Amazon launches the new Kindle Fire range in the UK

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November 16, 2012 in News

Its arrival has been long awaited for all the Kindle fans across the country but Amazon have finally announced the launch of their new Kindle Fire Tablets in the UK.

Yes that’s right, there’s more than one. In the cut-throat tablet arena launching just one model isn’t enough to impress us anymore or maybe Amazon are just trying to cover all areas of competition. Either way the first Kindle Fire has already set a precedent in the US market where it captured 22% of the US tablet market, not bad fKindle Fire HDor an e-book reader turned fully functioning tablet.

It seems the bookworms in the US devoured all the Kindle Fire Tablets first time round so we have the new and improved latest- generation Kindle Fire to feast upon. Was it worth the wait? Well according to Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon) it was as it has a faster processor, twice the memory and a longer battery life than the original for only £129. We can be thankful to our friends across the Atlantic for test driving the first version; it means we get the new generation and a new Kindle Fire HD. Nice!

The Kindle Fire HD comes in two size options: either with a 7 inch screen or an 8.9 inch screen. The latter will rival Apples ipad the bestselling tablet on the market but I’m afraid us Brits won’t be able to get our hands on this until the American market have had the ‘first pick’.  Well, at least we might get a new and improved generation, who wants to be the guinea pig anyway?

As a HD device we already expect the display to be flawless but what other features does this new tablet have to offer?  With its exclusive Dolby audio it can make the most of its stereo speakers, it boasts 16 GB of storage and 11 hours of battery life which is always a plus for those of us constantly on the go.  CEO Jeff Bezos claims it has ‘the fastest Wi-Fi’ which is what every CEO would say isn’t it? But on closer inspection he might just be right as the new HD model contains two wi-fi antennas and Mimo (multiple-input and output) radio technology to strengthen their internet connection. For the impatient among us this might well be the device to have.

One feature which I think many people will appreciate is the laminated touchscreen which will reduce glare in the sunlight. There is nothing more annoying than wanting to enjoy the sunshine whilst working, reading or browsing on your tablet and being confronted by a blank, sun exposed screen. Shielding your screen with your hands and squinting will be a distance memory with one of these. Imagine your summer office on the beach or in a park with the glorious sunshine beaming down, causing no annoyance but only pumping you full of vitamin D which by making you happier should make you more productive surely?

I haven’t even mentioned the instant accessibility to over 22 million films, TV shows, songs, apps, games ,books and magazines but I suppose their relevence in making business easier is debatable. At just £159 for the Kindle Fire HD and £129 for the Kindle Fire it almost seems like Amazon are playing a practical joke on us.  They are way cheaper than their rivals giving them a clear advantage for more sales especially in such difficult financial times. A lot of businesses could afford to supply these to their employees meaning they could catch up with work on their commute, that is of course if they haven’t got their head buried in a gripping novel. After all, the Kindles primary market is the bookworms among us. That said, I think this new tablet is a strong contender for  a variety of segments.

Check out the Kindle Fire for yourself in the video below:

About the author 

Pete Baikins

Pete Baikins is an international authority on gamification, a lifelong gamer, successful entrepreneur and a lecturer. As CEO of Gamification+ Ltd he mentors and trains companies world-wide on the use of gamification to solve business challenges. Gamification+ won the Board of Trade Award from the UK's Department of International Trade in January 2019.

Pete is co-host of the health gamification podcast Health Points and is also Chair of Gamification Europe, the annual conference for Gamification practitioners.

Pete is an Honorary Ambassador for GamFed (International Gamification Confederation), having previously been the Chair from 2014 to February 2019, whose aim is to spread best practices within and support the gamification industry.

After 15 years as a Lecturer on gamification and entrepreneurship at the University of Brighton he now guest lectures on Gamification at King’s College London and at ESCP Europe at post-graduate and under-graduate levels.

Over the past 20 years Pete has built and sold two businesses. One was in security software and the more recent one was a telecoms and internet connectivity business. He is also an Ambassador for Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce in the UK.

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