Amazon refreshes the Kindle Fire tablet portfolio with a pair of new models called Kindle Fire HDX, a 7- and 8.9-inch tablet featuring boosted specs and higher resolution displays.
Described by company CEO Jeff Bezos as "premium products at non-premium prices," the duo carries 2.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 800 processors, 2GB RAM, a battery promising up to 11 hours of "standard" usage (or up to 17 hours in reading mode) and an updated version of the Amazon take on Android, Fire OS 3.0 or "Mojito."
The only differences between the two tablets boil down to screen and cameras-- the 7-inch option features a 323 ppi 1920x1200 display and a single front-facing camera. Meanwhile the 8.9-inch version ups the resolution to 2560x1600 on a 339ppi display as well as an additional 8MP rear-facing shooter complete with LED flash and built-in electronic image stabilisation.
Being Kindle devices the HDX tablets are designed for the consumption (and acquisition via Amazon) of media , which leads to a new feature called "X-ray." Basically a 2nd screen app, X-ray allows tablet control of media displayed on smart TV or console Amazon apps, provides lyrics or trivia for the songs and movies being watched and (obviously) hawks more Amazon content.
And finally, HDX users get what one can describe as a virtual genius bar via "Mayday," an app launcher in the shape of a life preserver. Tapping the icon summons a live, on-screen technician able to either guide users through troubleshooting or remotely take control of the device in question.
The 7-inch Kindle Fire HDX should start shipping from October 2013, while the 8-inch version will be available from November.
