It appears that Amazon may be considering a free video streaming service to compete with YouTube. The e-commerce giant recently filed two trademarks for 'AmazonTube' and 'OpenTube' with the U.S Patent and Trademark Office. In the filing, Amazon's service seems to be similar to Google's YouTube. According to the description, AmazonTube or OpenTube would deliver “non-downloadable pre-recorded audio, visual and audiovisual works via wireless networks on a variety of topics of general interest”. In addition, users will also be able to share content, photos, videos, text, data, images, other electronic works, gaming, dance, fashion, and tech. Earlier this month, Domain Name Wire noted discovered that Amazon has been regsitering doman names like AlexaOpenTube.com, AmazonAlexaTube.com and AmazonOpenTube.com. This moves indicates that Amazon maybe planning to open a new video platform to rival Google's YouTube. If Amazon decides to do so, it may take months before the free video streaming service is live. The latest development comes after Google and Amazon's fallout in recent months. Back in September Google pulled its YouTube app from Amazon's touch-screen smart speaker — Echo Show. However, YouTube reappeared on Amazon Show in November with an overhauled UI that more closely resembled web version of YouTube. Google wasn't happy, and earlier this month pulled the plug entirely on Echo Show. It also said that YouTube will be removed from Fire TV on January 1. The drama started because Amazon refused to sell Google products like Chromecast, Google Home and Nest device, and lack of Prime Video support for Google cast. However, Amazon has resumed selling Chromecasts, and both Amazon and Google are in productive talks about keeping YouTube access on the Fire TV. Via
Aircel has announced its partnership with Amazon India and also rolled out a new tariff plan of Rs. 149, which offers both voice calling and data benefits. Under Aircel-Amazon India partnership, Aircel customers recharging their mobile number using Amazon Pay balance for the first time will get a flat cash back of Rs. 75 on select Aircel unlimited plans. Amazon Pay is also offering flat Rs. 50 cash back on other plans. That being said, this is a limited period offer that is valid until November 16, and to avail the cash back offer, users need to do a minimum recharge of Rs. 100. As for the Rs. 149 tariff plan, Aircel customers will get unlimited voice calls and 5GB of 2G and 3G data for 28 days. Do note that the unlimited voice calls are capped at 200 minutes per day, 1000 minutes per week and 3000 minutes per month. The Rs. 149 plan is valid for all Aircel customers, and can only be availed from Aircel's mobile app. The price of the plan may vary from circle to circle.
Amazon recently pushed an update to its Kindle app, giving it a revamped look and couple of new features. Now the e-commerce giant has released a lite version of Kindle app for Indian users, designed to work on networks with slower speed (2/2.5G), and areas with spotty and unstable data connections. The Kindle Lite app is currently in beta stage for Android, and will take less space on the smartphone, as the app is just 2MB in size. As mentioned earlier, Kindle Lite will work seamlessly on 2G networks, and also lets you monitor your data usages and manage storage. It is compatible with devices running Android 4.4 and above. The lite version offers similar features as the regular Kindle app, and even lets you read sample of an eBook before you buy. The library includes thousands of free eBooks, as well as paid eBooks, which you can purchase via Amazon Pay, credit or debit cards and net banking. Apart from English, you can read eBooks in five Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil, Gujarati, Marathi and Malayalam. Moreover, you do not need to wait for eBooks to download in full to begin reading. Additionally if your reading is interrupted, Kindle Lite will save your last reading position, and you can come back to continue reading from where you left off.
E-commerce giant, Amazon launched its Prime service in India last year in July at an introductory price of Rs. 499. Earlier this month the e-tailer said that the Rs. 499 offer will soon come to an end, without giving an exact date. Today, Amazon has announced that, the Prime membership’s Rs 499 introductory offer will end on October 30, after which you will have to shell out the full amount of Rs. 999. If you haven't joined Prime membership yet or existing subscription has ended, you can subscribe to it before October 30 at the lower price. Sadly, if you have an existing Prime membership that does not expire before October 30, you can renew only after expiry and pay the full amount of Rs. 999 when you renew it. To remind you, members of Prime service, are entitled to several benefits such as unlimited free one-day & two-day delivery, free delivery on any order value, exclusive early access to 'Lightning' discounts and deals, and unlimited access to Prime Video streaming service, which includes wide range of local and international contents. As a new addition, Amazon will soon start offering Prime Music service as well.
Amazon has revamped its Kindle mobile app for Android and iOS platform with a new look, that's designed for book lovers, and provide easy access to Kindle's most popular feature. To go along, the redesigned Kindle app also gets new features. The new Kindle app features a new look and feel inspired by books. Details include larger book covers, new fonts, a new app icon, and new light and dark background themes to choose from. There's a new bottom bar navigation for 'One-Tap Access' that automatically shows an icon of book you're currently reading, making it easier to get back to reading at any moment. The bottom bar also provides quick access to Kindle's popular functions allowing you to switch between the pages of your book, your library, your personal bookstore and more. The search bar is now always available throughout the app, so that you can easily find what you're searching for. Lastly, the Kindle app has been integrated with Goodreads Community, where you can now find new books to read, connect with reader who like similar book, and share your thoughts about the books you've read. This feature is only available in U.S for iOS devices, and will come to Android in the near future. The all-new Kindle app is available now in the App Store and Google Play, and will be delivered as part of a free, over-the-air update starting this week.
Amazon is refreshing its top of the line Kindle Oasis eReader with a new model that has a big display and is the first to be water proof. The new Kindle Oasis sports 7-inch e-ink display, compared to 6-inch screen in the predecessor. The display still has 300 pixels per inch, which Amazon says will offer text just as sharp as before. The addition of IPX8 rating means the eReader can withstand immersion in up to 2m of water for up to 60 minutes. The design is same as the previous model with hand grip that has physical buttons to turn the page. It has the same thickness of just 3.4mm at the thinnest point and is slightly heavier at 194g. It also features an accelerometer, that allows the screen to rotate automatically to 180 degrees, so that the button will be on both left and right sides.
It supports Bluetooth, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and 3G, and comes with the storage option of 8GB and 32GB storage. It promises up to six weeks of battery life on a single charge. The new model for the first time also gets Audible audio service integration, so you can listen to audio-books and easily switch between reading and listening on Bluetooth headphones or speakers.
It is also getting new software feature like additional font sizes bold settings, and new accessibility options (enlarged display, invert back & white on the display and more). These features will be rolled out to other Kindle devices, that were released in the past four years. The new Kindle Oasis has been priced at Rs. 21,999 ($299.99 in the U.S) for the 8GB/WiFi model and Rs. 28,999 ($349.99 in the US) for the 32GB/WiFi/3G model. It comes in Black color, and is now available for pre-order in the on Amazon India, while shipping begging November 15. Amazon is also selling water-safe fabric covers in Indigo, Charcoal and Sandstone color at Rs. 2,999, and premium leather covers in Black and Merlot for Rs. 3,999.
E-commerce giant, Amazon launched its Prime service in India last year in July at an introductory price of Rs. 499. Members of Prime service, were entitled to several benefits such as unlimited free one-day & two-day delivery, free delivery on any order value, exclusive early access to 'Lightning' discounts and deals, and unlimited access to Prime Video streaming service, which includes wide range of local and international. That said, Amazon India has announced that it will soon increase the subscription fee of Prime service to Rs. 999. It's worth mentioning that this is the actual subscription fee of Prime service, but to lure customers, Amazon offered the services at an introductory price of Rs. 499 at the time of its launch. In an emailed statement to Fonearena, Amazon India said "Prime membership is available for only a few more days at the special introductory price of Rs 499 a year… after which we’ll move to the strikethrough price of Rs 999.". Also the landing page of Prime on Amazon India mentions the same. However, an exact date when the new price of Rs. 999 will come into effect is not known, but it is likely to happen once the festive season ends. According to reports Amazon will be adding more benefits and features for Prime customers, once the price is hiked. Amazon India says that there are around 11 million products under Prime, and 40 percent of orders come from Prime users. In related news, Amazon India recently launched its Echo speaker line up in India. These include the Rs. 4,999 Echo Dot, Rs. 9,999 Echo (2nd generation) and Rs. 14,999 Echo Plus.
The rumors were true. Amazon India has finally launched its Echo smart speaker line up in India, including the all-new Echo, the Echo Dot and Echo Plus. The Echo devices are integrated with Amazon's voice assistant Alexa, and you can give voice commands to perform various action. Alexa for India has been customized to better understand local pronunciations and intonation. It can also recognize non-English places, music titles, and names as well as local knowledge. Amazon said that third party developers in the country are building new, localized skills for Alexa. At launch over 10,000 skills will be available for customers in India including streaming music from Savvan, getting news update from Times of India and NDTV, getting latest cricket score from ESPN Cricinfo, booking cab on Uber or Ola and ordering food from Freshmenu and Zomato. You'll also be able to book flights on Ibibo, control Philips Hue and Syska Rainbow LED lights and more.
The company also plans to bring Prime Music to the country soon, and it will be available as an exclusive preview on Echo, and promises to provide huge catalogue of songs and an ad-free experience. Amazon Echo Dot The Echo Dot is a tiny speaker with a puck-sized shape, and has built in speaker. It features 0.6-inch tweeter and can also connect to other devices wirelessly over Bluetooth or via a wired connection using 3.5mm auxiliary cable. It comes in Black and White color. Amazon Echo It sports a cylindrical shape and is equipped with 2.5-inch downward-firing woofer, Dolby Digital and uses Amazon's far-field microphone technology and noise cancellation to pick up voice commands accurately from across the room. It also include an auxiliary jack for connecting external speaker. Amazon Echo Plus It is a premium smart speaker that also functions as a smart home hub to make it easy to connect to compatible smart home appliances. It can automatically discover compatible smart devices without the need of additional hubs or apps, using a simple voice command "Alexa, discover my devices". At launch it will only work with Philips Hue’s Zigbee products It is equipped with 2.5-inch downward-firing woofer and 360-degree omni-directional audio backed by Dolby processing, to deliver deeper bass and crisper high notes for enhanced audio experience. Similar to the Echo, the Echo Plus is equipped with far-field technology for noise cancellation, to detect the wake word from across the room even in the noisiest parts of your home. All Echo devices has music playback controls at the top. The
Eco Dot is the most affordable device of the lot carrying a price tag
of Rs. 4,499. The second-generation speaker has been priced at Rs.
9,999, and the Echo Plus will set you back by Rs. 14,999. All three
products will be available on an invite-only basis with an introductory
discount of 30 percent (plus one year Prime membership), and will begin
shipping from October 30.
At an event in Seattle, Amazon announced a slew of products including new Fire TV with 4K support, upgraded Echo speaker, and Echo Plus speaker. In addition the e-commerce giant also announced three more Echo products such as Echo Spot, Echo Buttons and Echo Connect. Echo Spot It is essentially a compact and affordable version of the $230 Echo Show. Thanks to the compact size, the device can be placed on nightstand, desk, kitchen counter or side table. It is integrated with Alexa, and comes with a circular screen that shows time, news weather, camera feeds (from front door or baby monitor), calendar and more. It can also function as a alarm clock that can also turn lights on or off. It also has a camera for video calling. Similar to the new Echo and Echo Plus, the Echo Spot is equipped with second generation far-field technology with four microphones, acoustic beam-foaming technology and enhanced noise cancellation, so the device can hear from across the room. The device has built-in 2 watt speaker, but can also connect to external speakers through Bluetooth or using 3.5mm stereo cable, to add Alexa to your home entertainment system. Then you can give voice commands to control music streaming service like Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora and more. The Echo Spot is now available for pre-order in the U.S for $129.99 and begin shipping in December.
Echo Connect
The device connects to your landlines, giving nearby Echo devices the ability to be used as hands-free speakerphone. You can do so by connecting Echo Connect to your home's WiFi network, and home phone jack or VoIP adapter. Then use the Alexa app on you mobile device to set up Echo connect. Once the setup is complete, without touching a button, you can ask Alexa to call anybody from your contact list. For incoming calls, Alexa will announce their names from you contacts list, and you can just say Alexa to answer to start the conversation. The Echo Connect will be available later this year in the U.S for $34.99.
Echo Buttons They come in pack of two and deliver ways for customers to play games with friends and family using Alexa. The button illuminates and can be pressed to trigger a variety of multiplayer and interactive game experiences. For example: Buzzer. Amazon says, there will be a number of new Echo Button-compatible skills available later this year including "Trivial Pursuit from Hasbro, Sounds Fun with Mike Epps, Buzzer Beater Basketball Trivia with Karl-Anthony Towns, Fourth Down Football Trivia with Philip Rivers, Full Count Baseball Trivia with Buster Posey from Ground Control, as well as Beat the Intro from Musicplode" The Echo Button will arrive later this year in the U.S, UK and Germany carrying a price tag of $19.99. Source: Amazon
Besides the new Fire TV, Amazon at its Seattle event also introduced all new Alexa enabled Echo and Echo Plus smart speakers. The all new Amazon Echo still flaunts the signature cylindrical shape, but is smaller than the 2014's Echo. It is equipped with 2.5-inch downward-firing woofer, Dolby Digital and uses Amazon's far-field microphone technology and noise cancellation to pick up voice commands accurately. It also include an auxilary jack for connecting external speaker. The new Echo comes in variety of shell color and finishes including Charcoal, Sandstone, Heather Gray, Oak Veneer, Walnut Veneer and Silver. It is priced at $99.99 (Rs. 6,500) and is now available for pre-order in the U.S. The Amazon Echo Plus on the other hand is a premium smart speaker that also functions as a smart home hub to make it easy to connect to compatible smart home appliances. It can automatically discover compatible lights, locks, plugs, switches, sprinklers and more without the need of additional hubs or apps, using a simple voice command "Alexa, discover my devices". Similar to other Echo speaker, you can also command Alexa to search the web, ask question stream music, call & message and more. It is also equipped with 360-degree omni direction audio backed by Dolby processing, to deliver deeper bass and crisper high notes for enhanced audio experience. Similar to the new Echo, the Echo Plus is equipped with far-field technology for noise cancellation, to detect the wake word from across the room even in the noisiest parts of your home. It also comes with Amazon Routines that allows you to automate a series of customizable actions using a single voice command of your choice. For instance, you can say "Alexa, good night", and Alexa will turn off the lights, lock the door, and turn off the TV. The Echo Plus has been priced at $149.99, and is now available for pre-order in the U.S, while shipping starts October. It comes bundled with Philips Hue smart light bulb. Via
Amazon is updating its Fire TV stick dongle with a new model which now supports 4K Ultra HD at 60fps, HDR and Dolby Atmos audio for immersive audio experience. It also gets an improved design that resembles Google Chromecast. It is still small, but connects to the HDMI port of the TV through a small cable. The new Fire TV is powered by 1.5GHz quad-core processor and comes with 2GB RAM and 8GB internal storage. Just like the previous model, the new Fire Stick support WiFi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1 for wireless connectivity. It comes with Alexa Voice Remote, that lets you perform tasks like play music, ask question or control smart home appliances using voice commands. You can also connect it to the Echo speaker for hands-free, far field voice control. It supports third party apps and also has a large library of movies and TV show from popular streaming services like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and more. The new Amazon Fire TV has been priced at $69.99 (Rs. 4,600), making it the most affordable 4K device ever, cheaper than the Google Chromecast Ultra and Apple TV 4K. It is now available for pre-order in the U.S and will start shipping October 25.
Amazon is refreshing its Fire HD 10 tablet with a new model that has higher-resolution display, and is 30 percent faster with 2x the RAM and better quad-core processor, when compared to its predecessor. It also gets a new Alexa hands-free function that lets you ask Alexa to control video playback, launch an app, play favorite song or read an audiobook. You can also ask Alexa to answer questions, read news, get traffic and weather updates, turn off the lights, set alarms and timers and more. In terms of specifications, the new Fire HD 10 tablet features 10-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels) IPS display and is powered by quad-core MediaTek processor. It comes with 2GB RAM, and with storage option of 32GB and 64GB. There's microSD card slot for storage expansion. It has 2MP rear camera, VGA front facing camera, built-in microphone and dual stereo speakers tuned by Dolby Atmos. Connectivity features on-board include WiFi 802.11ac, Bluetooth with A2DP support, USB 2.0 and 3.5mm audio jack. The tablet runs Android based Fire OS 5 and promises up to 10 hours of battery life on mixed usage. The new Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet has been priced at $149.99 (Rs. 9,600) for the 32GB storage model, and $189.99 (Rs. 12,200) for the 64GB storage model. It is up for pre-order in the U.S from Amazon.com, and shipping will begin October 11. It is available in Black, Marine Blue and Punch Red colors.
Microsoft and Amazon has announced a first-of-its kind partnership under which the tech giants digital assistant Cortana and Alexa will be able to speak to one another and you. It will be available later this year, and will allow users to access Alexa via Cortana on Windows 10 PCs, followed by Android and iOS in future. In return users will be able to access Cortana on Alexa-enabled devices like Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Show. One of the benefits of this collaboration is that users will be able to access unique features of both digital assistants. Cortana users will be able to have Alexa shop on Amazon.com and manage their Amazon orders, control smart home devices, and acess many of Alexa's third party skills by asking Cortana to open Alexa. Similarly Alexa users will have access to Cortana's unique features booking a meeting or accessing work calendars, reminding you to pick up flowers on your way home, or reading your work email simply by asking Alexa to open Cortana. "Ensuring Cortana is available for our customers everywhere and across any device is a key priority for us," said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, in a press release. "Bringing Cortana's knowledge, Office 365 integration, commitments, and reminders to Alexa is a great step toward that goal." he added. "There are going to be multiple successful intelligent agents, each with access to different sets of data and with different specialized skill areas. Together, their strengths will complement each other and provide customers with a richer and even more helpful experience. It’s great for Echo owners to get easy access to Cortana." Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, said in a press release. As mentioned earlier Alexa and Cortana will be able to talk to each other later this year.
Multiple reports in the past have suggested that Amazon plans to launch its voice-activated smart speaker Echo in India this year. Now according to Factor Daily, the e-commerce giant is planning to launch the speakers around Diwali season, which falls on October 18 this year. “(The) earlier plan was to launch it around December but it looks like they will be out sooner,” a company source told the publication. Amazon is said to be testing two smart speakers: Echo and the tiny Echo Dot. It will reportedly be priced around Rs. 11,000-Rs. 12,000 and Rs. 5,000-Rs. 6,000. Initially, Echo will support only English, but later via an update more languages will be added including Hindi and Tamil. Amazon is also developing a multilingual interface at its Chennai facility.
The Amazon Echo speaker was launched back in 2014 and comes with Alexa integration, Bluetooth, WiFi and microphones. You can command Alexa to play music, set reminders, order food, read emails or ask for the latest new, weather updates and more. Google also has its own version of Echo-like product called Google Home, that comes with Google Assistant, and offers the same functionality. Amazon Echo will have no competitors in the Indian market, but if it succeeds, will open doors for Google and others to bring their voice assisted smart speakers to the country.
It appears that Amazon is all set to take on the world's most popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram and more, as it is reportedly foraying into the crowded messaging space. AFT news reports that Amazon is working on a standalone app called Anytime, and suggests it will be an "all-in-one feature rich service" that could even rival social networks. It also says that Amazon has already started surveying customers about the new messaging service, and asking them about the most important features. Just like other popular messaging apps, Anytime will feature messaging, customize a chat, voice calls, video calls, share locations and photo sharing. Users will also be able to apply filters like special effects or masks to photo and videos, @mention other users in a group to avoid confusion, use stickers & GIFS, and play games with friends.
However, users will be able to add friends by just using their names, instead of adding phone number. It is not clear how this will be done, but the report says, Anytime hooks into existing social networks and other messaging services to add friends. The app will also have end-to-end encryption to keep the chat private. The report also adds that, Anytime will even allow users to chat with businesses, make reservation and shop from Amazon as well. Although the report doesn't mention, it can be expected that Amazon's digital assistant Alexa will also be integrated into the messaging service. Anytime is also said to work across both desktop and mobile devices, including both Android and iPhone. Earlier this year, Amazon announced Chime earlier this year, a video conferencing app for enterprise user, designed to compete with Skype for Business. It also added voice calling and messaging feature to Echo hardware's Alexa app. The new Anytime app appears to be designed for the masses to take on popular messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp among others. However, it is not known, when Amazon's standalone messaging service will see the light of the day. Source | Via
Amazon Prime Day sale exclusively for Prime members is now live. The 30-hour sale will offer great deals and offers on smartphone,accessories, Kindle e reader and more. Here are come of the top smartphone deals on Amazon Google Pixel XL (Very Silver) ― Rs. 48,999 (Rs. 18,001) Google Pixel (Very Silver) ― Rs. 38,999 (Rs. 18,001 off) LG G6 ― Rs. 37,990 (Rs. 17,010 off) Moto Z with Style Mod ― Rs. 29,999 (Rs. 10,000 off) Moto Z Play with Style Mod ― Rs. 22,999 (Rs. 2,000 off) Moto G5 Plus ― Rs. 15,999 (Rs. 1,000) OnePlus 3T ― Rs. 27,999 (Rs. 2,000 off) Lenovo Z2 Play 64GB storage variant ― Rs. 10,999 (Rs. 6,500 off) Dual camera toting Coolpad Cool1 ― Rs. 9,999 (Rs. 1,000 off) Coolpad Note 5 ― Rs. 8,999 (Rs. 2,000 off) Coolpad Note 5 Lite ― Rs. 6,999 (Rs. 1,200 off) Lenovo Vibe K5 ― Rs. 6,999 (Rs. 1,500 off) Honor 6X ― 32GB: Rs. 10,999 Exclusive smartphone launches Honor 8 Pro nubia M2 Deals on Amazon products Kindle Paperwhite (300ppi) ― Rs. 8,499 (Rs. 2,500 off) All-new Kindle E-reader ― Rs. 4,750 (Rs. 1,249 off) Amazon Fire TV Stick ― Rs. 2,999 (Rs. 1,000 off) Deals on other gadgets and accessories Sennhieser HD 598 CS ― Rs. 4,999 (Rs. 13,991 off) Minimum 40 percent off on Fitbit products Canon EOS 1300D with 18-55mm ISII Lens, 16GB memory card and carry case ― Rs. 21,990 (Rs. 8,005 off) Amazon Prime Video launches Premier of Inside Edge TV show starring Vivek Oberoi, Richa Chadda, Sanjay Suri Premier of new movies like Star Trek Beyond, Sully and Deepwater Horizon. Amazon India is also offering cashback up to Rs. 2,000 on a maximum purchase of Rs. 5,000 or more on transaction made using HDFC debit and credit cards. As mentioned earlier, these offers are available exclusively for Prime Members, and will end on July 11 or till stocks last. Source
According to a report from Economic Times, Amazon is planning to launch its Echo smart speakers along with Alexa voice assistant in India by the end of this year. This is being reported the second time, as back in February, Factor Daily also claimed the same, and said that Amazon has started the process of putting together contents for localizing the service. But the new report citing two people aware of the development adds more weight and says that Amazon has already begun testing Echo speakers in India through select company executives, business professionals and analysts. The Echo speakers will be initially launched with an English interface, but Amazon will later add support for regional Indian languages including Hindi, Marathi and Tamil. A multilingual interface is reportedly being developed for Echo speaker at Amazon’s Chennai facility. Echo speaker will include all the services it currently offers in the US like buy groceries, order food, book a cab, play music and more by giving voice commands to Alexa. For online purchases, Alexa will link to the company’s online marketplace. However there are a few hurdles like large family culture and two-factor payment authentications, but Amazon is exploring workarounds for these barriers. The report also says that Amazon will launch Echo speaker in the country with attractive pricing and offers initially, a similar strategy it used for its Prime Video service. These offerings are likely to be linked with existing users of Amazon’s services in India
Amazon entered the smartphone market with the Fire Phone back in July 2014. It was both commercial and critical flop, and due to the poor response, the company had to discontinue the Fire Phone one year later, in August 2015. But now, it appears that the world's leading e-commerce company wants to have another go at selling its own branded smartphones According to Gadgets360, Amazon is working on a new smartphone line-up codenamed "Ice", which will be targeted at consumers in emerging or developing market like India. The Fire Phone booted a forked version of Android called Fire OS and did not include Google's Mobile Services (GMS). But the new Ice line up will run latest version of Google's Android operating system complete with GMS like Gmail and Google Play. The report further says that the phone is being developed with a screen size between 5.2- and 5.5-inches. It is expected to come with Snapdragon 430, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 13MP main camera, fingerprint scanner and run Android Nougat. The device is currently said to be in prototype stage, and don't have Amazon's Alexa digital voice assistant, but that could change in the future or at the time of the phone's launch. The Ice phone will reportedly be priced around Rs. 6,000 and will be launched in India before the end of this year.
Alongside, Fire 7, Amazon also announced Fire HD 8 tablet. It has the same specs as the 2016 model, but the starting price has been lowered by $10. The Fire HD 8 tablet comes with 8-inch 1280 x 800 pixels IPS display, and is powered by quad-core 1.3GHz processor with 1.5GB RAM, and will be offered in two storage options: 16GB or 32GB. The storage is expandable (up to 256GB) via microSD card. Other specs include 2MP rear camera, VGA front camera, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth, 3.5mm audio jack and integrated speaker with Dolby Audio. Like the Fire 7 tablet, the Fire HD 8 supports Alexa digital assistant to give you quick access to the entertainment you want. You can ask Alexa questions, check your calendar, play music and videos, read audiobooks, set timers, get the news and weather, and even control your smart home. It promises up to 12 hours of battery life under mixed usage like reading, surfing the web, watching video or listening to music. It has a thickness of 9.7mm and weighs 369g, and comes in Black, Marine Blue, Punch Red and Canary Yellow color. The 16GB version of Fire HD 8 tablet price is set at $ $79.99 and the 32GB variant costs $109.99.
There's also Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet priced at $129.99. It comes with 32GB on-board storage, a year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited (offers more than 15,000 books, videos, educational apps, and games), a kid-proof case, parental control and 2-year worry free-guarantee. The rest of the specs are similar to the regular Fire HD 8 tablet. The tablet will be offered in blue, pink and yellow hues. The Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 8 Kids Edition tablet is now available for pre-order from Amazon in the US and will start shipping on June 7.
Amazon is refreshing its Fire 7 tablet with thinner & lighter design, improved display, improved WiFi connectivity and longer battery life, while keeping the price same. The new Fire 7 tablet features 7-inch 1024 X 600 pixels IPS display with higher contrast and sharper text, and is powered by 1.3GHz quad-core processor with 1GB RAM and 8GB/16GB storage, which can be expanded via microSD card (up to 256). Other features include 2MP rear camera, VGA front facing camera, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth and 3.5mm audio jack. The tablet also supports Alexa digital assistant to give you quick access to the entertainment you want. You can ask Alexa questions, check your calendar, play music and videos, read audiobooks, set timers, get the news and weather, and even control your smart home. It promises up to eight hours of battery life under mixed usage. It has a thickness of 9.6mm and weighs 295g, and comes in Black, Marine Blue, Punch Red and Canary Yellow color. The Fire Tablet 7 is still priced at $49.99 of the 8GB storage variant, and $69.99 for the 16GB storage version.
There's also a kids edition of the Fire 7 tablet that comes with 16GB storage, a year of Amazon FreeTime Unlimited (offers more than 15,000 books, videos, educational apps, and games), a kid-proof case, parental controls and 2-year worry free-guarantee. The rest of the specs are same as that standard version. It is priced at $99.99 and comes in Blue, Pink or Yellow color. The Fire 7 and Fire 7 Kids Editions are up for pre-order in the US through Amazon and will start shipping June 7.
