Fire HD

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Amazon Fire HD
Kindle Fire HD 8.9.jpg
Fire HD 8.9"
Developer Amazon.com
Manufacturer Quanta Computer
Type Tablet computer
Operating system Fire OS proprietary fork of Android OS
CPU ARM core (see table)
Memory GB RAM
Storage 8–32 GB Flash (internal)
Removable storage MicroSDXC slot (some models)
Display 6", 7", 8", 8.9", 10" LCD
Sound Stereo speakers
Camera Front
Connectivity Micro-USB 2.0 (type B), Micro-HDMI,
3.5mm stereo jack, 802.11 Wi-Fi,
4G LTE (8.9" model),[1] Bluetooth[2]
Online services Amazon Prime, Amazon Cloud Storage, Amazon Cloud Player, Amazon video, Amazon Silk, Amazon Appstore, Amazon Kindle Store
Predecessor Kindle Fire
Successor Fire HDX
Website Amazon Fire HD

The Fire HD, formerly named Kindle Fire HD, is a member of the Amazon Kindle Fire line of tablet computers. The family consists of: 7", 8.9" (2012 models), 7" (2013 model), 6", 7" (2014 models), 8", 10.1" (2015 models). As of 2016, the 6", 8" and 10" Fire HD tablets are available.

History[edit]

The first model was announced on September 6, 2012 and was available in two models, 7" and 8.9". The 7" model was released in United States on September 14, then France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom on October 25 and in Japan on December 18. The 8.9" model was released on November 20 in United States, in Japan on March 12, 2013 in Germany on March 13, and in India on June 27.[3][4][5][6][7][8]

On September 25, 2013, the Fire HD second generation was released. The price of the Fire HD 7" was reduced to $139, the processor speed was upgraded to 1.5 GHz, upgraded from "Android based" OS to a compatible proprietary fork of Android named Fire OS 3, removed the front camera, used a new form factor and decreased the available storage options. In addition, the Fire HD's successor the Kindle Fire HDX was introduced.

On October 2, 2014, the Fire HD third generation was released, which is part of the Fire Tablet's fourth generation, with 6-inch and 7-inch touchscreen sizes. In addition, the Fire HD Kids Edition was released, which is the same device as the Fire HD 6 except it comes with a case and one-year subscription to Kindle Freetime apps.[9] In addition, the name "Kindle" was officially removed from the tablets' name.

In September 2015, Amazon released a new range of Fire tablets with 7, 8, and 10 inch sizes. The 7 inch was simply called the Fire 7, while the 8 and 10" were called Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 respectively. The Fire 7 is unique as it is, thus far, the lowest priced Fire tablet at $50. In September 2016, Amazon announced the new Fire HD 8 with Alexa[10] starting at $90.

Design[edit]

Hardware[edit]

The Fire tablets feature multi-touch touchscreen LCD screens. The first generation 7" model contains a Texas Instruments OMAP 4460 processor, while the 8.9" model uses an OMAP 4470 processor.[11] All three models feature Dolby audio and stereo speakers. The 7" model's speakers are dual-driver, while the 8.9" model's are single-driver.[11] The device has two Wi-Fi antennas on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands which utilize MIMO to improve reception.[11] The Fire HD also added Bluetooth connectivity allowing users to connect an array of wireless accessories including keyboards.[11] The first generation models have an HDMI port, but this is missing from future generations.

In June 2016, Amazon released a version of the Fire HD 10 that has an aluminum exterior instead of plastic like the other Fire tablets, and is available at the same price as the plastic version.[12]

Software[edit]

The 2012 models use software that introduced user profiles for sharing among family members and the ability to place absolute limits on total usage or usage of individual features, called FreeTime, and tracks the user's reading speed to predict when the user will finish a chapter or book. The OS is based on a version of Android 4.0.3 (Ice Cream Sandwich). This does not allow use of Google Play, limiting the number of apps accessible for the Fire HD. Fire HD software updates can be received OTA or from the support websites.[2][13][14]

The Fire HD 7" second generation used Fire OS 3. Note that although this version is called the Fire HD 7", it is not the successor to the original Fire HD. This model is the successor to the Fire second generation. The Fire HD models second generation were updated to FireOS 4.1.1, based on Android 4.4.4, in Q3 2014.

The Fire HD 6" and 7" third generation uses Fire OS 4 "Sangria", which features profiles so each user on the tablet can have their own settings and apps.[15]

The Fire HD 8" and 10" fifth generation uses Fire OS 5 "Bellini" and was released in late 2015. In September 2016, Amazon released virtual assistant Alexa for the sixth generation Fire tablets.[16]

Models[edit]

Generation (within Fire tablets) 2nd generation (2012) 2.5th generation (2012) 3rd generation (2013) 4th generation (2014) 5th generation (2015) 6th generation (2016)
Model Kindle Fire HD 7" Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Kindle Fire HD 7" Fire HD 6" and 7" Fire HD 8" and 10" Fire HD 8"
Release date September 14, 2012 November 20, 2012 October 2, 2013 October 2, 2014 September 30, 2015 September 21, 2016
Status Discontinued Discontinued 6" Current
7" Refurbished[17]
8" Discontinued
10" Current
Current
Screen size (diagonal) 7 in (18 cm) 8.9 in (23 cm) 7 in (18 cm) 6 in (15 cm) and 7 in (18 cm) 8 in (20 cm) and 10 in (25 cm) 8 in (20 cm)
Resolution 1280 × 800 (216 ppi) 1920 × 1200 (254 ppi) 1280 × 800 (216 ppi) HD 6: 1280 × 800 (252 ppi)
HD 7: 1280 × 800 (216 ppi)
HD 8: 1280 x 800 (189 ppi)
HD 10: 1280 x 800 (149 ppi)
1280 × 800 (189 ppi)
OS Based on Android 4.0.3 Fire OS 4 Fire OS 5
System Version 7.5.1[18] 8.5.1[19] 4.5.5.1[20] 5.3.1[21][22][23][24] 5.3.1.1[25]
CPU Maker Texas Instruments MediaTek
Kind Dual-core OMAP4 Quad-core ARM big.LITTLE Quad-core
Model 4460 HS 4470 HS MT8135V[26][27] MT8163V/B
Cores 2x ARM Cortex-A9 @ 1.2 GHz 2x ARM Cortex-A9 @ 1.5 GHz 2x ARM Cortex-A15 @ 1.5 GHz
2x ARM Cortex-A7 @ 1.2 GHz
4x ARM Cortex-A53 @ 1.3 GHz
Width 32-bit 64-bit
GPU Designer Imagination Technologies ARM Holdings
Kind PowerVR Mali
Model SGX540 SGX544 G6200 T720 MP2
Clock 384 MHz[28] 450 MHz 650 MHz [29]
RAM 1 GiB 1.5 GiB
Storage Internal Wi-Fi 16 GB or 32 GB 8 GB or 16 GB HD 8: 8–16 GB
HD 10: 16–64 GB
16 GB or 32 GB
+Cellular N/A 32 GB or 64 GB N/A
External N/A N/A N/A on 6", otherwise at least up to 128 GB microSDXC at least up to 200 GB microSDXC
Camera Back 2 MP 5 MP 2MP
Front 1.3 MP HD 720p 0.3 MP VGA 1.3 MP HD 720p 0.3 MP VGA
Microphone Yes Yes
Bluetooth Bluetooth 3.0 + EDR
(HID and A2DP profiles only)
Bluetooth 4.0 + EDR
(HID and A2DP profiles only)
Bluetooth 4.0 LE
Wireless Wi-Fi Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Single-band 802.11 b/g/n Dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
+Cellular N/A adds 4G LTE N/A
Location Wi-Fi Wi-Fi based
+Cellular N/A adds GPS and aGPS N/A
Proximity Wi-Fi N/A
+Cellular Yes
Compass Wi-Fi N/A
+Cellular Yes
Light sensor Yes N/A Yes
Accelerometer Yes
Gyroscope
Barometer N/A
Weight Wi-Fi 395 g (13.9 oz) 545 g (19.2 oz) 345 g (12.2 oz) HD 6: 290 g (10 oz)
HD 7: 337 g (11.9 oz)
HD 8: 311 g (11.0 oz)
HD 10: 432 g (15.2 oz)
341 g (12.0 oz)
+Cellular N/A 567 g (20.0 oz) N/A
Dimensions 193 mm × 137 mm × 10.3 mm
(7.60 in × 5.39 in × 0.41 in)
240 mm × 160 mm × 8.8 mm
(9.45 in × 6.30 in × 0.35 in)
191 mm × 128 mm × 10.6 mm
(7.52 in × 5.04 in × 0.42 in)
HD 6: 160 mm × 103 mm × 10.7 mm
(6.30 in × 4.06 in × 0.42 in)
HD 7: 191 mm × 128 mm × 10.6 mm
(7.52 in × 5.04 in × 0.42 in)
HD 8: 214 mm × 128 mm × 7.7 mm
(8.43 in × 5.04 in × 0.30 in)
HD 10: 262 mm × 159 mm × 7.7 mm
(10.31 in × 6.26 in × 0.30 in)
214 mm × 128 mm × 9.2 mm
(8.43 in × 5.04 in × 0.36 in)
Battery 4400 mAh 6000 mAh 4400 mAh 8.5 hours 8 hours 12 hours

*table above only includes data on "HD"-branded tablets

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Cunningham, Andrew (6 September 2012). "Kindle Fire's 4G package offers 250MB of data a month for $50 a year". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved 6 September 2012. 
  2. ^ a b "Kindle Fire Device and Feature Specifications". Retrieved 3 December 2012. 
  3. ^ Kobo Announces Their New E-Readers | GeekMom | Wired.com
  4. ^ Amazon.es: Kindle Fire HD
  5. ^ Amazon.it: Kindle Fire HD
  6. ^ Amazon.fr : Kindle Fire HD
  7. ^ Amazon.de: Kindle Fire HD
  8. ^ Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Fire HD
  9. ^ "Amazon Kindle Cheat Sheet". CNET. Retrieved 2014-09-19. 
  10. ^ "Amazon's new Fire HD 8 is its first tablet with Alexa". engadget.com. Retrieved 26 September 2016. 
  11. ^ a b c d "Amazon Kindle Press Conference — September 6, 2012". YouTube. 
  12. ^ Amazon now sells a metal version of its Fire 10 tablet The Verge Retrieved 2 June 2016.
  13. ^ Kindle Fire HD 7" Software Update
  14. ^ Kindle Fire HD 8.9" Software Update
  15. ^ "What's new with Amazon's Fire OS 4.0 "Sangria"?". AndroidGuys. 
  16. ^ "Amazon Debuts Its First Fire Tablet With Virtual Assistant Alexa". fortune.com. Retrieved 26 September 2016. 
  17. ^ "Kindle and Fire Outlet". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2016-09-28. 
  18. ^ Kindle Fire HD 7" (2nd Generation) Software Updates
  19. ^ Kindle Fire HD 8.9" (2nd Generation) Software Updates
  20. ^ Kindle Fire HD (3rd Generation) Software Updates
  21. ^ Fire HD 6 (4th Generation) Software Updates
  22. ^ Fire HD 7 (4th Generation) Software Updates
  23. ^ Fire HD 8 (5th Generation) Software Updates
  24. ^ Fire HD 10 (5th Generation) Software Updates
  25. ^ Fire HD 8 (6th Generation) Software Updates
  26. ^ Fire Fire HD 6 Teardown
  27. ^ MediaTek press release
  28. ^ Device and Feature Specifications
  29. ^ https://www.arm.com/products/multimedia/mali-gpu/high-area-efficiency/mali-t720.php

External links[edit]