Amazon Releases Small Army of New Kindles and E-Readers Included are two devices under $100 as well as an all-new operating system, called 'Sangria.'
By Jason Fell
If you're a fan of Amazon's lineup of tablets and e-readers, the big tech company has a slew of new devices to whet your appetite. Get ready for seven new Kindle tablets and e-readers.
Here'a quick rundown of the details you need to know:
Kindle Fire HDX: An upgraded Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 comes with a more powerful processor (quad-core 2.5 GHz with a 70 percent faster graphics engine) and a sharper display, with 339 pixels per inch.
Amazon also likes to point out that the Fire HDX 8.9 is 20 percent lighter than Apple's iPad Air, weighing just 13.2 ounces. The Fire HDX 8.9 costs $379 (and $479 for the 4G version).
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Fire HD 6 and 7: Amazon also refreshed its 7-inch Fire HD tablet ($139) and has a new 6-inch version for just $99. Just like the HDX, these tablets feature sharper displays and quad-core processors. They also come in five colors: black, white, cobalt, magenta and citron.
New Kindle Fire HDs for kids: If you have children and you're tired of them using (and breaking?) your personal Kindle tablet, then perhaps these are worth a look. The Fire for kids come with a two-year replacement guarantee as well as a year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited, granting kids access to 5,000 books, movies, TV Shows, educational apps and games for free.
The Kindles for kids come in 6-inch ($149) and 7-inch ($189) versions.
Also, a new Fire operating system: Amazon's new Kindle Fires will come with a new operating system called Fire OS 4 "Sangria." (The previous OS was called "Mojito.") It's based on the KitKat version of Google's Android.
Amazon says Sangria comes with an updated visual design and new "Profiles," which allows individual family members to quickly access their own email, social-media accounts and other personal settings. Sangria will come pre-loaded on the new Kindle HD and HDX tablets and should be available as a free, over-the-air update for older, third generation Fire tablets.
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A pair of new Kindle e-readers: Here comes the seventh generation of the Kindle e-readers: the Kindle Voyage ($199) and the $79 Kindle. The e-readers, of course, have basic "Paperwhite" black-and-white displays that are made specifically for reading.
Amazon says the new Kindle Voyage is the thinnest Kindle it has made, at just 7.6 millimeters think and weighing just 6.4 ounces. It also has a sharper display and brightness, with 300 pixels per inch. Meanwhile, Amazon says the $79 Kindle comes with a 20 percent faster processor, twice the storage and new touch interface.
All of this comes about a month or so before Apple is rumored to be announcing upgrades to its line of iPads.
Related: Your Brain Likes Plain Old Paper More Than It Likes E-Readers
