Amazon will begin selling the new Fire HD 6 tablet on Oct. 2; this time, the new tablet has a different look than the previous Fire HD generations, according to the Amazon’s website.
The tablet, a smaller version of the Kindle Fire, features a high-definition display of 1200 by 800 pixels and is available in five colors — not just the standard black, according to the store’s website. The color options include a black, white, magenta, citron or a cobalt body color, according to Amazon’s website.
Other features of the Fire HD 6 include a front and rear-facing camera, which can be used for communicating via Skype or taking selfies, as stated on Amazon’s website. The Second Lien Modification Program camera also allows users to record videos in high resolution, according to Amazon’s website.
Amazon decided to stick with “economic” pricings when they presented a Fire HD 6 with a 6-inch, 8GB tablet that ranges between $99 to $134 — depending on the memory amount — according to Amazon’s website.
“I never considered buying a tablet from Amazon because they look really cheap and basic, but I guess they’re really trying to step up their game now,” junior sociology major Chris Saenz said. “Usually the basic tablets have like the worst screen ever, no camera or are just a boring boxy tablet except [Amazon] is setting the completion now.”
The Fire HD 6 is also available in a 7-inch display and can cost anywhere from $139 to $174, also depending on the device’s memory, according to Amazon’s website. The size of the tablets allows users to put it in their back pockets, according to theverge.com, a news outlet that covers technology, science, art and culture.
“I really like tablets; they’re easier to carry than a computer, but they can also be very expensive,” senior economics major, Vanessa Mota said. “The [Fire HD] is really affordable, and it seems like you can pretty much do the same stuff you can on an iPad, for a smaller fraction of the price though.”
The Fire HD 6 received some criticism from CNET, a technology-centered news outlet, because it is only available with 8GB; however, Amazon representatives said that customers do not seem to use up a lot of memory.
“Eight gigabytes seem like a little storage space for a tablet and will probably end up limiting you to saving stuff on the tablet,” freshman anthropology major, Devin Williams said. “I don’t think anyone would like downloading and deleting files all the time.”
Another Fire HD 6 feature would allow users to access Amazon’s “cloud,” which can let users remove and download files or data from their tablet at any time without having to use the device’s memory, according to Amazon’s website.
Amazon claims on the website that the tablet is the fastest affordable tablet because, unlike other inexpensive tablets, this one comes with clear and loud speakers. Although the Fire HD 6 is an entry-level tablet, having high quality features is not a compromise, Kindle’s vice president Peter Larsen said to theverge.com on Sept. 16.
“Amazon tablets sell at low prices, they specialize in electronic book apps, they added a camera tablets and now they want to improve the battery life,” senior communications major Joanna Sanchez said. “They’re definitely targeting students, it shows because of the affordability and because they have always focused on electronic books.”