Amazon's Kindle Fire tablet challenges Apple iPad

Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet challenges Apple iPad

12/07/2011

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Amazon Kindle, including the high-end Kindle Fire, is quickly becoming the second-fastest selling tablet in the market. Sales are projected to reach 3.9 million units in 4Q’11, giving it a 13.8% global market share, which is second only to Apple’s 65.6% share, according to IHS Research. In total, 64.7 million tablets are expected to ship in 2011, up 273% from last year and on tract to reach 287.2 million units 2015.

The Kindle Fire is less than half the price of the iPad2, which starts at $499. It does less, but if all you want it for is entertainment (books, music & movies), shopping, and online web browsing, then the $199 price sounds pretty good. Kindle Fire is sold at a loss (less than the $201.70 manufacturing cost) in hopes of making profit from content and online shopping. The purchase price even includes a one year subscription to Amazon Prime, a $79/year service offering free 2-day shipping with any Amazon purchase.

	Amazon Kindle Fire	Apple iPad 2	B&N Nook
Price	$199	$499-829	$249
Content Source	Amazon	iTunes	Barnes and Noble
App Store	Amazon App Store & Android Apps	iOS App Store	Nook Apps
Apps Available	15,000+	90,000+ for iPad	700+
Screen Size (inches)	7	9.7	7
Screen Resolution	1,024×600	1,024×768	1,024×600
Screen Pixels Per Inch	169	132	169
Size (inches)	7.5 x 4.7 x .45	9.5 x 7.31 x .34	8.1 x 5.0 x .48
Weight	14.6 ounces	21.28 ounces	14.1 ounces
OS	Custom Android	iOS	Android 2.2
Capacity	8GB	16-64GB	16GB
Expandable Storage	No	No	Yes (up to 32GB micro SD cards)
3G	No	Optional	No
Wi-Fi	802.11 b/g/n	802.11 b/g/n	802.11 b/g/n
Processor	Dual-core TI OMAP 4	Dual-core A5	Dual-core TI OMAP4
Camera	No	Front and Rear	No
GPS	No	On 3G Models	No
Browser	Amazon Silk	Mobile Safari	Customized Android
Battery Life	8 hours	7.5 hours	9 hours
Source: http://digitaldesi.com/ (This site has lots of video comparisons too.)