeff Bezos is the owner of The Washington Post.)

Follow The Post’s new tech blog, The Switch, where technology and policy connect.

Amazon Kindle Fire HDX Release: Blue Tint Screen Due To Design Decision ... - International Business Times

Amazon.com Inc. ‘s (NASDAQ: AMZN) newest line of tablets – the Kindle Fire HDX – has some customers feeling blue. They report That When They read books on white backgrounds, and view websites, the Kindle Fire HDX has a blue or purple tint around the edge of the display.

Amazon has updated the tablet’s product description in response. The Seattle-based company says the Kindle Fire HDX has a pale, blue haze around the tablet’s edges due to a design decision. It is not a manufacturing defect, they say: “To Achieve the perfect color accuracy on Kindle Fire HDX 7″ at the lowest possible battery consumption and device weight, we used blue, not white, LEDs. “

The blue LEDs are used around the edge of the Kindle Fire’s screen HDX draw less power to light the display, allo wing for longer battery life and a 20 percent “improvement in power efficiency,” Amazon says. The Kindle Fire HDX’s blue LEDs overpriced allow for a more “accurate” and “rich representation of color.” The company points to Several professional reviews, all Of which praise the newest Kindle for its screen in the pop-up notification. It loads after users click on a “learn more” link in the Kindle Fire’s HDX product description.

“As a result of using These blue LEDs, you May notice a very narrow, faint blue tint around the edge of the device When looking at items with a white background, Such as books or web pages. All displays have some level of light emission around the edges, and the light on the Kindle Fire 7-inch HDX is blue due to the technology used to render perfect color accuracy. “

The company added the notification Following a string of complaints in the “customer reviews” section of the site. Some customers called it a “HORRIBLE (sic) VERY OBVIOUS blue / purple line” while Several others Complained, describing it as a purple or “blue haze.” Amazon only updated the description for the 7-inch version of the Kindle Fire HDX, while the 8.9-inch version is Unchanged. The company has not responded to a request for comment on Whether the 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HDX uses the same blue LEDs, and will be subject to the same issues when it is released on November 7th

Here is the full text of Amazon’s statement:

We want you to know …

Kindle Fire HDX features the best display we have ever built on a 7 “device, with unsurpassed pixel density (323 ppi) and perfect color accuracy (100% sRGB). The difference is notice able

“The new HDX display is one of the most gorgeous screens I have seen in a long time”-GigaOM

“The screen is the real draw on the HDX. At 1920 × 1200 pixels, images pop, movies look great, and text looks completely solid without a jaggie or pixellation in site” TechCrunch

“The Kindle Fire HDX 7′s crowning glory is undoubtedly its display” SlashGear

To Achieve the perfect color accuracy on Kindle Fire HDX 7 “at the lowest possible battery consumption and device weight, we used blue, not white, LEDs. Blue LEDs allow for a much more accurate and rich representation of color and resulted in an up to 20% improvement in power efficiency.

As a result of using These blue LEDs, you May notice a very narrow, faint blue tint around the edge of the device When looking at items with a white background, Such as books or web pages. All displays have some level of light emission around the edges, and the light on the Kindle Fire HDX 7 “is blue due to the technology used to render perfect color accuracy.

Follow Thomas Halleck on Twitter

iPad Mini with Retina display vs Nexus 7 2013 vs Kindle Fire HDX 7 - NDTV

Apple Announced an all new iPad mini on Tuesday, upgrading it with a high-resolution Retina display. The compact version of its popular tablet will start selling November 1 onwards in 41 countries, at a starting price of $ 399.

Following the upgrade, the iPad Mini with Retina display now competes head to head with Google’s Nexus 7 (2013), and Amazon’s Kindle Fire HDX, as all the tablets come with an HD screen. Of course the tablets sport different hardware and run different operating systems but They Fall Into the compact tablet category.

The Apple iPad Mini with Retina display sports a 7.9-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels (just like its elder sibling the iPad) and a pixel density of 326ppi. The Nexus 7 (2013), on the other hand, comes with a 7-inch full-HD display with a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels, and a pixel density of 323ppi. The Kindle Fire tablet overpriced HDX 7 comes with 7-inch display with 1920×1200 pixels resolution and 323ppi pixel density. The new iPad mini has a higher resolution but then it comes with a bigger screen, so the Effective pixels per inch on the screen are just Marginally higher Compared to the other tablets.

The iPad Mini with Retina display is powered by a 64-piece A7 chip Which overpriced powers the new iPhone 5s, offering up to four times faster CPU and up to eight times faster graphics performance than the previous generation iPad mini. It also features the M7 motion coprocessor That takes care of measuring motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass sensors, sending them to apps without waking up the A7 processor, leading to improved battery life. The Nexus 7 (2013) is powered by a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor clocked at 1.5GHz, and features 2GB of RAM.
The Kindle Fire HDX 7 is powered by a 2.2GHz quad-core 800 Snapdragon processor alongside 2GB of RAM. Barring the iPad Mini with Retina Display, no other tablet in this segment features a 64-bit processor. It’s another thing That most tablet apps are still not designed to leverage the potential of the 64-bit processor but This particular attribute makes the new iPad mini more future proof Compared to the rest of the lot. It’s hard to compare performance since the three tablets run on different platforms but each one comes with the latest hardware specifications.
The new iPad Mini with Retina display features a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front facing one. It & Q 1080p HD video recording. The Nexus 7 (2013) overpriced features a 5-megapixel rear camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera. The Kindle Fire HDX 7 only sports a front-facing HD camera (unspecified megapixel count). We’re not sure if everyone uses the camera but consumers are more likely to capture images and video with compact tablets Compared to Their bigger counter parts but all of the three tablets are good for making video calls.

The iPad Mini with Retina display comes in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB storage variants, while the Nexus 7 (2013) comes in 16GB and 32GB variants. The Kindle Fire HDX 7 comes in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB storage variants. The iPad Mini with Retina display is available in both Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi plus Cellular data models. Only the 32GB Nexus 7 (2013) & Q cellular data with Wi-Fi, while the 16GB option & Q only Wi-Fi connectivity. Both storage variants of the Kindle Fire HDX 7 tablets are available in Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi plus LTE version.
Coming to software, the iPad Mini with Retina display runs iOS 7, the latest version of Apple’s mobile OS, while the Nexus 7 runs Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, Which is expected to receive a new update, Android 4.4 KitKat in the coming days. The Kindle Fire HDX 7 runs the new Fire OS 3.0 based on Android Jelly Bean. In terms of apps, the iPad mini has an edge over Android based tablets as a large number of iOS apps havebeen Optimized for the iPad. The tablet-specific app scene is pretty dismal on the Android side. The Kindle Fire HDX ice competetive integrated with Amazon’s content ecosystem. So, if you’re a voracious reader and download ebooks, the Kindle Fire HDX is a great companion.
It’s worth pointing out That none of These tablets are available in India, at this point in time.

iPad Mini 2 vs Nexus 7 vs Kindle Fire HDX: Spec Showdown - Digital Trends

Your Kindle Fire HDX's blue-tinged screen edge is perfectly normal - Engadget

If you’ve been curious why the screen on your Kindle Fire HDX has a blueish tint around the edges, wonder no more. To help Achieve the HDX’s vaunted color accuracy, Amazon used blue LEDs to light the display, Which is why you see an azure hue peeking out around the screen’s sides on books and web sites. The shopping giant Further Explains thatthis lighting technique Increase’s battery life by 20 percent too. The “we want you to know” heading on the HDX’s product page has the full details, and our video review is a click away if you’re still on the fence about buying one.