Posted in: Android, iOS, Tablets

Kindle Fire HD vs. Nexus 7 vs. iPad 3 – rekindling the tablet wars

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If you watched the Amazon event yesterday, you’d know how much fun it was. Not just because the products announced were great but because the way Amazon pulled no punches while going after Google’s Nexus 7 and Apple’s iPad, while simultaneously taking the mickey out of other Android tablets.

We’re still far from seeing just how good Amazon’s new Kindle Fire HD, especially the 8.9-inch model which isn’t coming before November, but we can still compare it on paper with the other two tablets and see how it stacks up in comparison.

 
Kindle Fire HD
Kindle Fire (refresh)
Nexus 7
OS
Android
Android
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Display
7.0-inch
IPS LCD
7.0-inch
IPS LCD
7.0-inch
IPS LCD
Resolution
800 x 1280
600 x 1024
800 x 1280
Height
Width
Thickness
193 mm
137 mm
10.3 mm
189 mm
120 mm
11.5 mm
198.5 mm
120 mm
10.45 mm
Weight
395 grams
400 grams
340 grams
Processor
1.2GHz dual-core
processor
TI OMAP4460
1.2GHz dual-core
processor
TI OMAP4430
1.3GHz quad-core
processor
NVIDIA Tegra 3
RAM
1GB
1GB
1GB
Storage
16GB / 32GB
8GB
8GB / 16GB
microSD card slot
No
No
No
Primary camera
No
No
No
Front camera
“HD” Camera
No
1.2MP
Battery Life
11 Hours
8.5 Hours
10 Hours
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, dual-antenna
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Yes
Network
No
No
No
NFC
No
No
Yes
Speakers
Stereo, with Dolby Audio
Stereo Speakers
Single Speaker
Availability
September 14, 2012
September 14, 2012
Currently available
Price
$199 / $249
$159
$199 / $249

 
Kindle Fire HD 8.9″
iPad
OS
Android
iOS
Display
8.9-inch
IPS LCD
9.7-inch
IPS LCD
Resolution
1920 x 1200
2048 x 1536
Height
Width
Thickness
240 mm
164 mm
8.8 mm
241.2 mm
185.7 mm
9.4 mm
Weight
567 / 575 grams
652 / 662 grams
Processor
1.5GHz dual-core
processor
TI OMAP4470
1.0GHz dual-core
processor
Apple A5X
RAM
1GB
1GB
Storage
16GB, 32GB / 32GB, 64GB
16GB, 32GB, 64GB
microSD card slot
No
No
Primary camera
No
5 megapixel with auto-focus and 1080p video
Front camera
“HD” Camera
VGA
Battery Life
–
10 Hours
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, dual-antenna
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band
Bluetooth
Yes
Yes
Network
No / 4G LTE
No / 4G LTE
NFC
No
No
Speakers
Stereo, with Dolby Audio
Single Speakers
Availability
November 20, 2012
Currently Available
Price
$299, $369 / $499, $599
$499, $599, $699 / $629, $729, $829

Overall, they seem pretty evenly matched. What the Amazon tablets might lack in features they make up by having a lower price tag and the backing of Amazon’s robust ecosystem of books, movies, music and apps. In the end, it seems it will boil down to the user experience, something we will have to wait to find out.

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