Kindle Fire 2: Rumors and news surrounding what Amazon might have in store for us

The Kindle Fire did shake up the tablet world a bit when it came out with a price tag of $199 attached. It was one of the big strategic decision taken by Amazon and while only those in the high offices will know with all honesty if it paid off or not (we are guessing that it did). With rumors rife about the next generation Kindle, here is a look at all the news that is already shaping Kindle Fire 2 in the minds of millions across the globe. What Amazon finally rolls out might well be completely different, but recent experience has suggested that rumors are indeed more often right than wrong. So what can Amazon roll out to challenge the monopoly of Apple?

Kindle Fire 2

Kindle Fire 2 in two different sizes?

This one really is the top headline, if it is indeed true. Many reports indicate that Amazon will roll out a couple of Kindle Fire models as their updated versions and both of them will sport screen of varied size. If you were a betting man, then you would put your money on the launch of a 7-inch model that is in line with the original Kindle Fire and a new 9-inch model that will look to take on the new iPad. Of course, there are those who are suggesting a 10.1-inch model as well, but that might be just more of hope than anything else.

Quad Core Tegra Processor firing on the inside

All signs do point to the presence of a quad core processor inside the Kindle Fire 2 and with reports that date back to somewhere in 2011 pointing out that Amazon was planning on bringing out two models that will be based on the Nvidia Tegra 3, it seems like almost a certainty at this point that the Kindle Fire 2 will come out with power packed processor inside. Most likely both the new models (If it is indeed two) will come with the quad core processor, but that might ensure that the new Kndle Fire will no longer be available for a price that is under $200. But we will discuss the economics of it a bit further.

At this point, Amazon might have been backed into a corner where they have no other option but to pull out the heavy gear in order to still stay relevant. And since they might already have established a bit of brand loyalty among its consumers, it is not bad time to upscale one bit.

Ice Cream Sandwich-based OS that will be more Amazon

The idea of the Kindle Fire has always been to act as a vehicle to sell the stuff on the Amazon Store and the Kindle Fire 2 will be no different. In fact, the latest upgrade of the Kindle Fire is slated to carry an OS that will be based on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, but will be more shaped to custom fit the Kindle Fire 2. This would mean that instead of access to the Android App Store, you will be more geared to the Amazon Store along with various features that will be custom crafted to encourage you to buy stuff from Amazon.

And that seems only fair as you would not expect anything different from any other maker as if you have an online store and that is the biggest contributor of your business, your latest gadget pretty much must encourage more people to use it.

What’s in a name?

Well, actually plenty, say the marketing experts who point out to Apple and how its line of iPhone and iPad gadgets have encouraged brand loyalty and familiarity that has made them all the more profitable. Samsung have followed the same path with their ‘Galaxy’ series and Amazon will do well to continue the ‘Kindle Fire’ name. But what exactly will it be is still a mystery that most people are trying to solve. Especially with two new Kindle Fire tablets slated to slide out you could well be seeing something in the line of ‘Kindle Fire 2’ and the ‘New Kindle’. We will leave it at that as we are more bothered about specs than the name at this point.

Price and Availability

The availability is being pushed back every quarter but at this point it is safe to assume that the Kindle Fire 2 models will be out for sure in the second half of 2012 and most likely before the holiday season. The pricing though will be the key and considering all the specs that we expect it to carry along with maybe a front facing camera as well, the Kindle Fire 2 just cannot come at a price of $200. The more realistic price range could be around the $249 mark for the 7-inch tab and$299 for the 9-inch tab.

Remember that many experts analyzed that the Kindle Fire was sold for a small loss as Amazon believed they could make up the money on the Amazon store purchases. But with the Kindle Fire 2 models and f they do come with a quad core processor, expect the price tag to be well around the $250 mark for the 7-inch model.